Woman with a flu or an allergy is sneezing while standing outside in a park
Many of us get irritating symptoms of Hay fever and aggravated Asthma symptoms in the Spring. Some of us feel we get Hay fever all year round. This of course can mean we are reacting to different pollen and air borne allergens but it can also be because we have food intolerances that may appear Hay fever like. We can also experience a tight chest, increased coughing and irritating lung symptoms.
Hay fever is very common when the plants of spring release their pollen. We breath in these pollens and they set our bodies into a cascade of symptoms that can include itchy eyes, nose and ears; runny noses, inflammation in the sinuses causing pressure in our face, headaches from this pressure, a tight chest, increased coughing and a myriad of other symptoms all of which cause us grief and discomfort.
A few things you can do yourself to help your symptoms may include:
Sinus Rinsing. I use the NeilMed squirter bottle with saline sachets but there are several brands available. Fill the bottle with a sachet and warm water and whilst in the shower for convenience, rinse your sinuses by squirting the warm water up your nose. You will soon get the hang of it. When familiar you can move your head around to get the water rinse into the sinus cavities etc. The benefits are that you a) hydrate your membranes which enables stubborn mucous to come away b) in rinsing your sinus and nasal passages, you are removing any pollens etc that may be setting off your histamine response and causing allergic symptoms and c) when in this state of heightened reactivity it is wise to keep away from dairy and perhaps gluten or anything that you know your body is not that happy about. This enables your body to be less reactive and may assist with your symptoms.
At the clinic, reactions to airborne substances and foods are one of the most frequent things we address. If you are eating in a way that upsets your body, it will increase your reactivity and may cause your pollen reaction to be more aggravated than if you were eating in a way that does not upset your body.
We have some wonderful strategies to relieve the symptoms and discomfort of Hay fever. It is just a matter of making an appointment with Tracie or Kate so that they can off you relief and guide you back to comfort.