Spring is a time when plants come back from winter slumber and begin to bloom again. However, with their return comes pollen. For many of us that means allergies and hay fever that result in nasal congestion and watery eyes. Using antihistamines brings some relief, although that relief is typically accompanied by a foggy brain. So what are seasonal allergies and how can they be stopped?
What is an allergic reaction?
It is a result of your body’s immune system reacting to what it feels is a foreign and unwanted substance. Immune cells, more commonly referred to as white blood cells, are found in areas of your body where there is exposure to foreign substances, like the nose and lungs. They encounter the foreign substance–such as pollen–triggering a release of inflammatory cytokines and interleukins which start the protective inflammatory response of the body. The inflammatory response can include a runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes. This response is the way the body attempts to get rid of an unwanted substance.
Why does this happen?
At first you may think that you have just been born with bad luck that will result in having allergies for your whole life, but let’s look deeper at the cause. One area where the body comes into contact with a large amount of foreign substances is the digestive tract. It also turns out that the digestive tract contains close to 50 percent of the immune system of the body, in the form of Peyer’s patches. Medical research has been shown that in order to get allergies or hay fever, one must first have an allergic reaction in the gut which will activate the immune system in the gut. The gut immune system then communicates with the rest of the immune system by making it highly reactive to any additional exposure to foreign substances, such as pollen or dust.
Therefore, it stands to reason that the way to stop allergic reactions would be to modulate the immune system in the gut first. To do that, one should eat a clean diet that would include vegetables, rice, cooked grains, fruits, and a lot of water for a week or two. Stay away from fried foods, sodas, simple carbohydrates, such as chips, and candy during this time. It is also advisable to get a good night’s rest during this time. To quiet down or modulate the immune system and provide it with the immune support it needs, the best supplements would be an alpha glucan, which is the fastest acting immune modulator. You should also consider taking additional vitamin D, which also has an immune modulating effect on the white blood cells. ImmPowerD3 combines AHCC immune boosting support with vitamin D, making it a great option for maintaining immune health.
These simple actions can result in quick allergy relief and keep your immune system strong, but not capable of overreacting, making your hay fever more like spring fever.
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