Sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, that wretched tickle in your throat… yes, it’s hayfever season again! But did you know that your hayfever may be a symptom of a bigger, underlying problem in your gut?
It’s true that pollens can be extremely irritating. When you look at them under a microscope, some look like medieval torture devices. Your body wants to get rid of any irritants, so when you’re exposed, you may sneeze to blow it out. Or produce mucus to rinse your sinuses. Or even develop a tickle so that you grab a tissue to blow your nose or cough. This is your body taking care of some housekeeping by getting rid of what shouldn’t be in there.
Common symptoms of hayfever include:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Itching eyes, ears, throat
- Runny nose
- Sinus congestion
- Headaches
- Eczema
- Asthma
While it seems that hayfever is caused by dust, pollens or chemicals that we breathe in, the problem actually starts deep within you, in your immune system. Your immune system is designed to keep you safe, by protecting you and getting rid of any invaders. When your immune system becomes out of balance, it can overreact, thinking that something that is relatively harmless is actually a serious threat. It then creates a strong reaction, causing your symptoms. It’s the equivalent of using a bomb to kill an ant.
Why is my immune system dropping a bomb?
One of the main reasons for immune system overreactions is your gut. Lying right alongside the lining of your gut wall are the soldiers of your immune system, protecting you. Normally, your gut lining is tightly closed, and only properly digested food can get past the immune system soldiers keeping guard, into your bloodstream. Sometimes, though, your gut lining can become ‘leaky’, leading to a condition known as leaky gut. When this happens, undigested food can sneak past the immune system soldiers and get into your bloodstream. This causes a massive counter-terrorism response by your immune system, which can lead to your allergies.
When your immune system has identified a substance that it needs to eliminate, it also creates antibodies, which are like tags that get attached to anything that looks like that threat. It’s like the police force’s 10 most wanted list, so that if that substance is seen again anywhere in your body, your immune system is quickly notified and gets in there to dispatch the criminal quick smart. Unfortunately, sometimes a substance is incorrectly identified as a most wanted substance, and it is also attacked.
What does this mean?
When your gut is leaky and you have food allergies or intolerances, your immune system can mistake pollens for that ‘most wanted’ food. Your immune system looks at the pollen and says, ‘Close enough!’ and attacks it, dropping a bomb.
Please, stop the sneeze!
Many natural remedies are effective for treating the symptoms of hayfever. Try these to stop the sneeze.
- Quercetin is a substance that gives fruits and vegetables their color. It helps hayfever, hives and asthma.
- Zinc is a very important mineral that helps your immune system to function properly. Many people are quite deficient in zinc, and supplementing is vital when you have allergies. Zinc is also essential for proper digestion and gut function.
- Vitamin C helps your immune system, reduces allergy symptoms and improves your lung function.
- Probiotics can help restore your gut function and reduce the immune response. In particular, a strain, or breed, of probiotic called LGG is very effective at reducing many allergies.
- Eating raw, local honey can help your body build up a tolerance for the pollens where you live. Try 1 tbsp each day.
- Apple cider vinegar helps stop many allergies. It contains nutrients which support your immune system. Start your day with a teaspoon to a tablespoon in water. You may need to take this up to 3 times a day if your allergies are particularly bad.
Treating your gut
As you’ve seen, though, treating the symptoms might help for a while, but when you have leaky gut, it’s your gut that needs to be treated if you want to avoid suffering hayfever every season. Look out for upcoming blog posts that will teach you how to plug that leak, or book a consultation by Skype, phone, or in person to be guided through the treatment.
Top 5 tips for reducing your hayfever
1. Consider using a supplement to help you with the symptoms while you strengthen your immune system
2. Avoid any foods that you are allergic or intolerant to. Common foods that trigger allergies are eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, milk, chocolate, wheat and/or gluten, and citrus fruits. Many of these trigger the production of mucus in your body. I can help you to figure out which foods are
a problem for you.
3. Increase brightly colored fruit and vegetables in your diet. Aim for 5 serves of vegetables and 2 of fruit daily.
4. Avoid processed foods. The preservatives and additives can trigger allergies, and the sugar undermines your immune system’s ability to function properly.
5. Drink at least 2 litres of water each day.