Getting Relief from Seasonal Allergies

Sunshine and good weather is just around the corner this time of year. As such, families are flocking to the outdoors to soak up the warm rays and fresh air after the long winter. However, plants can also sense this good weather coming up, and are starting to bloom, sending out clouds of pollen everywhere. The blooming of plants may be beautiful for some, but it is a nightmare for those living with seasonal allergies. The runny nose and itchy eyes, not to mention the sneezing, can be debilitating when severe enough. If you ever had it, you would know what I mean.

It’s horrible, but there is hope for those who have had enough. The key is to figure out why you have the allergies in the first place. Allergies are a result of an immune system that is over-reactive to too many things. It’s like a cold where the body is trying to expel the harmful bacteria and viruses from your nasal passages. But in allergies, there is really nothing harmful to expel. The pollen that cause these allergy symptoms do not attack the body or use up it’s resources like a bacteria or virus would. So why is the body putting up a defense against them?

Solutions

The answer in many cases is that there is an excess of underlying stressors on the body that is causing your immune system to be over-vigilant. Just like an angry guard dog that has been teased by the neighborhood kids too many times. It would pretty much bark at anything that walks by the house.

The Importance of Digestion

So where is the immune system being ‘teased’ you ask. The biggest area where your immune system interacts with the outside world is the digestive tract. Along your digestive tract, there are certain areas called gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT for short). This is the area where your immune system will interact with food and other substances that enter your digestive tract. This part of your immune system is able to tell the difference between friend from foe, and defend your body from foreign invaders such as bacteria and fungi.

This is a good thing because you don’t want any problematic bugs from hanging around your digestive system and causing problems. However, if your body is not able to digest certain foods adequately, then there is a problem. Poor digestion of certain foods will leave undigested protein particles floating around in your gut.

We all know from experience that there are certain foods that make us feel ill, causing gas and bloating, belching, or headaches. The most likely reason for this is that your body was not able to digest these foods sufficiently. The GALT system in your gut will not be able to recognize these undigested protein particles, and will try to ‘attack’ them. Over time, if you eat these foods on an ongoing basis, it can cause inflammation in your gut lining. It will also result in an over-reactive immune system since it is already ‘primed-up’ from the constant irritation from the poorly digested foods.

So what can you do? Well, the first thing is to stop eating all the foods that you know aren’t sitting well with you digestive system. This will give your immune system a break, and stop the cycle of chronic irritation and an over-reactive immune system.

Not only that, but further investigation by blood tests is also required to rule out other hidden allergens. There are many foods that do not cause problems immediately after ingestion. Sometime, it can take up to 3 days later before the symptoms arise. Therefore, only lab testing will confirm other foods you should also stay away from. If there is a food that is causing a problem on your immune system, then it will show up in your blood. This test is called food allergy antibody testing, and a Naturopathic Doctor in your area will be able to provide this test to you.

The power of Antioxidants

Once you eliminated all these offending foods, we can then add antioxidants to your body to help calm your immune system, and to bring down that chronic inflammation. They do so by acting on several mechanisms. First, they scavenge free radicals produced by toxins, thus giving a break to your immune and detoxification pathways. One of the most powerful substances to do this is proanthocyanidins. Other antioxidants such as vitamin E also moderate your allergic immune responses by limiting histamine release from mast cells.

These are just some examples that will help with allergies. They can be found in many fruits and vegetables. There are also many other antioxidants, and consulting with a health care professional would be the best way of finding appropriate ones that will best suit your body’s requirements.

Conclusion

There are many causes to seasonal allergies, and the key to addressing its cause stems from the immune system. The first place we have to address in many cases is the digest system. We have to figure foods that are aggravating your immune system so that we can stop them from aggravating your immune system. Antioxidants from foods and neutraceutical supplements are also powerful tools that will help in calming your allergies. These are just a few examples of natural methods of treating allergies. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact a health care practitioner in your local area.

If you have further questions on how you can address your allergies, please contact Dr. Neil Tran at his office in Maple Ridge, BC. Phone: (604)465-4263 .