Most of us who have lived in the Walliamette Valley for any period of time have felt the effects of its beauty. What I mean is that it is very green and can grow almost anything, hence the name “the grass growing capital of the world.” With this beauty comes pollen that gets into our eyes, nasal passages, and throat that cause allergies.
Allergies are considered a disorder of the immune system due to any environmental substances that causes the release of histamine. The immune system is always on alert for anything that is foreign. The cells that are responsible for allergies are basophiles and mast cells. When our body first comes in contact with an allergen it creates antibodies, so the next time that we are exposed it is worse.
Hay fever or seasonal allergies are considered to be mild allergies unless they start to affect the lungs causing asthma or the throat causing anaphylactic reactions. There are several ways to diagnose the problem but usually symptoms are all we need. Conventional medicine treats seasonal allergies with anti-histamines, steroids, immunotherapy to desensitize the response, and other oral medication. These therapies can be effective but do have side effects that are not always desirable. But when you cannot sleep and your eyes feel like you could rub them out of the socket, medicines can be very beneficial.
There are several natural ways to decrease your body’s reaction to the allergen:
1) Try to decrease exposure. This sounds crazy considering where we live, but a lot of people never think of the pollen they carry around on their body. You could have millions of particles of pollen on your pillow because you do not take a shower before bed. Even better is to change your clothes when you get home and wash your hair and face.
2) Eliminate foods that produce mucus/inflammation. The one food that is the most mucus forming is diary. During hay fever season you should decrease diary and completely eliminate milk.
3) Decrease histamine response. This is where supplements can become very effective by decreasing how much histamine is released by the basophiles and mast cells. Here is just a short list of nutrients that can do this.
-High dose vitamin C
-Cod liver oil
-Quercitin
-Hesperidin
-Bioflavonoid
4) Local honey. Get honey from local farmers. The bees collect pollen from the plants you are allergic to.
A lot of these treatments can decrease the severity of the allergies and even eliminate them. It is best to start these treatments one month before the onset of symptoms.
To order several of these treatments you can go to www.mattwestnd.meta-ehealth.com or make an appointment by calling 503-364-1441.
