Nearly 1 in 3 people in the United States have some kind of seasonal allergy, eczema, or food allergy according to the CDC.[1] Living in Texas, in one of the hotspots for seasonal allergies, I can attest to that! As I have progressed along my health journey, I have noticed that the cleaner I eat, the less intense my seasonal allergies have become, as well as noticing that they occur less frequently.
While you may never be able to fully rid yourself of allergies, there are some things you can do to support your body, decrease your dependence on medication, and actually enjoy being outside. In this article we are going to focus on seasonal/environmental allergies as opposed to food allergies.
Let’s begin by getting a better understanding of what allergies are. Allergies are defined as an abnormal reaction of the immune system to something that most people do not react to. In effect, they are a disregulation of the immune system. Airborne allergies vary in different seasons as plants release their pollen. These allergens are very small, highly soluble proteins that are carried on dry particles. Once these proteins encounter the mucosa of the eyes, nose, or airways, they are detected by dendritic cells and the body reacts.
Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies are produced by the body within seconds to attack the antigen and is what is responsible for the allergic reaction. If you are allergic to something, you will have plasma levels of IgE that are ten times higher than people who are not. The production of IgE causes a whole cascade of immune responses including increased histamine, prostaglandin, eosinophils, basophils and leukotriene production. You’ll feel the results of this response in your nose, eyes, chest, or skin. All of these immune responses have different functions including increasing the dilation and permeability of blood vessels to facilitate the response, recruiting other inflammatory cells, and sustaining the inflammation as long as it’s needed to neutralize the antigen.
While this response is excellent when it is called upon, your immune system has a memory. If that particular antigen enters the body again, IgE antibodies begin breaking down the cells causing another release of histamine, eosinophils etc… If there is an abundance of allergens assailing you, by now you are definitely starting to feel symptoms.
One of the interesting things that most people don’t realize about allergy symptoms is that they are directly related to the gut. Up to 80% of your immune system is house in your gut and specific immune responses to allergens also affect your gut. For example, eosinophils are found in the gut epithelium and histamines are responsible for symptoms that affect the GI tract. With our immune responses and gut so closely related we can deduce that taking care of our gut can play an important role in how our body responds to allergens.
One fascinating fact is that the gut microbiomes of children who have allergies are different from children who do not. The microbiome of the allergic children had more Clostridium difficile, Staphylococcus aureus, and Coliform strains, and less Lactobacillus.[2]
While we will be getting more into the prevention of allergies in Part 2 of this article, one of the simplest things you can do to support your body and reduce allergy symptoms is to take a good quality probiotic. If you’re not sure how to choose a probiotic, I have a Be Informed video on this topic available to our members.
Now that you understand how your body is responding to antigens, let’s take a look at four natural ways that you can reduce your allergy symptoms while supporting your body’s overall health.
The first herb that you can try is butterbur. Butterbur is great for asthma, hay fever, and allergic rhinitis. In a double-blind, placebo controlled trial (the gold standard for trials) high doses of butterbur reduced congestion, sneezing, and itching after two weeks.[3] Not only that, it has been found to be just as effective as Allergra and Zyrtex and less likely to make you drowsy. One meta-analysis found butterbur to be more effective than taking antihistamines for seasonal allergies.[4]
Stinging nettle has been shown to inhibit the inflammation that is related to seasonal allergies. It works as an antihistamine and inhibits prostaglandin production. In an open trial, 69 patients with allergic rhinitis were given 600mg of freeze dried nettle per day. 58% of them reported relief of most of their symptoms and 48% said that nettle was more effective than over-the-counter allergy medications.[5]
You may be surprised to know that sea salt can help to relieve allergy symptoms as it lowers histamine levels. If you can handle a little piece of rock salt under the tongue as it dissolves, this may be a good option. One of the greatest benefits of salt can be found in salt vapor.[6] It relieves symptoms of many conditions including allergies, asthma, and skin problems. You can find these benefits in salt caves if you can find one in your area. These rooms are warm, free of pollutants, and slightly humid. As you sit there, dry sodium chloride particles are diffused into the air. I’ve experienced this myself and it was wonderful!
Water can relieve symptoms as dehydration can increase histamine levels in the body.[7] When histamine levels are increased, so are your symptoms. Dehydration can affect skin allergies as well, including eczema flare ups.
In Part 2 we are going to be talking more about how to prevent allergies, but I hope this part gives you some actionable steps to take and understanding on how allergies work.
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[2] Özdemir, Ö. "Various effects of different probiotic strains in allergic disorders: an update from laboratory and clinical data." Clin Exp Immunol 2010 Jun;160(3):295-304
Woodcock A, Moradi M, Smillie F, Custovic A. "Clostridium difficile, atopy and wheeze during the first year of life." Ped Allergy Immunol 2002 Oct;13(5):357-360
[3] Schapowal A, Petasites Study Group. "Butterbur Ze339 for the treatment of intermittent allergic rhinitis: dose-dependent efficacy in a prospective, randomized, double-
blind, placebo-controlled study." Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2004 Dec;130(12):1381-1386
[4] Guo R, Pittler M, Ernst E. "Herbal medicines for the treatment of allergic rhinitis: a systematic review." Ann Allergy, Asthma, Immunol 2007 Dec;99(6):483-495
Schapowal A, Study Group. "Treating intermittent allergic rhinitis: a prospective, randomized, placebo and antihistamine-controlled study of Butterbur extract Ze
339." Phytother Res 2005 Jun;19(6):530-537
Schapowal A. "Randomised controlled trial of butterbur and cetirizine for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis." BMJ 2002 Jan; 324(7330):144.
Thomet OA, Simon HU. “Petasins in the treatment of allergic diseases: results of preclinical and clinical studies.” Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2002;129:108-112.
Lee D, Carstairs I, Haggart K, et al. Butterbur, a herbal remedy, attenuates adenosine monophosphate induced nasal responsiveness in seasonal allergic rhinitis. Clin Exp Allergy . 2003;33:882-886.
[5] Roschek B, Fink R, McMichael M, Alberte R. “Nettle extract (Urtica dioica) affects key receptors and enzymes associated with allergic rhinitis.”
Phytother Res 2009 Jul;23(7):920-926
Mittman P. “Randomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.” Planta Med 1990;56:44-47
[6] Chervinskaya A, Zilber N. “Halotherapy for treatment of respiratory disorders.” J Aerosol Med 1995 Fall;8(3):221-232
Chervinskaya A. “Halotherapy of respiratory diseases.” Physiotherapy, Balneology and Rehabilitation. 2003;6:8–15.
Bar-Yoseph R, Kugelman N, Livnat G et al. “Halotherapy as asthma treatment in children: A randomized, controlled, prospective pilot study.”
Pediatric Pulmonology 2016 Oct 10.1002/ppul.23621
Lazarescu H, Simionca I, Hoteteu M et al. “Surveys on therapeutic effects of „halotherapy chamber with artificial salt-mine environment” on patients with certain chronic allergenic respiratory pathologies and infectious-inflammatory pathologies.” J Med Life. 2014 b; 7(2):83-87.
Beamon S, Falkenbach A, Fainburg G, Linde K. Speleotherapy for asthma (Review). The Cochrane Library 2006;3:1-9.
[7] Kjaer A, Larsen J, Knigge U, Warberg J. “Dehydration stimulates hypothalamic gene expression of histamine synthesis enzyme: importance for neuroendocrine
regulation of vasopressin and oxytocin secretion.” Endocrinol 1995;136(5):2189-2197