Hay fever affects nearly one in three American adults. With all the fun side effects: itchy eyes, runny nose, and serial sneezes. Over-the-counter and prescription medications can bring relief but with side effects such as sleepiness and anxiety. Natural allergy relief can be yours with a little work.
May is National Allergy & Asthma Awareness Month. May was chosen as the awareness month by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America because it is the peak season for asthma and allergy sufferers.
…More at National Allergy & Asthma Awareness Month
Clean your environment. To minimize common allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, and chemicals; get on a frequent vacuuming, dusting, and pet-grooming schedule. Change your furnace’s air filter once a month during winter months. And consider buying a HEPA air filter for the bedroom, especially if you cuddle with a pet.
Find your food triggers. Although seasonal allergies may seem unrelated to food allergies and intolerances, they provoke similar responses in the body, taxing the immune system. “Eighty percent of your immune system is in your gut,” says Michael Smith, ND, of Charlotte, North Carolina. Most people unwittingly eat foods every day that may trigger food intolerance for them, he says. “If we can remove those reactions and lower the body’s total immune system activity, we can help prevent people from going over their allergic thresholds.”
There are two types of food allergies: Immediate or immunoglobulin E (IgE) food allergies, which cause more obvious emergency reactions and delayed food or immunoglobulin G (IgG) allergies, may not surface for hours or days and can cause less severe symptoms like wheezing, coughing, nasal congestion, skin rash, or digestive change. Many times people don’t associate these warning signs with the foods they eat.
Common IgG culprits include dairy, wheat, corn, soy, yeast, and nuts. If you suspect a food intolerance you can ask your health care practitioner for a blood test, or just try to eliminate the food from your diet. You can avoid the common offenders listed above for a couple of weeks, and then gradually reintroduce them one by one over several weeks and watch for any ill effects.
Boost fresh-food intake. Stock up on colorful fruits and veggies such as red onions, capers and apples which are rich sources of bioflavonoid compounds like quercetin and catechins, which have been shown to block histamine release. Drink lots of green and black tea; both are packed with allergy-preventing bioflavonoids.
Go easy on saturated fats and cholesterol. Diets rich in butter and other animal products are associated with more frequent wheezing and hay fever in children, although the reason is still not known.
Support healthy immunity. Allergic reactions happen when your natural defenses malfunction. Commit to frequent sessions of moderate exercise and other stress-relieving activities, which can help boost immune response. Stick to a regular sleep routine to help keep adrenal glands, which secrete the stress hormone cortisol, on a normal cycle. When the adrenal glands are stressed, they produce too much cortisol, wreaking havoc on the immune system. Healthy amounts of cortisol have an anti-inflammatory effect that reduces histamine secretion.
Nutrients for allergy prevention:
- Bromelain: A pineapple derivative, this enzyme is known for its anti-inflammatory effects as well as its ability to soothe mucous membranes, the front lines of defense during allergy season.
- Quercetin: This bioflavonoid compound effectively curbs histamines.
- Vitamin C: This powerful antioxidant bolsters the immune system and helps protect cells from free radicals, debilitating molecules produced during normal metabolism, as well as infections and allergic reactions.
The key: start taking steps to prevent allergies before the allergy season in order to give natural allergy relief takes time to take effect. By reducing your exposure to allergy triggers—and by boosting your immune system—these diet, supplement, and environmental tips can stall allergy attacks even when pollen counts soar.
Stay involved
Developing a positive mindset is one of the most powerful life strategies there is. Using powerful positive thinking techniques, visualizations and positive affirmations, it is possible to achieve whatever you want.
