The immune system identifies an intruder or a substance dangerous to our health, and elicits a response aimed at clearing it away. However, while it is quite appropriate to react violently to tear gas, which is a dangerous and highly irritant substance, it is not appropriate to react with the same force to pollens or dust which are not at all life threatening. It is very true that our external environment is being increasingly compromised by our many abuses. It is also true that our internal environment is being similarly abused. Our responses to the degradation of both internal and external environment are normally, over reactivity and over sensitivity on the one hand and lowered immunity on the other.
Allergies belong to the first group.
If we find ourselves coughing or sneezing or wheezing and otherwise having difficulty with our breathing it can be that our over sensitivity is reacting to something in the environment which would only be mildly irritating to a healthy immune system. This is in contrast to the situation where there is a real threat as in the case of an infection. The modern medical response to 'allergic asthma' is to reduce levels of inflammation and histamines with steroids or anti-histamines. These drugs aim to reduce the symptoms of sensitivity rather than to deal with the reactivity itself. My approach to the condition is to support and rebuild the immunity to reduce reactivity and to support the healing of those areas, which have become irritated and weakened by constant stimulation.