Spring is here and our seasonal allergies are in full bloom! Here are some tips to help make your springtime as enjoyable as possible.
Lower your overall inflammation load.
This means avoiding foods that your body doesn’t tolerate. If you have questions about which foods don’t work for you, food sensitivity testing is a great way to see what foods your body doesn’t tolerate well. Alcohol is another contributor to overall inflammatory load is it is highly inflammatory. Try limiting your intake and replacing alcoholic beverages with an alternative, like sparkling water or iced tea. And I know you were expecting to see it so here it is – reduce your sugar intake. Sugar is inflammatory for everyone, so cutting back or eliminating refined sugars in your diet can significantly reduce the inflammatory load your body has to work through.
Eat your veggies that are rich in Vitamin C.
Vitamin C acts as a gentle mast cell stabilizer. Mast cells contain histamine, and they are less likely to dump their histamine when they are stable. Histamine is what causes the symptoms of itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, etc. And I know your first thought for Vitamin C is orange juice, but guess what? Broccoli has more Vitamin C than orange juice. Other good sources of Vitamin C are: Brussels sprouts, strawberries, kale, red and yellow peppers, sweet potatoes, red cabbage. So eat that rainbow!
Try a rinse.
Rinse out your sinuses with either a Neti Pot or a saline flush like NasoClear, especially after being outdoors for a prolonged period of time and before bed. Think of this as a way to rinse the pollens off of your sinus mucosa, where it would otherwise sit and fire up your immune system. For comfort, make sure to use warm distilled water in your sinus rinse and the saline packets that come with some sinus rinses.
Limit time outside on very windy days.
It is tempting to spend as much time outdoors as possible in this nice mild spring time weather. Windy days mean that significantly more pollen is swirling around in the environment for you to mount a reaction to.
Consider purchasing an air purifier for use at home.
Run your air filter in the rooms that you spend the most time in, such as your home office during the day and your bedroom at night. This can help keep the pollen load inside your house lessened.
Bathe/clean your furry friends a little more often.
If you have pets that spend time outside, their fur is a great spot to trap pollens and other environmental allergens. You may consider wiping down your pet with a warm damp washcloth when they come in from outside with the goal of removing the bulk of pollens from their fur.
Talk to your ND.
If your seasonal allergies are still giving you grief, feel free to schedule an appointment with your Revolutions Naturopathic doctor. They can help you identify solutions so you can still enjoy our beautiful springtime.