I absolutely love springtime. It’s when all the trees blossom, flower bloom and the butterflies are out.

What I don’t love is seasonal allergies. The past few weeks have been tough and I know it’s not just me! My allergies have been keeping me down, constant runny nose, watery eyes, itchy nose and eyes. It’s draining me.

I didn’t always have allergies. I grew up in the desert of Palm Springs, where the grass and golf courses are abundant, and the air is hot and dry. Then I moved to DC for school, still no allergies. Then to Los Angeles for a decade of work. And for the last 6 years I find myself in Denver, Colorado. I didn’t even have allergies when I moved here.

It wasn’t until about 2 years ago that I started feeling the hit of seasonal allergies. This year it hit me hard. And now I get it. It is not fun. And can be down right debilitating at times.

So, what are seasonal allergies?

Seasonal allergies affect around 20-25% of US adult population or 40-60 million people each year, according to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America.

Allergies in general are a physical, hypersensitive immune reaction to an antigen in response to exposure or reaction to a substance. This could be a food allergy, seasonal or other allergy. Some of the most common allergies are pollen, ragweed, animal fur, dust or certain foods. In reaction to the allergen the body produces the chemical histamine, which helps counteract that allergen. Generally, histamine helps the body with functions, like, immune system, communicating messages to the brain and keeping it awake and helps trigger the release of stomach acid. Its main role with allergies is to cause an inflammatory reaction in the body as a red flag of potential pathogens (danger). More specifically, it helps the blood vessels swell so white blood cells can travel and find the pathogen faster. This is a natural and proper response. Enzymes in the body will breakdown histamine afterwards.

This is why antihistamines, like Zyrtec, Allegra, Claritin or Benadryl provide temporary symptomatic relief by preventing this inflammatory response. Totally fine, and sometimes very needed. But not ideal to rely on daily as they have side effects, more below.

Seasonal allergies are also called rhinitis or hay fever. These usually worse when pollen levels increase or changes, usually around spring or fall. Every tree, flower and weed releases pollen. For many cottonwood trees, ragweed or grass are the most problematic. Research shower 75% of people with seasonal allergies in the US are allergic to ragweed. If you get allergies in the spring it’s usually due to tree pollen. Allergies in the summer are usually due to grass and weed pollens.

Doctor Michael Murray, tells us that the reason ragweed is such a problem is that a single plant can produce up to 1 billion (yup, with a B, billion) pollen grains and each grain can travel more than 100 miles.

Potential Causes of Seasonal Allergies

The reasons for allergies my differ from person to person. For me and many of us out there, who didn’t get allergies until later in life, it can be a combination of total allostatic load (meaning our bodies can only handle so much, at some point something gives) exposure to mold or changing locations.

In addition to the fact that pollen counts are going up, just one of the many health effects of our climate changing. In 2000, pollen counts were 8,455 grains per cubic meter. It’s projected in 2040 they will be over 20,000! You can check the pollen count at pollen.com or on some weather apps like AccuWeather.

Lastly, your chances of experiencing allergies goes up if you have an underlying medical condition, like asthma, deviated septum, recent trauma, excess stress, illness, food allergies or pregnancy.

List of Possible Causes of Seasonal Allergies

Weak Immune System
Exposure to mold
Changing physical locations
Environment and climate change
Asthma
Deviated septum
Recent trauma or surgeries
Excess stress
Illness
Food allergies
Pregnancy
Sleep issues

The Covid-19 Effect

While both are immune weakness, there are two main differences: with Covid-19 virus you will feel a steady worsening versus allergies will wax and wane. Second, Covid-19 you will most likely lose taste and smell and have a fever.

It’s also possible that because a lot of us have stayed home this past year due to Covid, and with it being springtime too, we are starting to spend time outside, allergies could feel and be worse. And lastly, my allergies didn’t start this year until after my Covid-19 vaccination. While I don’t have a study to help back me up here, I do know that this and most vaccinations work by activating the immune system and leaving it with a memory of how to fight that virus in the future. The problem with this is that with that immune activation it’s possible this pushes you over your threshold for allergy season and results in experiencing allergies for the first time or worsened symptoms than normal.

This is your reminder to be even more diligent if you do have allergy symptoms not to rub your eyes and nose so you increase your exposure to Covid, especially if you are out in public and not vaccinated.

Common Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Congestion
Post-nasal drip
Running nose and excess mucus
Itchy eyes or nose
Watery eyes
Scratchy throat
Tickle, irritation in the ears
Middle ear infection
Sneezing
Wheezing
Cough
Headache
Shortness of breath
Cheat tightness
Asthma
Hives
Eczema
Decreased concentrations and focus
Exhaustion
Sleep issues
Mood swings or Irritability
Low blood pressure

Tradition Western Medical Treatment

In turn, antihistamines, like Zyrtec, Allegra, Claritin or Benadryl provide temporary symptomatic relief by preventing this inflammatory response. Again, totally fine, and sometimes very needed. But not ideal to rely on daily as these come with side effects, like:

Drowsiness
Dry eyes, nose and mouth
Restlessness
Anxiety
Abdominal & digestive issues
Heart palpitations
Insomnia and nightmares
Impaired cognitive function and performance

Holistic Approach to Seasonal Allergies

Ultimately all allergies, seasonal included, are an immune system issue. A strong working immune system is required to fight all allergies. The goal here is to calm the immune system and reduce inflammation. The less inflammation we have the better our immune system works! The great news there is that you can work on your seasonal allergies all year or even right before spring to help when the season rolls around!

FOODS TO LIMIT/AVOID

Foods have a huge effect on our immune system, blood sugar stability, inflammation and overall health. So it should be no surprise that food can hurt and help our seasonal allergies too. If you know you are allergic or sensitive to certain foods, it’s best to stay away from those right now.

If you are allergic to ragweed, one third of that population is also allergic to these foods as well: cucumbers, melons, zucchini, sunflower seeds, bananas and chamomile. Definitely something to look at if this is you.

Additionally, while you have your seasonal allergies you might want to look at limiting or avoiding these foods (but only if they bother you, try an elimination diet to see for sure, and a gut healing protocol can always help improve your immune system and allergies):

Alcohol
Caffeine
Dairy
Chocolate
Peanuts
Citrus & citrus juice
Refined sugars
Artificial sweeteners
Processed foods
Food preservatives (like sodium bisulfite, potassium bisulfite, sodium sulfite)
Wheat or Gluten
Soy
Chamomile

Each one of the foods listed above effects each of us differently. In general, these are more likely to be inflammatory and many mucus-causing and can worsen allergy symptoms. One of the goals is to limit foods and things to lessen the burden here on your immune system, so it can do its job more effectively.

FOOD TO ENJOY

While it’s wonderful and effective to avoid the foods above, if that’s too much right now, dont worry about that, just focus on all these amazing foods below to enjoy. You’ll get the nice benefit of these beautiful tasty foods and I bet a nice side effect by eats more of these is you will in turn naturally eat less of the above list.

Raw local honey – a couple teaspoons daily can relieve your allergy symptoms due to building an immunity to local pollen. Plus is contains wonderful minerals and enzymes for keeping the immune system healthy. A great study published in the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology, showed those that consumed honey had significantly better control of their allergy symptoms than those on conventional allergy medications. Wonderful news!
Apple cider vinegar- 1 tablespoon, up to three times daily helps improve our immune system, break up mucus, and keep our lymph system moving. See the fun immunity drink below.
Green tea – contains naturally antihistamines to help reduce allergy symptoms.
Bone broth – helps our respiratory system and also clears out our mucus and nasal passages.
Fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, jun, yogurt) – The bacteria in these foods are natural probiotics that help keep the immune system strong. They also help with digestion which improves our ability to absorb nutrients and ultimately increases energy levels!
Apples – are rich in quercetin, a flavonoid that is antihistamine and anti-inflammatory.
Pineapples – this fruit contains bromelain, an enzyme that helps reduce swelling in the nose and sinuses. Plus, it packed with vitamin C, B and other nutrients for a good immune system.
Mushrooms and oats – these contain beta glucans, a chemincal that support a strong immune system and can act as an antiviral.
Lemons and Limes – these helps keep our immune system happy with all that vitamin C and antioxidants.
Fresh whole foods like vegetables & greens – are high in quercetin, magnesium and more to keep the body healthy and immunity strong.
Quality proteins: like grass-fed meats, pasture-raised chicken, turkey and eggs, wild-caught, cold-water fish, are packed with nutrients we need for a strong body and immune system. Plus, salmon and fatty fish contain omega-3s to help keep the immune system healthy and are anti-inflammatory.
Walnuts – also Omega-3 rich! One handful of walnuts has the same amount as 3-4 ounces of salmon!
Hot and spicy foods (garlic, horseradish, wasabi, onion, ginger, cinnamon and cayenne) – this helps thin the mucus and clear out the sinuses.

You can also start your day with a tasty Morning Immune Elixir (enjoy up to 3x daily):

1/2 lemon juiced
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ tbsp Raw local honey
Dash Cayenne pepper
1 tsp turmeric (optional)

Combine all these ingredients together and shoot it back.

SUPPLEMENTS

Quercetin – 500-1,000 mg daily. Quercetin stops the immune system from producing and releasing histamine which causes our allergy symptoms.
Butterbur – 500 mg has show to be as effective as Zyrtec and Allegra, especially with excess mucus (not for children, those pregnant or breastfeeding)
Spirulina – 1 tsp daily of this algae is helpful for stopping the release of histamine that causes allergy symptoms.
Probiotics – 50-100 billion daily (start slow and work your way up to this if you are not taking any as it could upset your stomach). While I love fermented foods too, we generally don’t eat these enough even if we love them and not often enough to not supplement with probiotics too. They nourish the gut, improve our immune system, after all 70-80% of our immune system is located in our gut, and lower allergy causing antibodies. I love Xymogen ProbioMax Daily DF (they are individually packed and shelf stable, no refrigeration required).
Vitamins A, D, E, K, and zinc all help to strengthen the immune system and stress response in the body.

*A new company out there called Hilma has a natural and herbals supplement to help with allergies and healthy sinuses called Indoor/Outdoor Support. While I have not personally tried it, you can get it online and at Target and it looks like a great formula with great reviews containing a lot of what I recommend here.

HERBAL/BOTANICALS

I love all the below in a hot tea or tincture form. With the hot tea, the inhalation of the steam will help thin out your nasal passages, which helps clear and soothe a runny nose. I like Herb Pharm’s Pollen Defense tincture and Traditional Medicinal’s Breath Easy tea.

Nettles – 300-500 mg, twice daily is a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory, it helps remove stagnant build up over the wintertime and it very nourishing with lots of minerals
Hyssop - this is an ancient member of the mint family and is great for respiratory and bronchial health, immunity and muscle tension.
Licorice - no, not the stuff you buy at the movie theaters. This plant is great for healthy digestion, lungs and respiratory function. As well as supports the liver support, detoxification, energy, adrenals and a health stress response.
Oregon Grape - normally the herb Goldenseal is recommended often for allergies and immune support. However, it’s being over-harvested and is not endangered. So I often defer to Oregon Grape. Both have the berberine compound that help support a healthy immune response and system.
Additionally, turmeric, reishi, astragalus are great herbs for inflammation and immunity!

MISCALLANY TREATMENTS FOR SEASONAL ALLERGIES

Neti Pots - great for clearing pollen, mucus and the sinuses
Essential oils - like lemon, basil, peppermint, lavender, tea tree and eucalyptus, these help with clearing out the nose and lungs, improve circulation and relieve tension. You can even add some lemon, basil, and tea tree in a spray bottle with water and a touch of alcohol or vinegar and use as a room spray to keep allergies away. Or add any of these with some coconut oil or olive oil and rub on temples, behind your ears and neck and at the bottle of your feet for some relief. (whenever you do, please never ingest essential oils internally, these are extremely potent and concentrated and can destroy tissue and irritate your internal body).
Spring cleaning with caution – some say spring cleaning is helpful for keeping things clean. In my experience that’s only partial true. The other case is that it can really kick up dust and dander. So do it with caution or a mask, or if you can hire someone to do it while you are out.

Hydrate – Drinking at least 64 ounces daily or half your body weight, will make sure you expel mucus easier and keep you healthy and happy.
Limit exposure – I hate to tell anyone to not go outside or when you’re home to seek the open doors and windows closed, but it is a good option on days with high pollen count swirling in the air and only temporary. Additionally, pollen counts are generally highest in the mid-day/afternoon. So if you want to be out, early morning or evenings are best for lower pollen counts. A mask might help with this too, another reason to wear it.
Clean sheets – A shower in the evening, washing the sheets and your clothes regularly will help keep pollen, dust and dander off your sheets so you can sleep better.
Wipe down pet – If you are like me, you have dogs that love to be in the sun, which also means outside in the dirt and plants. Wiping them down will help keep the dust and pollen outside.

Lastly, in Traditional Chinese Medicine spring is the time for liver clearing. If you are dealing with seasonal allergies, it’s especially great to do this. Try a gut healing, elimination diet or gentle liver cleanse with some foods and herbal teas.

I know this is a lot of information. You don’t need to try them all, norm would I recommend you to. Rather, pick one or two things that stood out to you to try and ago from there. Let me know what helps! And if you have any other questions or tips to help with your seasonal allergies comment below!

Note: if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have an underlying medical condition, speak with a health care professional first.

References:
The Natural Encyclopedia of Medicine by Michael Murray
The Elimination Diet by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre

Image via Unsplash