Spring Allergies and How to Deal
Okay, spring allergies… what’s it all about? Why the body reacts in these ways— and how lifestyle shifts can affect allergic reactions— can be found below.
Think of the body as having a particular "wear and tear" that it can contain. For example: Imagine a cup that can handle 32 oz of liquids. You begin to fill the body with stress hormones (7 oz), then lack of sleep (5 oz), and then some sugar (4 oz)… now your cup is already half full. You add in the dust, dander, blooms and trees and mast cell activation that leads to a dumping of histamine and BOOM... you are leaking out your nose and eyes.
THE POWER OF 3
We support a three prong approach toward allergy relief. Sometimes, with just a few lifestyle changes, you can decrease allergic responses. Add specific supplements to decrease hyper-immune reactions in combination with lifestyle changes, even better. The trifecta? Decreasing inflammation in the body’s systems. Again, in a nutshell: 1) An onboarding of supplements while 2) addressing hyper-immune reactions by 3) decreasing inflammation in your overall system.
TAKE ACTION
Lifestyle
- Eschew dairy and sugar. Not “fruit sugar”, which is fructose, White Sugar. It is mucogenic, meaning your body produces more mucus when you consume it.
- Sleep 7-9 hours and go to bed and wake up at the same time each night. If you find yourself staying up later one night, still wake up at the same time and take a nap later. This leads to more consistent cortisol responses and melatonin production which affect our reaction to allergens.
- Eat a majority of plant-based whole foods, as studies show that plant-based diets contain high amounts of anti-allergic nutrients.
- Move your body even if it is 20 minutes of walking a day. This helps decrease inflammation and increase glutathione in your system.
Home
- HEPA Filters in your home help filter out the pollen, We use BlueAir in our treatment rooms (and at home :-).
- Keep windows shut and be mindful of open doors— for obvious reasons.
- Washing your pillow cases regularly decreases pollen exposure while you sleep
- Rinse off in the shower and change your clothes every time you return home in order to rid unnecessary pollen exposure inside your own home.
ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS
You want to begin supplementing for Spring allergies one month before spring actually emerges. This is due to as the warmth of Spring approaches, the cold of winter begins to rise and causes condensation in our bodies. Maintaining homeostasis in the body is key to maintaining the its overall function.
Before the “condensation process” begins supplement with:
- Liposomal Vitamin C - this is the most absorbable form of Vitamin C. It prevents the formation of histamine (versus OTC anti-histamines that combat histamine after it’s formed). On top of that, Vitamin C is more absorbable when taken with bioflavonoids, aka colorful fruits and vegetables.
- Quercetin, found in Cymbiotika’s Allergy Defense, is an anti-inflammatory by-product of foods that stabilize mast cells and decrease histamine release in your body.
- Nettles are mis-prescribed by many— for allergies, you want freeze dried nettles as the constituent specific to treat allergies is in the stingers of nettles which come in the freeze dried variant.
- Another plant, GoldenRod, is often missed in allergy formulations and a game changer!
- Fish Oil (EPA & DHA) is found in Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil and Gels.
- Homeopathic Allium & Eyebright 30C can alleviate watery eyes and the nose drips
- Nasal Cleansing rinses the pollen out of your nasal cavity. Do it every evening before bed.
Beginning treatment in anticipation of Spring allergy season is the best course of action but there’s no bad time to make the above additions and subtractions. If symptoms persist, Acupuncture, is an excellent way to address systemic issues, and Facials with herbal steams is a reliable ways to help make you more comfortable.
As always, don't take any supplements without consulting your PCP or trained professional familiar with your specific situation.