An allergy is an overaggressive
immune response triggered by ingesting certain foods, touching certain
substances, or inhaling an irritant such as pollen or animal dander. Allergies
to pollen, spores, mould, and dust (also called hay fever or allergic rhinitis)
affect the respiratory system and are usually the most difficult to control.
Symptoms of hay fever are
sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, watery eyes, itchy eyes and nose, and
headache. Hay fever is often seasonal (when pollen is in the air), but if constantly
exposed to an offending substance (e.g., pet dander), symptoms can last
year-round.
From a naturopathic viewpoint,
allergies are often associated with weak adrenal, immune, and digestive
functions. Natural treatments are used to support and improve those functions
and to alleviate hay fever symptoms. For seasonal allergies, beginning natural
treatments (e.g., Stinging nettles) 1–2 months before the season starts can
help reduce the severity of symptoms. Good health can help ease allergy symptoms,
and good health starts with nutrition. People sensitive to airborne allergens
may also be sensitive to certain foods. Identifying and removing those foods
from the diet can greatly improve health and reduce allergy symptoms. This is
best accomplished by the elimination and challenge diet.
Nutrition
To reduce allergy symptoms, eat a
moderately low-fat, high-complex-carbohydrate diet. Drink 1/2 of body weight in
ounces of water daily (e.g., a 150 lb person would drink 75 oz of water).
Include a lot of the following
foods in the diet:
Dark green, leafy vegetables
Deep yellow and orange vegetables
Nettles, bamboo shoots, cabbage,
beet tops, beets, carrots, yams
Onions, garlic, ginger, cayenne,
horseradish
Eliminate the following from the
diet:
Alcohol, caffeine, and dairy
products
Bananas and citrus fruit
Chocolate
Food colourings (tartrazine)
Peanuts
Red meat
Sugar
Wheat
Supplements, Vitamins and
Minerals
Bioflavonoids (e.g., quercetin,
catechin, and hesperidin) - Take 2-3 grams daily. When symptoms are severe,
take up to 6 grams. Bioflavonoids are natural antihistamines and strongly
anti-allergenic. Bromelain and vitamin C can enhance the action of
bioflavonoids. Combination products are available.
Flaxseed oil - Take 1 tbsp daily.
Probiotics (e.g., lactobacillus
acidophilus and bifidus) - Take one in the morning and one in the evening.
Probiotics are bowel microflora organisms—microscopic bacteria that normally
inhabit the intestines. Buy a quality product that has 1-4 billion organisms
per capsule.
Multivitamin – High potency and
customized if possible.
Vitamin A - Take 25,000 IUs
daily.
Vitamin C - Take 1-3 grams 2 to 3
times daily or to bowel tolerance. (Bowel tolerance is the amount of vitamin C
that can be taken without causing diarrhoea. This amount is different for each
person and can change if the need increases because the body is stressed,
injured, or ill.)
Vitamin E - Take 400 IUs daily.
Zinc - Take 30 mg daily.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicines rarely have
significant side effects when used appropriately and at suggested doses.
Occasionally, an herb at the prescribed dose causes stomach upset or headache.
This may reflect the purity of the preparation or added ingredients, such as
synthetic binders or fillers. For this reason, it is recommended that only
high-quality products be used. As with all medications, more is not better and
overdosing can lead to serious illness and death.
Some of the herbs used to treat
hay fever symptoms are as follows:
Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) -
Used as an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory.
Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis)
- Reduces congestion and secretions. It is good for itchy eyes, sneezing, and
excess mucus.
Gingko (Gingko biloba) - Contains
bioflavonoids and is used as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) -
Helps reduce allergic, inflammatory, and histaminic reactions and supports
liver function.
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) -
Helps build the body’s resistance to allergies.
Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica)
- Used as an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) -
Reduces congestion and secretions.
Make a tea of one herb or a
combination of herbs. Take 3 to 4 cups a day. If the herbs are in tincture
form, combine several of them and take 1 -3 dropper 3 to 4 times a day.
Homeopathy
The standard dosage for acute
symptom relief is 3 pellets of 30C every 4 hours until symptoms resolve. Lower
potencies, such as 6X, 6C, 30X, may be given every 2 to 4 hours. If the right
remedy is chosen, symptoms should improve shortly after the second dose. If
there is no improvement after 3 doses, a different remedy is given. The
following remedies have been shown to be effective in acute, symptomatic relief
of hay fever or allergies:
Allium cepa - Indicated for bland,
non-irritating discharge from eyes; copious, watery, acrid discharge from nose;
hoarseness; and feeling better in cool air and open room.
Euphrasia - Indicated for
symptoms such as copious, watery, acrid discharge from eyes; non-irritating
discharge from nose; dry, hard cough; much sneezing; diarrhoea; and feeling
worse in open air.
Natrum muriaticum - Indicated for
watery or egg white-like discharges; cold sores; no sense of taste or smell;
headaches; and feeling better outside.
Nux vomica - Indicated for runny
nose in daytime, then dry nose at night; violent sneezing; nose feels blocked
but there is watery nasal discharge through one nostril; and feeling worse
outside.
Wyethia - Indicated for extreme
itching in the nose and throat; throat feels swollen; back of throat is dry and
burning; and sensation as if something were in nasal passages.
Hydrotherapy
Castor Oil Packs
Constitutional Hydrotherapy
Cold cloth to the forehead
Hot foot baths
Nasal lavage
Other Recommendations
Acupuncture
Adequate rest and relaxation
Adrenal glandulars and thymus
extracts to supportive the adrenal glands and the immune system.
Desensitization - Bee pollen and
homeopathic remedies are used to desensitize people to the plants to which they
are allergic.
Several minutes of vigorous exercise may relieve nasal congestion and stuffiness.
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