Suffering from Seasonal Allergies?
It’s that beautiful time of year again: Weather is warming, days are getting longer, flowers are blooming, lawn mowers are rumbling. but that also means Allergy Season! If you’re one of the many Canadians who suffers from allergies, your Spring may not be as enjoyable as it could be. Don’t let your allergies get in the way of enjoying the outdoors this year!
There are a variety of all-natural treatments that studies show can help with allergy symptoms, often without many of the troubling side effects ascribed to traditional over the counter medications. When it comes to anti histamines the most common side effect is drowsiness, but did you know that decongestants can cause:
Nervousness
Sleeplessness
Increased heart rate
Increased blood pressure
For a growing number of allergy sufferers natural remedies have been their first line of treatment and prevention of allergy symptoms. In addition, research has shown proper and effective seasonal allergy management can also improve asthma and food allergy symptoms! That’s because treating the body’s allergy response involves decreasing inflammation and reactive immunoglobulins (IgE) which are commonly elevated and hyperactive in both asthma and food allergies. These studies have found that skin allergies including eczema, response to hay fever and bronchial asthma improved in both children and adults with the natural treatment of allergy symptoms!
A natural approach to preventing and effectively treating allergies involves basic principles of supporting the immune system, cleaning up aggravating foods in the diet and tailoring treatments to your specific allergy needs and symptoms. Effective treatments can range from homeopathic remedies to herbal formulas to nutraceuticals.
Among the most popular allergy treatments are grape seed extract and a flavonoid compound known as quercetin. Although both occur naturally in many foods, when used in supplement form they can be extremely helpful in reducing allergy symptoms particularly in conjunction with vitamin C. Herbs such as goldenseal and nettle have been shown to be effective in reducing allergy symptoms (sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes) associated with hay fever and grass and pollen allergies. A number of homeopathic remedies have been found to be safe and effective in reducing allergy symptoms, including hay fever and skin conditions, in children of all ages.
In addition to natural treatments acupuncture can be particularly useful if you are suffering from multiple allergies, since it works to quiet the areas of the immune system that are overstimulated by exposure to multiple irritating factors.
Stop letting your allergies get in the way. There are many natural treatment options and it’s a matter of finding the right one for you!
