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Do you dread the springtime because you end up sneezing, with watery, itchy eyes, sinus congestion or a tickly throat? If so, you’re not alone. According to Allergy UK, recent research has revealed almost half of all UK adults suffer from hay fever symptoms (1).
Seasonal allergies like hay fever, otherwise known as allergic rhinitis, can leave you feeling rough and dreading going outside. Here’s our guide to naturally support your immune system through this challenging time.
What are Allergies?
Your immune system doesn’t have an easy task. It’s constantly on the lookout for potentially harmful invaders. Much like a Border Guard, your immune system must make a split-second decision about whether a substance is capable of doing harm or poses no danger. When a potential threat is detected, it must mount an instant attack.
It does this by releasing antibodies. These are proteins that cling onto and fight off foreign substances. The immune system also sends a message to special cells to help expel the perceived invaders by releasing histamine. This causes the familiar symptoms of runny nose, sneezing and itching. It also boosts blood flow and provokes inflammation.
Inevitably, sometimes the system goes awry. Seasonal allergies result from your immune system reacting inappropriately to a foreign substance like pollen. Effectively, your immune system goes into overdrive. It’s trying to help you, but ends up causing damage in the process.
Therefore, underlying allergies is an immune system that has lost its selectivity.
Your immune system relies on having a balance between various different white blood cells. People with allergies seem to have an imbalance in certain types of immune cells called T helper cells. These regulate immune activity.
Your immune cells are constantly learning about which substances pose a threat and which don’t. Once your immune system has then learnt about a threat, it will continue to respond that way in the future.
Many people find they react to tree pollen. This tends to cause symptoms in early spring. Grass pollen is at its peak slightly later in the year. If you suffer from symptoms year-round, you might be sensitive to house dust or pet hair.
How are Allergies Treated Conventionally?
Antihistamine medicines work by blocking the action of histamine. Steroid medications suppress the immune response and dampen down inflammation.
However, these treatments don’t address the reasons why your immune system has lost its ability to distinguish between what is harmful and what is not. If your immune system continues to malfunction, it’s likely further allergies will develop over time.
How to Naturally Support Your Immune System
- Nourish Your Gut
First and foremost, it’s important to make sure your gut is in tip-top health. Many people don’t realise the vast majority of your immune system resides in the gut. In fact, bacteria living in your gut teach your immune cells about potential threats.
The health of your gut microbiome is very dependent on diet, so it makes sense to ensure you’re eating plenty of plant-based fibre-rich foods to nourish a healthy microbiome. A small study found giving seasonal allergy sufferers a probiotic supplement containing beneficial types of gut bacteria reduced their hay fever symptoms (2).
You may find your allergies are worse if you eat certain foods – dairy is a common culprit. Food intolerances and seasonal allergies are closely connected because they are linked to gut health. A Functional Nutritionist can assess whether certain foods may be an issue for you.
- Manage Stress
Stress is the enemy of good gut health because your brain and your gut are intimately linked. Many people find stress worsens allergy symptoms. Mind/body therapies such as Emotional Freedom Technique and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be useful to manage your response to stress.
- Feed Your Immune System
Your immune system needs certain nutrients to help it do its job effectively. Vitamin D is particularly important, and it’s easy to be low in this vitamin after the gloomy days of winter. A simple at-home pinprick test can assess your levels of important nutrients and other health markers, including vitamin D.
Meanwhile, your body uses omega-3 fats to manage inflammation. They’re found in oily fish, like salmon and sardines, flax seeds, chia seeds and walnuts.
Other nutrients important for the immune system include vitamin C and zinc.
- Avoid Exposure to Allergens
Practical measures to reduce your exposure to pollen include keeping doors and windows closed and wearing sunglasses when outside.
Integrative Medicine Support for Seasonal Allergies
If you’re in despair because of seasonal allergies, our practitioners can discover what is going wrong with your immune health. Only by looking at causes can things be put right.
Your journey starts with an Integrative Health Assessment which includes expert-led functional testing to uncover the factors contributing towards your health issues. Your health programme could include specialised therapies, for example, Micro-Immunotherapy can help gently recalibrate your immune system, using plant-derived substances to achieve a better balance between the immune regulatory T-cells.
Step into summer with better immune health. Start your journey today and don’t let seasonal allergies impair your quality of life this summer.
