When spring springs forth, do you enjoy the beautiful flowers or do you wonder, “What causes allergy?” because you are so tired of all the sneezing, runny eyes, runny nose …?
If those symptoms match what happens to you every spring, then you suffer from seasonal allergies, what is commonly called “hay fever.” If you have hay fever, you are not alone. Did you know that 35 million Americans get hay fever every spring? That’s a lot of runny noses and muddled brains. Luckily, you don’t have to spend this spring in misery. In this article we offer three simple natural solutions that address the causes of allergy.
What Causes Allergy in Your Body During the Spring?
What causes allergy during the spring is pollen–those tiny grains that plants like trees and grasses release by the trillions. For many people, pollen isn’t a big deal, but for people with hay fever, pollen causes a major immune overreaction. If you have hay fever, when pollen enters your nasal passages or lungs, your body mistakenly believes that the pollen is a foreign invader (normally bacteria and viruses) and goes on the attack. Your body releases antibodies to attack the pollen, and in the process, chemicals called histamines are released into the bloodstream. Histamines are responsible for hay fever symptoms, such as runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, and other symptoms of allergies.
Digestively, something else happens to your body when you suffer from allergies. Specifically, when you have an allergic reaction, your body releases an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). Research indicates that the levels of the good bacteria that live in your gut, called probiotics, can affect how much IgE your body produces, and how severe your allergy symptoms.
3 Natural Solutions That Address the Causes of Allergy
Now that you know what happens inside your body that causes all those miserable allergy symptoms, let’s take a look at some natural solutions that actually address the causes of allergy.
Natural Solution #1: Eat Well
Research indicates that what you eat can really affect how badly hay fever will affect you. For instance, eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can support your body’s immune response so that it doesn’t go overboard in response to pollen. Fresh fruits and vitamins provide plenty of vitamins (such as C and D) and antioxidants to help your body distinguish the real foreign invaders (bacteria and viruses) from pollen. In addition, drinking clear soups can help thin mucous and clear nasal passages. While we can’t detail a full menu plan in an article of this length, just know that if you skip the “gut bombs” and eat fresh and healthy meals, your body will thank you. In turn, you will feel less muddled by hay fever symptoms!
Natural Solution #2: Take Acidophilus and Enzymes
Studies show that having a healthy population of acidophilus in your small intestine can reduce the amount of IgE that your body produces in response to pollen. Participants who took extra acidophilus during spring allergy season showed lower levels of IgE in blood tests. In addition, taking supplemental enzymes between meals can support your body’s immune response. It turns out that your body uses the extra enzymes to englobe and remove pollen grains from your system, reducing the amount of overreaction from your body’s native immune system.
Natural Solution #3: Add Antioxidants and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Medical and dietary experts indicate that foods high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids may help ease inflammation that are the result of hay fever. Both of these nutrients can be found in colored fruits, leafy greens, AFA blue-green algae, deep water fish, and nuts and seeds. Again, all of these foods are found in a healthy diet plan. If you are “on the run” and don’t have time to cook and eat healthy, try taking AFA blue-green algae or sprouts in a capsule. Both can support your body’s immune system and general health.
The good news about these natural solutions is that they not only support your body so that you don’t get so muddled during allergy season, but these solutions are also good for heart health and overall immune health. That’s a pretty good return for a few natural solutions that are simple to integrate into your life, right?
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