Our latest article from our Nutritional Therapist, Dianne Darville NT.Dip:
The arrival of spring brings longer brighter days and blossoming trees, however, for the 10 million hay fever sufferers in the UK, spring means suffering! It can be the start of months of misery, including sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, runny noses, headaches, disturbed sleep, difficulty in breathing and fatigue.
Hay fever is an allergic response to pollen and sufferers take up around 2.5% of all GP visits, with medical costs of more than £50 million a year. Symptoms can arrive with tree pollens as early as March, and continue through the summer months with grass pollens.
In a sensitised immune system, when pollens come into contact with the eyes, nose or throat, pro-inflammatory histamine is released by the immune system, causing sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, swelling and inflammation of the nasal passages and an increase in mucous production.
There has been a significant increase of seasonal allergies over the last 20 years, and current research suggests that the majority of people with allergies such as hay fever are likely to have food allergies. Due to the health effects of allergies, many healthcare practitioners now believe that food allergies are the leading cause of many undiagnosed symptoms.
Conventional medications for hay fever include anti-histamines, decongestants and corticosteroids, these can lead to various side effects such as hyperactivity, sedation and drowsiness. Thankfully, there are also effective and safe nutritional approaches you can take to support you through the worst of it allowing you to enjoy the outdoors this summer.
Nutritional approaches to hay fever
Cutting down on foods which encourage mucous production, increasing foods with anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine properties may help to support symptoms. It is also recommended to avoid refined sugars as much as possible, as this can increase inflammation in the body and reduce the body’s ability to repair itself.
For more information on how Dianne can help or to make an appointment call 01609 779927.
