Natural Allergy Relief

[Robin Thomas]

Allergists around the country are declaring this spring one of the worst for seasonal allergies. The Associated Press 

 

Here in North Carolina I am seeing signs of sniffling, sneezing, and the general malaise that comes with an overactive immune system. Over the counter or prescription medications can useful treating allergies in the short term, but they also have a number of undesirable side-effects. Check out the Mayo Clinic Site on allergies for more details.

More and more people are looking for a more natural approach to reducing allergy symptoms, or preventing allergies from happening in the first place. Generally more successful with mild allergies, the following natural remedies can help reduce the severity of symptoms. Of course, you will want to discuss with your allergist or general practitioner before making any changes in your prescription regimen.

Six Natural Ways to Reduce Allergy Symptoms

 

1. Avoidance: one of the most commonly stated ways to reduce allergies is to reduce exposure. In fact, most allergy action plans promoting prevention include avoidance. Not always easy. Yes, if you are allergic to animal dander, you might succeed. But what if tree pollen is your trigger? or mold? How about grass? You can pay attention to pollen counts, close the windows, and use air filters, but sometime you do have to go outside.

2. Cleanliness: Shampooing and showering daily is also a given. When you arrive home, simply washing your hands and face will also remove much of the pollen that irritates your nasal passages. But stay away from that hand sanitizer: immunologists are becoming concerned that excessive cleanliness may be one cause of allergies in children. Dr. Guy Delespesse, an immunologist and director of the Allergy Research Laboratory at the University of Montreal, states ”There is an inverse relationship between the level of hygiene and the incidence of allergies and autoimmune diseases. The more sterile the environment a child lives in, the higher the risk he or she will develop allergies or an immune problem in their lifetime.“ Which leads us to a slightly more unusual approach to allergy care:

3. Probiotics: While cleanliness helps us avoid some harmful allergens and bacteria, it also eliminates the good bacteria. A new study out of Sweden (epub in Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, May 3, 2011) suggests that the use of probiotics as well as other specific dietary nutrients throughout pregancy can have an effect on allergen tolerance of the child.  “Emerging evidence suggests that exposures during pregnancy and the early postnatal period can modify gene expression and disease propensity. Diet is a major environmental exposure, and dietary factors, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, probiotics, oligosaccharides, antioxidants, folate, and other vitamins, have effects on immune function. Some also have been implicated in reduced risk of allergy in observational studies.” (2)   For more information concerning the benefits of probiotics, check out my earlier blog post on the subject.

 

4. Foods: Anti-inflammatory foods rich in anti-oxidants are touted as beneficial for allergy sufferers.  The Huffington Post of May 15, 2011 pictures a number of foods to eat such as berries, nuts, pineapple, and legumes. Avoiding processed foods that increase inflammation is critical.  That being said, sometimes any foods can be allergy triggers, worsening seasonal allergy symptoms and other health conditions.   Again, it is best to talk to your doctor to determine which course of action is best for you.  If you suspect foods to be exacerbating your symptoms, you may want to learn more about food sensitivities at http://leapdiet.com

5. Supplements: During an allergic response our immune system has become our “enemy”.  The resulting chronic inflammation depletes our anti-oxidant defense system, leading to damage to surrounding normal tissue.  Scientists have been studying a number of nutrients that have shown to decrease the inflammatory process. (3,4)  Among the most popular are grape seed extract and a flavonoid compound known as quercetin.

Quercetin belongs to a group of polyphenolic substances known as flavonoids. High quality multi-antioxidant supplements similar to USANA’s Mega Antioxidantcontain bio-available quercetin, which is also found in onions, red wine, and green tea.

Grape Seed Extract, especially when combined with vit C, is a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient with multiple health benefits, including a natural antihistamine effect. USANA’s Proflavanol® C100packs the best of both nutrients into a single, powerful pill. I can personally recommend this product for combating inflammation- one of the main causes for discomfort during onset of allergy symptoms.

6. Saline: Whether you use a neti-pot or a saline spray, saline helps remove pollen from your nasal passages and also clears and thins the mucus. Using saline also helps keep the cilia in your nostrils healthy. Cilia are small hair-like structures in your nose that help humidify air to your lungs, trap bacteria and particulates (like pollen) to prevent them from entering the cells, and aid your sense of smell. (5)

Have you been suffering from allergy symptoms this spring? Tell me your story, and let me know of any other natural remedies you have found to work. Personally, I have been able to significantly reduce my own allergies through nutrition, including a high quality multi-antioxidant supplement. The results were not immediate, but over the course of time, I realized that those annoying allergy symptoms were no longer part of my life. This has been uplifting for me- as I’d much rather be enjoying my garden than cooped up in the house all pollen season. :~)

Live Well!

Robin

References:

1. http://www.newsonwall.com/103/the-excessive-hygiene-is-the-cause-of...

2. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2011 May 3. [Epub ahead of print] Dietary Immunomodulatory Factors in the Development of Immune Tolerance. West CE, D’Vaz N, Prescott SL.Department of Clinical Sciences, Pediatrics, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå,Sweden

3. Rogerio AP, Dora CL, Andrade EL, Chaves JS, Silva LF, Lemos-Senna E, Calixto JB. Anti-inflammatory effect of quercetin-loaded microemulsion in the airways allergic inflammatory model in mice. Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus
Universitário Trindade, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.

4. Kulka, M., The Potential of Natural Products as Effective Treatments for
Allergic Inflammation: Implications for Allergic Rhinitis
http://nparc.cisti-icist.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/npsi/ctrl?action=rtdoc&...

5. WebMD http://webmd.com

[Pat Howlett]

VERY Timely (and educational) - Featured!

I'm going to share this with my sweetie and daughter as they are having some challenges this spring - more than before. Thanks!!

[Pepper P Oldziey]

This is great info. Thanks. I follow much of this myself, especially not eating processed packaged foods. Since you asked, a friend once tipped me off about Olive Leaf which boosts the immune system so recovery is easier and quicker or not even needed sometimes. You can find Olive Leaf by Natures Way for $11 at Wholefoods and other stores, and it may be worthy of exploration based on my personal experience. I've always been a big vitamin C person but this made the biggest impact in my life. Here's the story:

My friend and I were both exposed to a very bad flu staying in another friends home while on a weekend trip. It was unavoidable. Going home, a three hour drive, I was coming down fast with the cold and called my friend to see if she was as well. I was anticipating days in bed sick. She replied i take Olive Leaf and Ill be fine. She told me what to take. She has always been exceedingly careful due to severe family food allergies. Well the next day I got some of this Olive Leaf and the next day the cold symptoms just never came on and three days later the whole sickness never happened at all. I don't take this all the time but since that day, I think it was five years ago, I have never been flattened by a cold. Evidently this works for me and some others. It can help. But of course I can't give anyone medical advice. I have no credentials. I am just glad that experience happened to me so I learned about this. I sincerely enjoy living without colds and flu anymore. It is rare for me now, when it used to be frequent.

[Colleen Gray, The Boomers' VA]

Thanks for the information Robin. I have been using a neti pot for some time now as I have always suffered from sinusitis and I have found it really useful. I've never tried the grape seed extract but I'm going to get some and see if it helps at all as I have been having to take allergy meds regularly this year for some reason.

Pepper I'm going to get some olive leaf extract also. I've never tried that. When I don't feel well I take oregano oil, which helps greatly but it never hurts to try different herbs.

Thanks for all the information everyone!

[Christine Alexander]

Apple Cider Vinegar !!!
Doesn't let the sinus infection stay!

[Robin Thomas]

Thank you for all the great comments!
Pepper, there are so many great benefits of the olive plant- it's great to learn about Olive Leaf -I've never tried that. USANA does have a proprietary ingredient in many of their products, called Olivol- it's an extract taken from the pressings left from the production of olive oil. Packed full of antioxidant polyphenols. I bet the Olive Leaf also has antioxidant strengths.

Julie, thanks! :~)

Colleen, the combination of grape seed extract and vit C is powerful. If you want to read more about Proflavanol C, you can read more about it at my blog at http://robinthomas.biz/usana-health-sciences/what-is-proflavanol-c100/ Neti pots are wonderful for reducing the sinus pressure and that stopped up feeling. I haven't needed one in years, but they just make sense!

Christine, Tell me more about Apple Cider Vinegar. Do you take a little bit every day? Are your sinus infections related to allergies?

[Robin Thomas]

Some great new information on minimizing indoor allergens found at this site: http://www.everydayhealth.com/allergies/expert-tips-to-minimize-ind...

[Robin Thomas]

New research has come out about boosting our kid's immune systems. Check out my article, Play in the Dirt for more!