Managing Allergies, Naturally

Aug 18, 2017 admin in From the Blog, Natural Medicine 0

August doesn’t only bring with it the end of summer, it also marks the beginning of ragweed season. What’s so special about that, you may ask? Well, if you suffer from allergies, there’s a good chance you’ll react to ragweed pollen, as 75% of all allergy sufferers tend to. Actually, there’s a whole host of potential allergens coming our way this fall, all of which contribute to runny or stuffy noses, sneezing, fatigue, sinus congestion, shortness of breath, and red, itchy, puffy and watery eyes (just to name a few symptoms!). What it comes down to is allergies = misery, and who wants to deal with that on a daily basis? Decrease your allergy symptoms naturally with these suggestions, many of which help to decrease overall inflammation in the body and stabilize mast cells.

Diet: Eat less meat and dairy products and more wild caught fish, fresh fruits, and veggies as well as drink plenty of water and a few cups of green tea throughout the day. Green tea acts as a bronchodilator, which makes breathing easier!
Supplements:
- Clear Congest by Awakened Health: opens the sinus passages to reduce congestion and help you breath easy. Contact the clinic for ordering information- this is one of our new products from our sister company, Awakened Health!
- Quercetin: works most quickly to decrease inflammation when taken in a powder form 3 times throughout the day during allergy season.
- Flaxseed or Fish Oil: helps to decrease inflammation throughout the body.
- Selenium: decreases inflammation by increasing glutathione production.
- Stinging Nettle: studies show that 300mg two to three times per day of freeze dried nettle helps to decrease allergy symptoms by stabilizing mast cells, preventing them from releasing histamine.
- Vitamin C: often known as a major player in immune function, vitamin C is also a natural antihistamine. Maintenance doses range from 2 to 3 grams daily or 1 gram every hour for acute symptoms.
- NAC: n-acetyl-cysteine helps to thin out mucous as well as supports the production of glutathione.
- Combination Products: these supplements have a combination of several of the above nutrients (as well as some other herbs) to decrease sneezing, runny noses, and itchy eye symptoms of allergies.
  - D-Hist and D-Hist Jr. (for the kiddo’s!)
  - Allergena
  - Aller-C
Cleaner Air when Possible:
- Humidifier unit systems: The relative humidity in your home should be well-balanced. It can’t be too wet or too dry, as both can cause summer allergies. A whole-house humidifier will work in conjunction with your HVAC system to maintain sufficient humidity levels throughout the year. Companies like T.E. Spall & Son provides HVAC services in Clarks Summit. If you live somewhere far then you could find similar services closer to your locality.
- Air filtration systems: we don’t have control over what’s outside, but getting a good HEPA air purifier works wonders while indoors. Get multiple or place in the room where you spend the majority of your time.
- HVAC services: in case you have HVAC systems installed at your place, then it might be a good idea to get them examined for signs of dirt, mold, musty odors, dust, and other common contaminants. Many researchers have found that poorly maintained HVAC systems can degrade the quality of indoor air. However, this issue can be fixed using residential HVAC services from reputed firms like TSS Home Comfort HVAC services in Boise. But, if you are not from the Boise locality, you can search for any other HVAC company, which can provide similar facilities.
Clean Your Room: be sure to vacuum several times per week and wash all bedding in hot water at least once per week to prevent exposure to allergens.
Sinus Rinses: these help to physically remove allergens from the nasal passages before a reaction can occur. Do this at the end of the day using a combination of 1tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp xylitol in distilled/purified water. You might want to invest in a distilled water 5 litre can for yourself. It could come in handy, especially for similar purposes.
Sublingual Immunotherapy: talk to your doctor about the potential benefits of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), which places drops or tablets containing a specific antigen under the tongue, where it is taken up by antigen presenting cells. The goal of this therapy is to develop an immunologic tolerance to non-pathogenic antigens.
Acupuncture: to decrease allergy symptoms (especially those affecting your eyes and causing congestion!) be sure to come in for weekly visits when allergies are at their worst.