Spring has arrived. If you are one of the millions who suffer Pollen allergyYou know it’s allergy season too. You may love the sunlight and the beauty of trees and flowers, but chances are you won’t be able to enjoy them due to sneezing, runny nose, coughing, watery eyes, and other symptoms of pollen allergies.
You don’t have to suffer these anymore pollen allergy symptoms this season. You can reduce your risk and symptoms of pollen allergies by using some simple natural solutions.
What is pollen allergy?
pollen allergies They are caused by pollen, which are small powdery, egg-shaped grains that are released from flowering plants. Pollen is carried by wind, bees, and other insects from one plant to another to fulfill its essential reproductive function.
This is best for our plants, however, when pollens become airborne, they can land in the eyes, nose, lungs, and skin, and can cause allergic reactions.
Since different plants flower at different times, depending on the type of pollen you’re allergic to, you may only have allergies during a certain time in the spring or summer. People with various pollen allergies may experience symptoms throughout the spring and summer.
Pollen allergy seasons
Spring allergies tend to be caused by trees, most commonly oak, olive, elm, birch, ash, hickory, poplar, sycamore, maple, cypress, and hickory.
Pollen allergies in late spring or early summer are usually caused by grass pollen. As with spring allergies, your allergies can be directly affected by where you live.
Pollen allergies in late summer and fall are usually caused by weed pollen. Again, these allergies may depend on your location. The most common weed pollen allergies in North America include ragweed, mugwort, Russian thistle, and cockles.
In certain areas of the world, some trees can also pollinate in the fall.
Pollen allergy symptoms
While some of the most common problems pollen allergies cause are sneezing, runny nose, and coughing, they can cause a variety of other symptoms. The Pollen allergy symptoms may include:
- sneezing
- Runny nose
- Nasal congestion
- Cough
- Crying eyes
- Red eyes
- Itchy throat
- wheezing
- Urticaria
- Stomach aches
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Skin itch
A balanced immune response is key
Although most people don’t associate gut health with allergies, the most common problem that can increase your symptoms or make you more prone to allergies is altered and unbalanced gut flora.
Your gut microbiome is responsible for 70 percent of your body’s innate immune response and allows your body to differentiate between safe environmental particles, including pollen, grass, and dust, and unsafe environmental particles, such as bad bacteria, viruses, and harmful yeast. healthy.
When the gut flora is disrupted early in life, it can lead to poor immune coordination and hypersensitivity to safe environmental particles. This may not only increase your risk of hay fever and other seasonal allergies, but also increase your risk of asthma, autoimmune diseases, and chronic inflammation.
Although many people with pollen allergy have allergies since childhood or adolescence, it is certainly possible to develop pollen allergies later in life or experience worsening symptoms as you age.
It’s also possible to reduce your symptoms and even eliminate your pollen allergies through proper immune support.
Natural solutions to pollen allergies
If you have been dealing with pollen allergies, we have good news for you. You can reduce or even eliminate the symptoms of your pollen allergies without medication.
Your lifestyle plays a huge role in how your immune system acts and responds to the environment. Certain lifestyle practices will help balance your immune response and dampen allergic reactions. These are the most recommended natural solutions:
anti-inflammatory diet
You may be wondering what your diet has to do with pollen allergies. The truth is that your diet has to do with everything that happens in your body.
Eating an inflammatory diet high in sugar, simple carbohydrates, refined oil, conventional dairy, gluten, processed foods, junk food, and artificial ingredients increase inflammation in your body.
An inflammatory diet, especially when high in dairy and gluten, can also increase mucus production and sinus problems.
On the other hand, it also compromises your intestinal flora, further increasing your risk and symptoms of pollen allergies.
To reduce the risk of pollen allergy and reduce symptoms, it is best to eat a nutrient-rich anti-inflammatory diet. Eliminate inflammatory foods, such as sugar, refined oil, conventional dairy, gluten, conventional animal products, and any processed or junk foods.
Eat nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods, such as leafy greens like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard, greens, like cucumber, celery, and asparagus, low-glycemic fruits, like lemon, lime, and berries, and herbs and spices , etc.
Consider foods low in histamine
Histamine is an important neurotransmitter and immune messenger molecule. It is essential for the healthy functioning of your body. It is involved in processes like the secretion of hydrochloric acid for digestion, the inflammatory response, and communication with your brain.
Histamine receptors are found throughout the body, including smooth muscle and endothelial cells, the intestines, and the central nervous system.
While histamine is essential and plays a huge role in your health, it’s important to have enough but not too much histamine. Histamine intolerance means that your body has too much histamine. Having too much histamine is never a good thing. In fact, it can lead to a variety of mild to severe symptoms and serious health problems.
Try a low histamine diet
To reduce histamine intolerance and subsequent pollen allergies, it is recommended that you eliminate or reduce foods high in histamine, including cured meats, nuts, sour foods, foods containing vinegar, aged cheese , nuts and vegetables high in histamine (for example, tomatoes, spinach, eggplant), and smoked fish.
You should also avoid foods that release histamine, such as bananas, chocolate, avocado, tomatoes, shellfish, strawberries, cow’s milk, preservatives and dyes.
Instead, try eating foods low in histamine, such as artichokes, beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, collard greens, jicama, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions , Swiss chard, zucchini, coconut oil, etc.
good hydration
Water is key to your health. A fetus develops within a watery environment within the amniotic sac, and a baby’s water rationing system kicks in quickly after birth to prevent dehydration. Histamine helps redistribute water within your body to keep you hydrated and healthy.
Make sure your vital organs receive enough water to maintain optimal function.
Reduce stress and prioritize good sleep
Chronic stress and poor quality sleep can increase inflammation in your body and compromise gut health. When you are under stress, your body also releases histamine to protect you. However, when you are under chronic stress and your body is fatigued from poor quality or lack of sleep, your body will release too much histamine.
Improve your gut health
An alteration of your intestinal microbiota can have serious consequences on your general health. It can cause chronic inflammation and impact your immune response. It can increase the allergic response and cause allergy symptoms even when you come into contact with otherwise safe pollen or grass particles. Eating an inflammatory diet, taking antibiotics, environmental toxins, and stress can affect your good health and lead to allergies.
Optimize your vitamin D levels
Vitamin D is very important for your immune system. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with chronic inflammation and a risk of developing allergies. While regular sun exposure is essential for your vitamin D levels, it’s hard to meet your needs that way alone, especially when you work indoors.
Raise your glutathione levels
Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant contained in plants, animals, fungi and some bacteria. Supports your body’s natural antioxidant response. It can also help reduce inflammation, decrease oxidative stress, and decrease the risk of seasonal allergies.
Consider using proteolytic enzymes
Proteolytic enzymes help catalyze proteolysis, the breakdown of proteins. They help stimulate immune activity and optimize immune system function by promoting healthy gut bacteria and a healthy balance of gut flora.
Use the nettle
Nettle is a plant native to Europe, but can also be found in North America and New Zealand. Nettle leaf has been found to help regulate inflammatory activities and hyperimmune response related to histamine intolerance, mast cell degranulation and prostaglandin formation.