Hay Fever sufferers know the symptoms only too well, the runny nose, the itchy eyes, and the fatigue that comes from not getting enough rest for many nights. It is similar to a cold, but a cold has a thick, rather than thin, discharge and it goes away after a week or so; hay fever can last a long time. A few people have perennial hay fever--it never goes away.
The basic causes of hay fever are air pollution and poor diet. Our bodies were designed to live outdoors in fresh, clean air with various pollen grains inhaled with every breath. Industrialized societies have polluted the air to a great extent, over-stressing our bodies' ability to keep our breathing passages free of dirt. Living in dusty homes has further complicated our respiratory needs. Our diets, once comprised only of fresh foods, are now commercial shadows of their former selves, filled with processed foods and preservatives.
Much of our current health concerns are due to inflammation--a natural response to foreign substances being present in the body. The body tissues swell with additional fluid; they redden as more blood flows to the affected area. In a healthy person the foreign substance will be removed and the body will go back to normal; the inflammation goes away. But if the foreign substance keeps coming, as in a constantly smokey and dusty environment, then the inflammation becomes more or less permanent and the body remains hypersensitive to additional stresses. This is the condition of a person with hay fever--always inflamed at some level, perhaps without noticeable symptoms, then some trigger--perhaps some grass pollen or a cat--throws the body over it's limit and hay fever symptoms increase.
Reducing Inflammation
If the person could avoid all the irritants, the inflammation would go away. But that's not real life, is it? We can avoid the neighbor's cat, or stay indoors with a good air filter when the grass pollen is high, but that isn't removing the inflammation, it's just avoiding the trigger, the irritant that is so irritating that it brings on the runny nose or the itchy eyes.
To truly reduce inflammation, after avoiding as many irritants as possible, we need to make the body more capable of managing the pollution and dust that we can't avoid. Maintaining a good diet and supplementing with antioxidants and a good multivitamin.
A good diet does not mean a standard American diet (SAD). Eat a Mediterranean Diet or the popular South Beach Diet.
Find a regular exercise program that works for you. You can't get rid of inflammation if you're inactive. This may require some creativity on your part if you have to exercise indoors.
Supplements that can help
- Bromelain reduces inflammation.
- Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) improves oxygenation and immunity. In people over 40 the Ubiquinol form is more absorbable.
- Quercetin has an effect similar to an antihistimine so it may reduce symptoms of hay fever.
- Zinc lozenges will boost the immune function and reduce a scratchy throat.
- Garlic is helpful with sinus inflammation.
- Alcohol-free eyebright or lady's mantle extracts are good for itchy eyes. Either make a tea with 20-30 drops or put the drops directly under the tongue and hold it for as long as possible before swallowing. Drink a glass of water afterwards.
Please note: The information in this article is not to be followed as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with your physician or primary health practitioner for information regarding your own personal health and necessary treatments.
