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**This post has been entered in Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist!**
Now that spring is here and everyone is spending more time outside, seasonal allergies have become a problem for some. Many people suffer from seasonal allergies to pollen, trees, grass, and other “outdoor” things, resulting in sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, hay fever, etc. The traditional treatments have been allergy medications, either OTC or prescription to deal with the symptoms. But is this the only way to handle it?
Allergies occur in the following way:
First, picture a grain of pollen — it looks something like a spiny sea urchin (see photo 3 in Image Gallery). Now imagine this prickly invader entering your nasal passages and latching onto soft mucous membranes. These mucous membranes line our bronchial and nasal passages and contain immune cells, called mast cells, which are loaded with histamines. Receptors sit on top of these mast cells, and when an allergen trigger — such as pollen, mold or pet dander — lands on top of the receptor, it alerts the mast cells, which respond by releasing histamine and other chemicals. The histamine initiates a series of reactions designed to help the body get rid of the intruder, including sneezing, watery eyes and itching. For some people, particularly those with asthma, this reaction may also include swelling in the bronchial tubes that makes it difficult to breathe
So, the problem is obviously that the body is producing a strong immune response to these substances. The way to handle it is either to stop the immune response from happening. What are the best ways to help these symptoms?
Traditional Approaches
Usually, antihistamine drugs are used to control the symptoms of the allergies. These drugs only block the action of histamines (which cause the allergic reaction), they don’t actually prevent them. This means that while you feel better, but that the reaction is still occurring. They also can cause many side effects, like extreme drowsiness, dizziness, and even depression. Although there are newer versions that are “non-drowsy,” these are not the best solution to the problem because they do not actually solve anything, they just mask symtoms.
Steroid nasal inhalers are used by some, but these steroids are hormones that can get into the body, which actually weakens the overall immune system.
It is important to be careful with these drugs, especially in children, as they can have long-term side effects. Luckily, there are a variety of natural treatments that can be just as effective — if not more so, according to some studies — than these traditional remedies.
Herbal and Natural Options
There are herbal options that can help calm the body and actually prevent the worst of the symptoms, without the side effects.
- Nettle: This is an herb which actually inhibits the body’s ability to produce histamines, preventing the allergic reactions. It can be taken in a capsule, a tea, or a tincture.
- Raw honey or pollen: Consuming small amounts of local (that is important) raw honey or bee pollen can help reduce your sensitivity to pollen and other allergens, by building up a tolerance to the allergens.
- Saline nasal spray or Neti pot: Rinsing your nose gently with a saline spray can remove excess pollen and reduce reactions.
- One source recommends avoiding the following: “melon, banana, cucumber, sunflower seeds, chamomile, and any herbal supplements containing Echinacea” as these can exacerbate reactions.
- Quercetin: A natural compound found in many fruits and vegetables (citrus fruits, parsley, apples, onions, tomatoes, broccoli and lettuce), which stabilizes the mast cells and prevents the formation of histamines. It is also available as a supplement, which may be required by allergy sufferers to get enough to make a difference.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Consuming foods or supplements high in omega-3s can help boost the immune system and relieve allergies. Grass-fed beef, cold water fish, walnuts, eggs, and flax are good sources. I also like fermented cod liver oil and recommend that.
- Cleaning your home: A good air filter, frequent vacuuming and dusting, washing curtains and bedding, and so on can reduce the amount of allergens in your home that can cause a reaction.
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AL-R-G formula: An herbal formula created by Trilight Health. We’ll be talking more about their products net month!
Can Allergies Be Cured?
Some claim that they can. Dr. Sinsheimer, ND, has a treatment program. Sometimes, allergies — including seasonal — can be cause by poor gut health (and therefore a poor immune system). Improving gut health through diet can help minimize or eliminate allergy symptoms. The GAPS diet can help to heal the gut in order to eliminate allergies.
Avoiding other allergens — including food — can help reduce the burden on the body and therefore help reduce allergy symptoms.
Avoiding environmental toxins and processed foods can help improve immune function as well.
These, in combination with natural treatments through naturopathic doctors and some of the natural remedies above, can help to clear the body of allergies.
If you or a family member are suffering with seasonal allergies, it is worth it to consult with a naturopathic physician in your area for personalized recommendations — these types of programs may be an option for you.
Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? How do you treat them?
Allergies have always been an issue for me for as long as I can remember. Only in the last three months since cutting wheat and processed sugar from my diet, can I actually say that I haven't "noticed" big flare ups! Thank you for some of the suggestions you wrote about, I would like to try a few to see if I can knock them out completely! Love your blog and all the enouragement and information you provide!
I'm that camp. Discovered over the last two weeks that unfermented grain will indeed set off my allergies, so I plan to start the Body Ecology Diet in a few weeks. In the interim, I picked up some nettle tincture on Friday and am taking that 2-3 times a day. It seemed to help yesterday's post-waffles flare up too. I also am big on the neti pot, and swear by it getting rid of my one time tendency toward sinus infections.
I have had seasonal allergies my whole life and in the past few years it has become a year-round thing. After thinking through the effects that the allergies meds may have long term I found a holistic chiropractor in my area who, through adjustments and nutritional supplements, has helped my allergies tremendously! I just went 60 hours without taking any medicine, which was a huge step for me, and I have only been going to see this dr. for about 2.5 weeks!
@Soli, you don't actually need the Neti Pot to get the same effect in your nose/sinuses. My MIL introduced me to saline nosewashes, where you use about 1/4 tsp salt and 1 cup warm water, then use a 1tsp spoon, block off one side of the nose, and inhale the water through the other. It does NOT hurt, has the same effect (being able to breathe despite respiratory infections/allergies/whatever), and is WAY less expensive, especially for those who don't want to spend money to buy the Neti Pot. A mug and a 1 tsp spoon are all you need (well, and a sink for drips as you're using the nosewash).
Will nettle work for eczema? My 10 yr old dd has bad eczema and while her skin has managed to be softer and less dry through use of Borage-Flax OIls and Quercetin, etc supplements she is still itching badly. I am wondering what can ease/calm the itch.
Thanks!
Stinging nettles were recently recommended (by a friend) for Cam's allergy cough. He's currently on Singulair (since August, 2010) and while it seemed to help initially with his ragweed allergies, we question how much effect it has had since then. Cam was still sick a lot this winter (it was explained to us that his allergies weaken his immune system, making him get sick more often than other kids…and the asthma makes the sicknesses worse/last longer)–less than last year and the year before, but still quite a bit since Christmas–and when he's sick he still coughs, a lot. Again, better than in the past, but no drastic improvement. Pretty sure our next step is going to be a new herbal tea and some nettles supplements/pills.
Yes – I have had seasonal allergies in the past. Since transitioning to a real foods diet, they have all but disappeared – nary a runny nose or itchy eye to be found.
My seasonal allergies went away once I stopped eating processed foods and started eating raw local honey. I am now doing the gaps diet to get rid of food intolerances as well
Any thoughts on allergies to Dogs and Alternaria mold? They directly impact my sinuses which combined with a sinus structural defect l.eads to much pressure. I do the neti pot, steam with eucalyptus. Just started Allegra but would love to not have to take a med every day. My accupuncturist feels Sugar is a problem, but although I have made good strides towards a real food diet I am not just yet ready to give up sugar/grains. Thoughts?
This is our first spring in Georgia, and there is something in the air that is getting me. I plan to get some nettle tea and have already been taking local honey. I find the info about the gut and seasonal allergy relation interesting. I have been working on a dairy free/ soy free diet for about 9 months and have stopped eating eggs and most recently gluten. I have had stronger reactions to things (both environmental and food) since the diet change. Any help with this? Or theory as to why I would be worse after eliminating certain foods from my diet?
The “one source” that recommends avoiding melon and other foods is missing a lot of the story, and I would therefore consider it unreliable. The list of cross-reactants from “one source” is just a random smattering of things that can cross-react IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO THE ITEM IT IS CROSS-REACTIVE WITH, none of those items you list from “one source” is any more likely to create problems in a person not allergic to the cross-reactive allergen. Certain things can cross react due to similarities, phylogenic and otherwise. If you suffer from grass allergies, you can have cross reactions when you eat lettuce and several other foods, for instance. It doesn’t mean you WILL cross-react, but cross-reactions to the specified foods are not uncommon. The list of common allergens is long, and each common allergen has a long list of things that can cross react. These are common foods that we all eat. My husband is an allergist and suffers from allergies. If we avoided all the things on the list, we’d hardly eat. You want to find out exactly what you are allergic to (hayfever? birch? grasses?). Then you want to look up what the common cross-reactants are for your given allergy. The food list is usually 6-10 items, but can be more. An allergist can provide you with that information, or you can look it up in the medical literature yourself. But be careful of sources who have a tiny portion of the story and blow it into something more.
I just checked the “one source”. They ARE specific. Those foods relate to weed pollens, although they do not specify which weeds. But if you are not allergic to those pollens, those foods will have little effect, but other foods may. Do your research on this topic if you suffer from allergies, get specifics to avoid wasting time, money and energy.
I use to suffer with allergies all my life, except for this past year. I’ve been using local raw honey, and detoxifying my body to stabilize my gut health through kefir soda, raw milk, dairy kefir yogurt, and Ezekiel bread. I usually have a huge reaction to oak pollen, but I barely had a sniffle this time!