Allergy season is in full swing and we want to help you fight back against your allergies. People commonly reach for their allergy medications, but many allergies can be combated naturally. An allergy is an increased sensitivity to a foreign substance known as an allergen. People can have food allergies, pet allergies, drug allergies, mold or pollen allergies, and many more.
Someone without allergies will react if something harmful like bacteria harms the immune system. The immune systems of people who have allergies are hard at work and unable to prevent reactions to allergens such as mold or dust. If someone is allergic to something, he/she can have an allergic reaction, which can be mild or life threatening.
What Causes Allergies?
Allergies are caused by an imbalanced immune system. The immune system mistakes a normally harmless substance as a dangerous intruder. Once this happens, antibodies are produced to look out for that substance again. Upon exposure to this allergen again, the antibodies release chemicals such as histamine, which cause the allergy symptoms. Depending on the person, airborne allergens, certain foods, insect stings, or medications can cause an allergic reaction. Other causes are below:
- Touching, Breathing in, or Ingesting the Allergen
- Getting Stung by and insect (primarily a bee or wasp)
- Eating Certain Foods (such as peanuts, shellfish, eggs and milk, soy, or wheat)
- Release of Histamine
- Imbalanced Immune System
- Weakened Immune System
Get Them Before They Get You
One of the best things you can do to fight off allergies is to combat them before they occur. A great way to do this is to use a Neti Pot or a saline cleanse. By squirting the saline solution into your nose daily, you rinse away the pollen or airborne allergens that you are allergic to. This can lessen nasal congestion or runny noses.
Butterbur
Taking herbal supplements such as butterbur can help prevent pollen or mold allergies. This herb, which doesn’t have any associated drowsiness, has a great track record for being a great antihistamine. Similarly, cooking with turmeric can help because it acts as a decongestant. The properties in turmeric help ward off colds and allergy symptoms.
Take Your Probiotics
Taking probiotics or consuming foods like kombucha, kimchi, or kefir, all of which are high in probiotics, can help digestion. You can also consume raw, locally made honey, so that your body might be able to adapt to the allergens in the area. Think of this like a natural allergy shot.
Always Keep Your Surroundings Clean
It is important to keep your environment clean. Eliminating dust, mold, or pollen from your home can help reduce your allergy symptoms. Also, using all natural, chemical-free cleaning products can help you avoid allergic reactions you might have to chemicals in regular cleaning products.
Change Your Diet
A change in diet can always benefit your immune system. Abstaining from foods that you are allergic to, in addition to fast food, alcohol, salt, and sugar, can be beneficial for your health. Those bad foods often contain chemicals that can induce a negative response in the body.
Get Some High Quality H2O
Drink a lot of good water to help flush the tissues of poisons and toxins. Most Americans are outright dehydrated because they don’t drink adequate amounts of water; good water such as alkaline or distilled water is recommended because not all heavy metals and fluoride is properly filtered from regular water. Balanced pH levels keep the immune system strong!
