Say Good-Bye to Hayfever!
Spring is in the air, how amazing is this weather! As much as I love the smell of the flowers starting to bloom, I also know what this means for so many people....HAYFEVER!
For those that suffer from hay fever spring time can be a tough time of year, from constant sneezing to itchy eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, fatigue, mood swings, fatigue, irritability, hives, eczema, and eczema concentration and focus it can leave you feeling miserable and exhausted.
Limiting your time outdoors can help to relive your symtoms but who want to do that after being stuck inside all winter!
Did you know that hay fever is most likely caused by an underlying health condition that can be treated and help to improve your symptoms.
Common treatments for hay fever include, antihistamines, corticosteroids and decongestants, and whilst these over the counter medications may work to reduce your symptoms and counteract the effect of the histamine produced by the body they do have unwanted side effects.
The most common are:
drowsiness
impaired performance
dryness of the eyes, nose and mouth
restlessness
abdominal distress
unusual bleeding and bruising
heart palpitations
insomnia
It’s important to remember that over the counter medications do not work to cure your allergies, they simply reduce your symptoms for a short period of time. These medications are also not safe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and also children.
In order to improve your symptoms there are foods that you can avoid during allergy season and these include:
Wheat and gluten
these include:
Alcohol
Diary
Chocolate
Peanuts
Sugar and artificial sweeteners
Processed foods
Soy
There may also be foods that you are intolerant too which may be worsening your symptoms, and by either following an elimination diet or by having a hair test done this can identify any underlying food intolerances and take the guess work out of the process which will also make it a lot quicker to identify which foods are causing the issue.
Studies have also shown that by improving your gut health and eating a diet rich in probiotics foods this can also work to reduce your hay fever symptoms.
By including foods such as:
Probiotic-rich foods (kefir, sauerkraut, kiminchi, kombucha)
Bone broth
Apple cider vinegar
Fresh organic vegetables
Grass-fed meats
Free-range poultry
Wild-caught fish
There are also a range of supplements and herbs that can be used to help treat your condition and these include:
Quercetin
Probiotics
Vitamin A
Zinc
Albizia
Licorice
Ginkgo
Marshmallow
As a naturopath I work to help you identify the underlying cause of your health condition in order to improve your health condition once and for all as opposed to treating your symtoms only.
