Spring and summer are some of the best seasons to get outside and enjoy nature’s bounty. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, however, you may have some reservations about stopping to smell the roses along the way. Allergies can creep up on you slowly as you age, or you may have been suffering from typical allergic symptoms for many years (such as sneezing, itchy eyes, skin rashes, and so forth). There are plenty of over-the-counter medicines to help with the symptoms caused by seasonal and year-round allergies. But, if you are tired of medicating, perhaps it is time to try some natural allergy treatments.
Here are a few considerations to help deal with your allergies:
Beware of pollen and allergens on your body
Wearing the same clothing day in and day out can cause you to re-introduce the allergens that cause you problems. It is a good idea to wash your articles of clothing – shirts, pants, socks, even shoes! – often to limit the amount of possible allergy-causing particles from getting into your system. Bathing or showering frequently can also help keep these allergens at bay, especially during days of the year when pollen or molds can wreak havoc with your sinuses.
Healthy food choices
The saying “you are what you eat” has always had some degree of truth to it. If you are consuming foods that may be high in sugar and low in nutrients, this may precipitate negative effects in the long term. Allergies – and even the predisposition to allergic responses – may be triggered by some of the foods we eat. Therefore, if you choose to provide your body with healthier options, you will increase the likelihood of seeing positive improvement in the way your body reacts.
One of the principles that Naturopathic medicine adheres to is the concept of the body’s incredible ability to heal itself. And with the right ‘fuel’ (good nutrients, lower allergenic foods, and so forth), you may help your body to decrease the symptoms experienced from allergies.
Reduce or eliminate over the counter medicines
Allergies can cause you to lose sleep, experience digestive issues, and create anxiety. While over-the-counter medicines can offer a quick fix for some of the symptoms, they may not provide you with a long-term solution. And while reliable, they may also foster a sort of dependence in order to minimize or avoid the symptoms, or may have unwanted or unintended side effects associated with their use. Making the choice to help restore your optimal health involves introducing therapies that not only work to alleviate the discomfort associated with allergies, but can eliminate the need for these OTC medications. This in turn can be beneficial in helping your body to restore its balance and function.
Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT)
One of the best, and perhaps the most long-term solution for allergies would be to retrain your immune system to stop reacting to these allergen exposures. The first step is analyzing which environmental or food allergens your immune system may be susceptible to (known as a Reactive Allergy Skin Test, or RAST). Once the allergens have been determined, a serum is compounded that helps your immune system to de-escalate its response over time. This formula is administered under the tongue once daily for several months – hence the name “Sublingual Immunotherapy”, or SLIT.
This process is similar to what an allergy specialist would use, with an added treatment to desensitize your immune system. (It is noteworthy that only environmental allergens can be treated with SLIT – desensitization of food allergies is not permissible).
Here is an example of the test that a colleague of Dr. Schlee’s conducted on him for his allergies:
The future of your health is in your hands. Contact Calgary’s Naturopathic clinic to see what is available for treating your allergies or other health concerns!
