The adage “prevention is the best medicine” is a good practice when seasonal allergy season is near. It’s best to start your therapies three weeks ahead of the expected onset of the season. If you haven’t done that, you can start today.
Daily Steps to Decrease Allergen Exposure
Avoiding allergens is the easiest way to reduce your allergy risk both inside and outside. Follow these steps:
- Use an allergy mattress cover on your bed.
- Use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters for your furnace, air conditioner and vacuum.
- Do outdoor activities during the evening. Trees release pollens with the early morning light and ragweed pollens are most dense in the midday air.
- Change clothing and rinse off in the shower when you come inside after high-pollen exposure.
- Masks and goggles in high allergen exposure situations can decrease the allergen load and your reaction.
Ways to Treat Allergy Symptoms or Irritation
You can use daily irrigation of the nasal passages to cleanse the pollens from your mucous membranes. Increase it up to three times daily if you have more allergy symptoms.
Try adding two drops of eucalyptus or frankincense to the nasal rinse solution to decrease inflammation and prevent infection. Likewise, diffusing frankincense or eucalyptus while you sleep at night will benefit allergy symptoms and prevent infection.
Supplements and Food for Allergy Relief
Supplements can ease mild allergy symptoms or benefit people with severe symptoms that are not completely treated on prescription therapies.
- Butterbur has the most studies that support its benefit with seasonal allergy symptoms. It blocks the chemicals that trigger swelling in nasal passages. It’s generally tolerated and doesn’t add sedating side effects.
- Quercetin works best when applied for prevention of allergy symptoms. It’s an antioxidant that helps block the release of antihistamines. It will not work as well if you start it when your allergy symptoms are high. Several fruits and vegetables contain quercetin, including:
- Apples and dark cherries
- Peppers and tomatoes
- Blueberries and broccoli
- Cabbage and leafy greens such as spinach and kale
- Stinging nettle leaf extracts are commonly used to treat allergy symptoms.
- Early studies find probiotics can benefit you by stopping allergic symptoms. Researchers theorize good bacteria probiotics provide can help rebalance your immune system response.
- Allergies can be a root cause of chronic sinusitis. Other studies have found that bromelain is effective at reducing swelling in the nasal passages. It also thins mucus.
- Sinupret is used for chronic sinusitis. This blend of five herbal extracts has helped many who suffer from the sniffles and discomfort of the season.
Acupuncture and Allergy Relief
Acupuncture is another effective treatment for seasonal allergic nasal inflammation. Avera Functional and Integrative Medicine can help significantly reduce allergy symptoms.
Most patients get six to 12 treatments. They often notice ongoing benefits that last through allergy seasons down the road. In fact, many of our patients are able to live without allergy issues and no longer need medications.
By Dawn Flickema, MD, Avera Functional and Integrative Medicine
