Seasonal Allergies are the worst

If you have been dealing with fatigue, stuffy nose, runny nose, headaches, itchy eyes, brain fog, and sore throat that gets worse when you are outside, you might have seasonal allergies. (I’m not a doctor and this isn’t medical advice).

If your allergies are triggered by pollen, spring can be a rough time of year for you.  Here are some things that might help.

Reducing exposure:

1. Keep all doors and windows in your house closed, get the highest rated HEPA filters for your furnace, and run the whole house fan often. An air purifier next to the bed wouldn’t hurt either. Wash bedding and curtains often, clean blinds, and keep windowsills dust free, especially in sleeping areas.
2. Shower immediately after coming in from being outside, especially if you have long hair.  Wash pets frequently and keep them out of sleeping areas.  Use a Netti pot to rinse nasal passages and Nasya oil to lubricate nasal tissue.

Reducing Reaction:

1. 6 weeks before pollen season start drinking nettle tea and taking quercetin. If you are already suffering drinking the tea will help but it will take a while to bring symptoms down.
2. Avoid sugar, alcohol, and junk food as much as possible. Your body is at war with the outside world, give your body good nourishment to help win the battle.  Dark leafy greens, brassica family veggies, and any vegetable you enjoy eating should be on your plate at every meal.  If you are constipated, the histamine cannot exit your body.
3. Your liver is responsible for breaking down histamine, one of the enzymes it uses is glutathione.  If you can find S-glutathione as a supplement it will help your liver do its job. Tylenol depletes glutathione so avoid using Tylenol when sick or experiencing allergies.

Other suggestions:

1. Eat quercetin-rich foods such as apples, honey, raspberries, onions, red grapes, cherries, citrus fruits, and green leafy vegetables. Among vegetables and fruits, quercetin content is highest in onions. (Quercitin is fat soluble so fat and lecithin help absorption.)
2. Pea sprouts contain the highest amount of DAO (diamine oxidase) found in food and it is difficult to turn DAO into a supplement form.  DAO helps break down histamine in the body.  If you can sprout your own peas and eat the sprouts daily this will be a big help.
3. Stay hydrated.  This might mean drinking more water, this might mean adding electrolytes to your water.
4. Sweating and the use of a Sauna to remove toxins can be helpful if available.

Supplements to consider:

1. 2grams spirulina per day can reduce allergic symptoms by about 75% in some studies. The maximum effect is reached after taking it for 4 months.
2. Vitamin A reduces mast cell burden, methylation is responsible for the histamine content of mast cells and basophils which means B multivitamins are also important.
3. Cold Pressed black seed oil has had a lot of promising research as well.  Taking black seed oil by mouth daily might improve allergy symptoms in people with hay fever. Taking black seed by mouth along with asthma medicines can improve coughing, wheezing, and lung function in some people with asthma. But it seems to work only in people with very low lung function before treatment.

I make a tea for seasonal allergies that has helped my family survive spring for the past 7 years. It contains nettle, peppermint and stevia. You can find it in my etsy shop….

Seasonal Allergy Supp.ort Tea ‘: Make 16oz in the morning drink throughout the day for best relief.

Herbal actions of Nettle: Alterative, Antihistamine, Anti-inflammatory, Astringent, Diuretic, Galactogogue, Hemostatic, Nutritive, Rubefacient, (mast cell stabilizer, anti-histamine)

Herbal actions of Peppermint: Antispasmodic, Carminative, Antimicrobial, Analgesic, Diaphoretic, Stimulant, Nervine, Anti-emetic, (Soothing, calming, helps with cough)