I can't believe the amount of pollen this season! My black BBQ looks yellow because it's so covered in pollen. Unfortunately for some allergy sufferers, this also means that it's an extra symptomatic time.
Allergies are a result of an immune reaction in your body to an innocuous substance. Your body reacts because it thinks the substance (e.g. pollen) is harmful, but it's not. Typical seasonal allergy symptoms may include itchy watery eyes, sneezing, itchy throat, congestion, fatigue, and a runny nose.
Most people treat allergies using an anti-histamine medication such as Claritin or Reactine. Whether your traditional medication isn't working 100%, or you're simply looking for an alternative - there are also natural ways to prevent & treat allergies!
At home, a sinus rinse (or neti pot) can be a life saver. It can decrease congestion, and can also flush out air borne allergens from your nasal passages therefore reducing symptoms.
Acupuncture (usually done on a weekly basis) has been studied to both relieve seasonal allergy symptoms and reduce anti-histamine medication usage.
There are also herbs that can help balance the immune system so that it doesn't over-react to seasonal allergens as well as natural products that help your body stabilize mast cells and reduce the amount of histamine that's released into the blood. If your body isn't releasing histamine, then you don't have a need for anti-histamines!
Histamines are also found in lots of foods, so if it's your allergy season and your body is overloaded - it might make sense to reduce the amount of histamine that you're eating. Some of the top offenders are: alcohol, eggplant, fermented foods, mature cheeses, pickles, smoked meat, shellfish, beans/pulses.
If you're suffering, please make and appointment (virtual or in person) to see me. There's no need to suffer!
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