The weather is getting warmer and we are seeing a beautiful variety of colorful flowers, trees and grasses are pollinated. It is time to get sunshine, exercise outdoors, have a picnic with your family and enjoy being outside. However, this can be hard for people who experience seasonal allergies.
Does this sound familiar: The weather is becoming beautiful, but you are sneezing, have a runny nose, eyes are watery and itchy and maybe your asthma or eczema are getting worse? Before your symptoms get out of control, make your home and work place a pollen-free zone.
For example, keep your windows closed and use allergy-free pillow and mattress covers. Wash your bed sheets weekly and, if the pollen is horrible, shower daily. You can try using a HEPA air filter in your bedroom, and you may also want to use a HEPA filter vacuum once a week. A food allergy panel may be worth consideration to see if the foods you are eating are contributing to your seasonal allergies.
Did you know that your seasonal allergies can cause you to have inflammation in your gut which in turn can cause cross reactivity between pollen and food? A group of researchers found that people who are allergic to birch trees also have food sensitivities to apples, peaches, nectarines, celery, carrot, nuts, and soybeans. According to the study, 70% of people with an allergy to birch pollen may experience allergic symptoms after consumption of foods from these groups. What does that mean for you? Avoiding food groups to which you are sensitive may help reduce your allergy symptoms. You can do an elimination diet to see which food groups are making your seasonal allergy worse or you can get a food allergy blood test. Don’t you think it’s time to enjoy spring instead of suffering through it?