Those who follow me know that I am consistently battling and trying to uncover the cause behind my allergies. I’ve always had sinus problems, but more recently they have become overwhelming to the point that I’ve decided to educate myself on the topic and take action to help relieve my everyday symptoms.
I’ve discovered that I have allergic rhinitis (explained below) and sensitive allergies to: mould, dust mites, dander, casein and dairy.
I’m pulling together this information and sharing it to provide insight because these types of allergies are common and my discoveries might be useful to others. If this info isn’t specific to your particular allergy problems, I recommend you look into the sources I’ve referred to for your personal symptoms and reactions.
Inhalant Allergies
Allergic Rhinitis: Inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the nose. Occurs year-round, usually caused by mould, dust, feathers, fur, chalk or animal dander.
Animal dander: Dander is loose, scaly dry skin, which animals spread all over their bodies with their saliva. Animals deposit their saliva on their coats while cleaning themselves. Cats preen more than dogs and therefore cats have more dander spread over their bodies.
Pollen, dander, mold and dust mites are difficult to avoid entirely, but the following suggestions will help reduce your exposure to them:
- Keep your windows closed, and use an air conditioner with high-energy air (HEPA) filter to help clean the pollen and mould from indoor air.
- Don’t hang clothing outside to dry because pollen clings to fabric.
- Limit the time you spend outdoors between 5 and 10am, when the air is most saturated with pollen.
- Use a damp cloth when dusting, and vacuum frequently.
- Get rid of your carpeting, as it is a breeding ground for dust mites. If you must have some carpeting, use rugs that can be washed weekly.
- Use wooden, leather, or vinyl-covered furniture rather than upholstered chairs and sofas.
- Use closed cabinets rather than open shelves.
- Cover your windows with washable curtains or window shades rather than heavy drapes or venetian blinds.
- Change or clean the files in your air conditioner and furnace often.
- When you don’t run the air conditioner, use a HEPA air cleaner. This is a device that can remove particles as small as .01 micron, which are a thousand times smaller than the smallest dust particles visible to the naked eye.
- Wash your bedding weekly.
- Use a vacuum cleaner with an efficient filtering unit that will not spread allergens through the air.
- Keeps pets out of the bedroom.
- Keep a nightlight on in dark closets to reduce the growth of mould and mildew.
- Use an exhaust fan in your bathroom while you shower to reduce mould build up.
Dietary Allergies
There are a number of foods to add to a diet that help to ease or combat allergy symptoms:
- Water: Keeps the body hydrated. Drink at least 12 glasses of pure water daily, and even more if you are physically active. The reason you need to stay hydrated is that histamine production increases if the body’s water-storage level is low. The consequence of elevated histamine levels is an increase in allergic symptoms.
- Coffee: Acts as a natural bronchodilator and can be useful in an emergency if your asthma medication is not available.
- Grape Juice: Clears the lungs and soothes coughs.
- Citrus rinds: A wonderful source of bioflavonoids (antioxidants that help get rid of free radicals and boost the immune system). Cook strips of orange, lemon and grapefruit rind in honey until soft.
- Pineapple: Helps dissolve mucous.
- Hot Peppers: Help clear sinus congestion. Habaneros are the most effective. Cayenne pepper is also effective. Capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers, promotes drainage.
- Horseradish: Helps clear congestion.
- Onions: A rich source of bioflavanoid quercetin, has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Honey (raw): Full of pollen and can cause a natural desensitization to many different types of pollen.
Foods to avoid that will increase the mucus forming and your susceptibility to allergies. If you have heavy mucous in your respiratory tract and an allergen becomes trapped in it, the allergen will continue to irritate your system for a longer period of time, leading to more symptoms.
- Dairy and flour are mucous-forming.
- Foods high in arachidonic acid, present in most animal fats, produce leukotriene cascades. Leokotriene, a substance released during allergic reactions, is up to a thousand times more potent than histamine. Shellfish and red meats are high in arachidonic acids.
- If you are allergic to mould, avoid foods that contain fungi or yeast, such as: beer, cheese, dried fruits, fruit juice, mushrooms, pickles, soy sauce, sugar, tomato products, tofu and vinegar.
- If you suspect something in your refrigerator is spoiled, don’t even smell it because if mould spores are present and you inhale them, they could set off your allergies. Avoid:
Nutritional Supplementation
- Quercetin: Helps treat allergies by blocking the secretion of histamine in the body. Histamine causes inflammation and swelling, and is responsible for the stuffy nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, and other annoying symptoms associated with allergies.
- Bee Pollen: Contains proteins, mono and polyunsaturated fats, vitamins B, C, D, E, and beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium, selenium, nucleic acids, lecithin, and cysteine, all of which have been proven effective in strengthening the immune system. Because bee pollen contains traces of the substances that can trigger allergic hay fever, some allergists prescribe it to help lower sensitivity to local plant pollens.
- Selenium: Essential for a healthy immune system, assisting the body in defending itself against harmful bacteria and viruses, as well as cancer cells.
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- B Vitamins
Information source: Allergy Relief by Sylvia Goldfarb (pictured above).
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