Natural ways to manage hay fever
It’s that time of year again when the pollen count rises, along with hay fever symptoms for some of us. But you don’t have to simply suffer on through these symptoms, it is possible to have your summer and enjoy it without having to dose up on anti-histamines every time you leave the house.
What is hay fever?
Hay fever is an allergic inflammation of the nose and eyes which can cause a myriad of symptoms including sneezing, itchy and runny eyes and nose, headaches and even fatigue. These symptoms are the result of an allergic reaction (usually to pollen or grass) which triggers the release of immunoglobulin E, which causes our immune cells to release histamine. It’s this histamine release that causes the symptoms so many people experience.
Natural ways to combat hay fever
While some suggest avoiding pollen by staying indoors, but that’s not really realistic (especially after spending the past year mainly indoors!) and would likely lead to a pretty miserable summer and may even cause other health issues like a vitamin D deficiency. So, instead, we need to do everything we can to calm the body’s reaction to these allergens.
The suggestions below work best if followed for 6-8 weeks prior to hay fever season starting – set a reminder for next year! But can also offer relief for those suffering now.
Diet changes to help reduce hay fever symptoms
1. Lower inflammation
Reducing inflammation in the body can help dampen the immune response to the pollen. Inflammation can be caused by a number of things but certain foods can impact both positively and negatively on inflammation levels.
In an attempt to reduce the inflammatory immune response which creates the symptoms of hay fever try to reduce your intake of pro-inflammatory foods and include more anti-inflammatory foods (see below).
Pro-inflammatory foods
Refined carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, white rice) – swap for wholegrain varieties or try brown rice pasta, quinoa, buckwheat flour ground almonds (good for home-baking)
Refined white sugar – sweets and packaged cakes – try making homemade cakes and sweet treats.
Sugary fizzy drinks – swap sugary fizzy drinks for fizzy water flavoured with fresh lemon and lime, fresh orange juice, fresh berries etc.
Anti-inflammatory foods:
Vegetables, particularly – kale, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, beetroot, mushrooms and butternut squash – aim for at least 1 portion of vegetables with lunch and 2 with dinner plus a snack of fresh vegetable – e.g. carrots and hummus
Blueberries/cherries
Ginger and Turmeric
Cinnamon
Fish – salmon and mackerel in particular but any fish will have good levels of omega-3 which is naturally anti-inflammatory and also great for general wellbeing, energy, memory and concentration
Whole grains – brown rice, wholemeal or brown rice pasta, brown bread, quinoa
Seeds – particularly flax (or linseeds) and chia seeds which are high in omega-3
Beans and legumes
2. Lower histamine
Histamine is not only produced in your body in response to allergens, it’s also found in foods. Lowering high histamine foods will help lower the overall levels of histamine in the body and hopefully help reduce hay fever symptoms. Try reducing your intake of histamine-Rich Foods like:
Fermented alcoholic beverages, especially wine, champagne and beer
Fermented foods: sauerkraut, vinegar, soy sauce, kefir, yoghurt, kombucha, etc
Vinegar-containing foods: pickles, mayonnaise, olives
Cured meats: bacon, salami, pepperoni, luncheon meats and hot dogs
Soured foods: sour cream, sour milk, buttermilk, soured bread, etc
Dried fruit: apricots, prunes, dates, figs, raisins
Citrus fruits
Aged cheese including goat cheese
Nuts: walnuts, cashews, and peanuts
Vegetables: avocados, eggplant, spinach, and tomatoes
Smoked fish and certain species of fish: mackerel, mahi-mahi, tuna, anchovies, sardines
Cow’s dairy
Nuts
3. Add quercetin
Quercetin is a flavonoid or antioxidant found in plants and acts as a natural anti-histamine. Add more foods rich in quercetin to your daily diet. These include:
Berries
Apples
Beetroot
Red onion
Cherries
Nettle and green tea
Leafy greens like kale, cabbage and sprouts
Broccoli
Bell peppers
Dark chocolate
Whole grains including buckwheat
Beans and legumes
4. Stay hydrated
Hydration helps lower inflammation so make sure you’re drinking 1.5 – 2 L of filtered water a day. Use nettle tea to hydrate you and give you a boost of quercetin - a double hit!
5. Add local honey or bee pollen to your diet
It’s thought that adding in honey and bee pollen from your local area will help expose you to the pollen found in your area and will help boost your resistance to allergies – this is more helpful to do year-round to help build up immune tolerance.
Lifestyle tips to help reduce hay fever symptoms
In addition to looking at diet, there are some simple lifestyle changes that can be made to help reduce hay fever symptoms.
Use a Neti-pot to wash sinuses twice a day with a saline solution to remove pollen
Shower before bed to remove pollen
Try using Haymax to block pollen from entering the nose
Use eye drops to reduce itching
