Many of us look forward to spring, but unfortunately for a lot of people it is a time when the irritating symptoms of hay fever and aggravated asthma first appear.
Hay fever is very common when the plants of spring release their pollen.
Some of us feel like we get hay fever all year round. If this happens, it can mean our bodies are not only reacting to the different pollen and air borne allergens, but could also be the effects of food intolerances, which appear hay fever like. Symptoms are many and may include a tight chest, coughing and irritating lung symptoms.
Breathing in the pollens can set our bodies into a cascade of symptoms including 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, itchy skin and a myriad of other symptoms all of which cause us grief and discomfort.
Anti-histamine treatment is not a healthy long term solution.
One effective thing you can do to help with your symptoms is sinus rinsing.
I use the NeilMed sinus rinse bottle with saline sachets but there are several brands available. Fill the bottle with a sachet and warm water and whilst in the shower, rinse your sinuses by squirting the warm water up your nostrils then moving your head around to get the water well distributed.
This works in two ways:
- It hydrates your membranes which enables stubborn mucous to come away
- It removes any pollens and other foreign substances that may be setting off your histamine response and causing allergic symptoms
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 Deb to guide you back to a calm and clear nose and fabulous wellbeing.