It’s that time of year again when all of the beautiful blooming things also bring pollen, mold & dust, and an increase in ALLERGIES! You may be experiencing the watery eyes, runny nose, nasal congestion, chest tightness, sneezing, and headaches that so many of us are familiar with in the spring. I also imagine the onset of any symptoms during these times of heightened awareness around illness can be a bit unnerving. So I wanted to offer some supportive suggestions.
Why Do Allergies Happen?
Without going into a lot of detail, sensitivity to environmental factors such as pollen, mold, weeds, and foods is multifactorial. There is usually some type of genetic predisposition, meaning it runs in families. There are often alterations of the gut, respiratory, or skin barriers which increase interactions between allergens and your immune system making you more susceptible to reactions.
You may also have lowered immune resilience due to…
- alterations in your microbiome
- lack of sleep, physical activity & hydration
- increased stress & toxin exposure
- poor diet
- aging
- overly clean environments that don’t allow for immune system development
Lastly, allergic reactions require exposure to a trigger, in this case, the pollen, mold, dust mites, food, etc.
What Can You Do?
Reduce Exposure to Triggers
If you know what your allergic triggers are, you can certainly try to reduce exposure to them, but this isn’t always possible. One of the ways I like to reduce exposure to respiratory allergens is through the use of nasal irrigation at least once a day, but if you can do it morning and night, it can be really helpful. If you haven’t tried this before you can check out this YouTube Video. You can either use a neti pot or the NeilMed sinus rinse bottle. Both are available at most pharmacies and on Amazon. Be sure to use distilled or boiled and cooled water.
A 2012 systematic review of 10 separate studies found that saline nasal irrigation done regularly over a period of up to 7 weeks, even 1-3 times per week had a beneficial effect on nasal symptoms, increased clearance of mucus, and a reduction in medication use related to allergies. I still recommend daily use when the stakes are high.
Be sure to use a HEPA filter vacuum a few times per week on all floors and furniture, wash your sheets in hot water at least once per week, wash all window coverings, change your clothes if you’ve been outside and remove your shoes before you go in the house.
You could consider an air purifier in your home. Austin Air and IQAir are my favorites. Sizing should be appropriate to the room they are in.
Food
You don’t need an ultra-strict diet, but if symptoms are ramped up or you know they will be as soon as XYZ flowers, consider keeping your food consumption as nutrient-dense and anti-inflammatory as possible. Eat as many colorful veggies as you can muster (both cooked and raw), nuts, seeds, some fruit, pasture-raised meats, eggs, wild-caught fish, and legumes as tolerated. It would be beneficial to exclude high histamine, inflammatory, and mucus-forming foods like dairy, gluten, sugar, chocolate, grain-fed meats, packaged and processed foods, alcohol, etc. These can prime your immune system to be reactive and ramp up systemic inflammation. If you want to take this a step further you could do a full-on elimination diet.
Be sure to wash your food thoroughly before you eat it. Sometimes pollen on our food, such as apples, can cause reactions.
Hydration
Staying hydrated keeps your mucus thin, your cells healthy and your bowels moving. Stick to at least ½ of your body in ounces per day of clean, filtered water. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs., you would want to drink at least 75 oz. of water per day. If you’re drinking diuretics, such as caffeine, working out or sweating, ramp this up!
Supplements to Consider
This is not personalized medical advice. If you need support it’s always important to talk with your provider regarding individualized recommendations and dosing appropriate for you. Items with an * are okay to use while TTC (trying to conceive), during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding.
*Probiotic: 25-50 CFU per day
- I like to use a combination of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium strains.
- Improves the balance of microflora, Anti-inflammatory, Immune Modulator
- The use of probiotics while pregnant and breastfeeding decreases the likelihood of allergies in infants and children.
Quercetin: 250 mg 3x/day
- Apples and onions contain the highest amounts of quercetin.
- Anti-inflammatory, Anti-histamine
N-Acetylcysteine (NAC): 300 mg 3x/day
- Anti-oxidant, Anti-inflammatory, and reduces the thick mucus that jams up your sinuses
- Okay to use while TTC, but stop if you become pregnant
*Vitamin C: 500 mg/day
- Anti-histamine, Anti-inflammatory
*Vitamin D: 1000-5000 IU per day
- 25-OH Vitamin D levels help determine dosing.
- Anti-inflammatory, Immune Modulator
*Zinc: 25 mg per day
- Immune Modulator
*Vitamin A: 5000 IU per day (DO NOT exceed this amount in total preformed supplemental Vitamin A per day if you are TTC or pregnant!)
- Immune Modulator
*Fish Oil: 2000 mg per day of EPA + DHA
- Anti-inflammatory
*Items marked with an asterisk (*) are generally recognized as safe for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Check with your personal healthcare provider. This information is not a substitute for medical advice or care.
Botanicals to Consider
*Freeze-Dried Stinging Nettles: 600 mg 2-3x/day
- Anti-histamine
Butterbur: 75 mg 1x/day (PA free)
- Anti-histamine
Curcumin: 500 mg 2x/day
- Anti-inflammatory
Medicinal Mushrooms: Dosing depends on product and mushroom(s) used
- Immune Modulator
Astragalus: 5 mL tincture 2x/day
- Immune Modulator
*Items marked with an asterisk (*) are generally recognized as safe for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Check with your personal healthcare provider. This information is not a substitute for medical advice or care.
The above recommendations are always my initial go-to for allergy support. Starting them in the Winter can be a great way to prevent symptoms. With all of that said, there are many over-the-counter and prescriptive products available if you need to get things under control fast and then backpedal to more natural remedies. However, the more powerful OTC and Rx items can be sedating and very drying. I also like to remind my couples that are trying to conceive that many of the OTC and Rx anti-histamines can be too drying of your cervical fluid and influence fertility negatively.
This is NOT personalized medical advice. If you need support consult your personal provider regarding individualized recommendations and dosing.
If you’re struggling with seasonal allergies and you would like a personalized plan to support the root causes of your health issue, reach out to Dr. Tamara Darragh and consider scheduling an appointment today!
