Ah, May has arrived! Blossoming flowers, warmer weather, and longer days are here.… But, with these joys of spring also comes the nuisance of hay fever.
From itchy eyes and a runny nose, to sneezing, swollen eyes, and headaches, hay fever can have a big impact on your quality of life.
But fear not! We’re here to help you navigate your way through the season without suffering. Whether you like natural remedies or supplements, we’ve got you covered.
What is hay fever?
Allergies are an immune response to environmental stimuli as a way of protecting your body from harm. Hay fever specifically refers to airborne allergens like pollen, grass, and trees which can trigger an immune response causing symptoms like sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes, coughing and sometimes headaches.
Symptoms are most likely to be experienced from April and throughout the spring and summer months. Around 49% of the UK suffer from hay fever, most prevalent in childhood or early adolescence, but hay fever can be triggered at any age.
How to treat hay fever with natural remedies
From popping a few extra vitamins, munching on allergy-fighting foods, and even getting a little acupuncture action, there’s a whole world of simple remedies for you to explore. Allergy relief is right around the corner, making this the season for you to enjoy.
Immune-boosting supplements
Supplements such as vitamin C, Zinc and Omega 3 are essential for boosting your immune support, making you less susceptible to the symptoms of hay fever. These can be taken daily, giving you that extra boost throughout the spring by preventing secretion of Histamine which causes that nose to run and the eyes to itch – so you can enjoy the sun and worry less about a puffed-up red face!
Food as medicine
Believe it or not, by eating more foods like berries, garlic, and local honey, you may find your allergies will begin to subside. Berries are full of antioxidants and vitamin C, helping maintain those histamine levels and garlic is an antioxidant rich probiotic also helping the release of histamine. Honey is a source of pollen, eating this over time will reduce sensitivity to pollen, minimising hay fever symptoms.
Herbal teas
Drinking herbal teas such as ginger, liquorice root, turmeric and green tea, herbal teas have antihistamine properties – so try and incorporate a few of these into your diet, they may just help.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture may be a more intrusive method; however, it has proven effective when helping reduce allergy symptoms. Acupuncture focuses on specific points of the body to target symptoms. By stimulating the release of endorphins and cortisol, inflammation of these areas will be reduced, relieving symptoms.
If you suffer badly, acupuncture treatment will also increase your brain’s sensitivity to pollen, making your histamine response a little bit calmer. It only takes two or three visits to notice a real difference. This will alleviate nasal congestion, reduce sneezing, decrease allergy-related headaches, minimise eye irritation and even boost immunity.
Get ready for spring
Well, spring has sprung so it’s time to prepare for the allergies to kick in! Starting with adding a few extra things into your diet that are rich in antioxidants is the best way to begin. This will control those histamine levels, keeping them to a minimum.
Here are a few supplements we recommend for you to feel your very best this spring:
Book in at The London House of Wellbeing Clinic for an appointment for personalised supplement recommendations/to book an appointment.
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Libby Adler (@foodwithlib):
A food blog by an aspiring nutritionist, food product developer and marketer. Sharing fun, creative content on recipe development, restaurant reviews, cuisine critiquing and health and wellbeing.