Mar 15, 2017

Allergy Season: Enjoy Spring Again

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Enjoy Spring Again… Even the Pollen Part

Seasonal allergies affect a large portion of the population in North America.  Chances are you or at least one person you know suffers from a serious case of hay fever come spring time.  It’s such a shame to not fully be able to enjoy the beautiful season of spring! Fortunately, there are definitely things you can do or take to help naturally treat the symptoms and underlying issues associated with seasonal allergies!

What are allergies?

Have you ever taken the time to actually think about what it means to be allergic to something? Allergic reactions happen as a result of our immune system responding to a foreign substance that it does not deem as “safe”.  Most of the time, these “intruders” are actually safe and there’s something else going on in the body that’s gone ignored.

The Science Behind the Reaction

Here’s what happens: The allergen comes in contact with the immune system’s white blood cells (B cells).   These cells then release antibodies that work to fight against the “intruder”.  The antibodies help to prep the body for attack by binding to them and warning them, particularly the “mast cells”.  These mast cells release histamine which triggers major and FAST inflammation to slow the invaders and move immune cells to the area to help kill them off… thus an allergic reaction!

It is possible for your body to release histamine without actually triggering an allergic reaction. When the body is constantly bombarded by what it sees as “intruders”, the the total histamine level in the blood become so high that a reaction occurs.

The Reasons we have Allergic Reactions:

Many health experts will use the analogy of a “histamine bucket” to explain the allergic reaction reasoning.  Histamine is actually a molecule contained in many foods, and it’s released in the body quite often in varying amounts.  It is when the immune system is forced to be “on edge” or over-reactive i.e. the histamine level climbs too high or the “bucket becomes too full” that we experience an allergic reaction.

Leaky Gut – Increased Intestinal Permeability

The gut is a major line of defence for the body. Many of our immune cells reside here to help keep us healthy.  A lot of the nutrients we eat are absorbed through the intestinal walls, which act as a semi-permeable shield – allowing the good stuff in, and keeping the bad out.  However, with increased and excessive exposure to bad, our shield can be broken down, thus allowing more bad through the wall and into the blood stream – yikes.  This is called leaky gut. It is a major contributor to allergies as allowing “bad” into the blood stream launches one of the attacks from the diagram above. This increases the body’s histamine levels and can fill that bucket to an unmanageable level.

Are allergies treatable?

Yes. They indeed are. You are not doomed to be allergic to the outside world forever! Whoop! 🙂 There are things you can do to lessen your symptoms naturally, and in some cases even cure yourself of allergies completely.

The Elimination Diet:

Due to the prominence of leaky gut in allergy cases, especially hayfever, it can be a great idea to look deeper into the problem and find the real culprit.  A fabulous way to do this is to do an elimination diet. This involves cutting your diet down into the very bare bone basics. Remove any potential allergens for at least 4-6 weeks, and slowly reintroduce.. Check out Precision Nutrition’s blog about how to do this and more information about the process.

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  •  Ki Hayfever Control Formula:

Ki Hayfever Control Formula is a blend of immune boosting herbs astragulus, ginger, rhina, and magnolia with the antioxidant quercetin.  All of these wonderful ingredients work together to prime the immune system so it’s ready to take on the hay fever season! Many people find that beginning Ki Hayfever Formula a few weeks before allergy season reduces risk of symptoms! 🙂

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  • Purica Immune 7:


Immune 7 is a blend of 6 medicinal mushrooms that work to modulate the immune system.  When someone has allergies, their immune system is over-active, which means it’s recognizing something that is not a threat, as a threat! Medicinal mushrooms can help to bring your immune system UP when it’s down, and DOWN when it’s over-active!

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  • St. Francis Deep Immune for Allergies:

St. Francis Deep Immune for Allergies is a blend of unique herbs and homeopathic remedies that help to treat and relieve allergy symptoms! It’s a fantastic immune support that also takes care of the immediate allergic responses.  The dual action involved in treating the underlying problem as well as the annoying symptoms, such as runny and itchy nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and congestion!

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  • Immuno-Care:

Immuno-Care contains plant sterols, that can be the answer to seasonal allergies.  Plant sterols are the fats found in plants that we tend to be deficient in today, due to the harsh processing of plant-based foods that we consume.  A clinical study was done that showed a decrease in basophil blood cells with use of Immuno-Care¹. These blood cells release histamine that is normally responsible for allergic reactions. There was also a reduction of interleukin-6, the cause of inflammation and pain¹! Immuno-Care has also proven to reduce the production of cytokines which cause inflammation in the body and can be attributed to allergy symptoms¹.

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  • Neti Pot:

If you suffer from hay-fever, you probably have symptoms related to a runny nose, itchy nose or congestion.  These symptoms happen due to excess mucous production and irritation by pollen or allergens.  The symptoms can be prolonged if the allergens stay inside the nasal cavity, trapped in the mucous.  Neti Pots come from ancient Ayurvedic practice and involve the use of salt water to rinse the nasal cavity. They can be extremely effective for relieving itchy or irritated nostrils, which is the ultimate dream of every person with hay-fever!

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  • Boiron Sabalia:

Sabalia is a homeopathic that is fantastic for helping rid of hayfever symptoms.  It contains 6 different homeopathic remedies that work together to lessen the itchy& runny nose, itchy eyes, and itchy throat symptoms of allergies! It’s fast, effective and is non-drowsy, as well as non-stimulating. It can be taken any time of day!

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  • Local Bee Pollen or Raw Honey:

Consuming local bee pollen or local raw honey daily pre-allergy season can help to “inoculate” your body and prep it for the pollen that can cause seasonal allergies.  Taking one or the other daily has shown to reduce allergy symptoms come the dawn of allergy season! 🙂 We sell both Harmonic Arts Fresh Bee Pollen, and their Local Wild Raw Honey that is sourced from the Nanaimo area!


References:

  1. Gifford Jones, Dr. “Immuno-Care To Fight Seasonal Allergies.” Immuno-Care To Fight Seasonal Allergies – Dr. Gifford-Jones Dr. Gifford-Jones. N.p., 26 May 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.