Spring Allergies and How to Deal
By Dr. Alexandra Cope
Our in-house Naturopath, Dr. Alexandra Cope, is a trauma-trained physician with a professional background, including a 5 year Medical Degree and Naturopath License from The National University of Natural Medicine, 2 years of clinicals with an ENT Naturopath, 2 years of clinicals in Transgender Medicine, a homeopathic certification from the New England School of Homeopathy, as well as Food Sovereignty Training. Dr. Cope strives to inspire empowerment on all levels, focusing on womxn’s health, libido, fertility, and contraceptive options. She specializes in fasting, digestive health, microbiome restoration, and the fertility journey before and after motherhood.
Okay, spring allergies… what is this all about?
Why does my body react in this way and how does lifestyle shift my allergic reactions?
Think of the body as having a particular allostatic load that it can contain.
Imagine a cup that can handle 32 oz of liquids. You begin to fill the body with stress hormones (6 oz), then lack of sleep (4 oz), then some sugar (3 oz), the microplastics and microdosing of drugs in our tap water (3 oz), and 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.
Sometimes, with just a few lifestyle changes, my patients decrease their allergic responses by 50%. Often, we use a combination of lifestyle changes and specific supplements to decrease hyper-immune reactions. We do this by decreasing inflammation in the body's systems.changes alone decrease their allergic responses by 50%. Most of the time it takes an onboarding of supplements while we decrease the hyper-immune reactions by decreasing inflammation in your overall system.
Lifestyle changes with the biggest bang for your buck:
- Give up dairy and sugar. Not “fruit sugar”, which is fructose. White Sugar is what I am talking about. It is mucogenic, meaning your body produces more mucus when you consume it.
- Sleep. 7-9 hours. 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.
- Eat a plant based whole foods diet.
- Exercise - even if it is 20 minutes of walking a day. This helps decrease inflammation and increase glutathione in your system.
Tips for Home Hygiene:
- HEPA Filters in your home help filter out the pollen
- Rinsing 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.
When do you begin supplements and which supplements do you begin?
You want to begin supplementing for Spring allergies one month before spring actually emerges. One of my favorite explanations for symptoms of Spring allergies comes from Vedic Medicine.
Vedic Medicine explains the cold of winter begins to rise and causes condensation in our bodies as the warmth of Spring approaches.
They explain that the cold of the winter begins to rise and condensate in our bodies with the warmth of the Spring approaching.
Before the condensation process begins…
Here are a few of my top suggestions:
- Liposomal Vitamin C - this is the most absorbable form of Vitamin C. It is almost always included in my immune arsenals. Vitamin C prevents the formation of histamine whereas anti-histamines combat histamine after it is formed. On top of that, Vitamin C is more absorbable when taken with bioflavonoids, aka colorful fruits and vegetables. For proper dosages, see your natural medicine physician.
- Quercetin - An anti-inflammatory by-product of foods that stabilize mast cells and decrease histamine release in your body.
- Nettles - These are commonly misprescribed by many. You actually want freeze dried nettles as the constituent specific to treat allergies is in the stingers of nettles.
- GoldenRod - This plant is often missed in allergy formulations and a game changer!
- Fish Oil - The EPA & DHA
- Homeopathic Allium & Eyebright 30C can alleviate watery eyes and the nose drips
- Netipot - Rinse the pollen out of your nasal cavity every evening before bed.
Natural remedies for seasonal allergies are effective ways to treat symptoms and manage the discomfort; however, there are many lifestyle changes that can be implemented for overall health and wellness. Beginning treatment in anticipation of hayfever season is the best course of action but if symptoms persist, your naturopathic practitioner is a reliable resource to help make you more comfortable.
For a more personalized, in-depth approach you can book time with Dr. Cope here.
**Please don't take any supplements without consulting a doctor or trained professional familiar with your specific situation. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.