Watery eyes and a sneezy nose are the signals for millions of Americans that their allergies are acting up. To help with understanding allergies and their causes, the Wellness Advisor has prepared this overview of how allergies work and what vitamins and supplements may help alleviate suffering.
What Causes Allergies and Allergic Reactions:
Allergies are caused by an overreaction of the immune system to essentially harmless substances such as dust, pollen, or medications. The immune system mistakes these substances for dangerous invaders and works to destroy them. This type of reaction from the immune system causes allergy symptoms that can affect skin, nose, lungs, digestive organs and blood vessels. Specific symptoms of an allergic reaction may include hives, wheezing, swelling, itching, hay fever (itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose), headache and diarrhea. Some symptoms are more severe, such as difficulty breathing or swelling of the tongue, and require emergency care.
Allergy Severity and Lifestyle Changes:
The changes you make will often depend on the type of allergy and symptoms you have. Most commonly, changes will involve minimizing or reducing exposure to allergens as much as possible. Lifestyle changes may include: avoiding strong soaps and detergents that cause skin irritation, using a vaporizer or humidifier to help relieve hay fever symptoms, avoiding or sealing off damp areas and cleaning bathroom and kitchen surfaces with bleach for mold allergies, dusting often and using a dehumidifier during humid weather for indoor allergens, keeping car windows closed and minimizing outdoor activities when pollen counts are high, and eliminating foods that are not tolerated. Often, an antihistamine is needed to lessen or diminish allergic reactions. Seeking medical attention is necessary for proper allergy diagnosis and treatment.
Nutrition and Allergies:
In addition to allergen avoidance and antihistamines, good nutrition and certain supplements help promote proper immune function and may have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy properties. One potential supplement for allergies is fish oil. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids that may reduce the production of pro-inflammatory compounds linked to aggravating allergy symptoms. Fish oil is also known to possess immune-modulating properties beneficial to the immune system.
The bioflavonoids, quercitron, pycnogenol, and grapeseed have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, or anti-histamine properties. Quercitin is thought to stabilize cell membranes making them less reactive to allergens. Quercitin may help prevent the release of histamine and inhibit formation of inflammatory compounds thus possibly providing benefit in the symptomatic relief of allergies. Pycnogenol may help control hay fever symptoms and act as an anti-inflammatory and antihistamine. Grapeseed has been reported to inhibit the release of inflammatory promoting compounds such as histamine.
Vitamin C’s possible anti-allergy potential is due to this vitamin’s powerful antioxidant capabilities as well as its effects on immunity. The antioxidant properties of vitamin C may help protect the airways against the effects of allergens and irritants in some people. Vitamin C, through its various roles in immune function, may have antihistamine properties.
Before beginning a supplement regimen to treat allergies, see an allergist for proper diagnosis and treatment of allergies and talk to a nutritionally oriented physician, dietitian or nurse practitioner about an appropriate supplement regimen.
