Spring has finally sprung and while it’s a time to celebrate warmer weather (and baby animals), for people who suffer from hayfever, it can be a time of dread.
Fortunately, hayfever doesn’t need to be a prison sentence and there are many tools that can help you enjoy the great outdoors while ensuring you get out the door without wearing goggles and a mask!
But first of all, what is hayfever?
It’s technical name is allergic rhinitis which means inflammation of the nose caused by an allergen. These allergens are often due to pollen from trees, grass and hay – but may also be linked to mould, dust or animal dander (the trigger can vary from person to person).
When we breathe in the allergen, whatever it may be, it comes in contact with immune cells in our nostrils and reacts with an immunoglobulin E (IgE) molecule on the surface of these cells. For most of us, a minor reaction occurs – AKA nothing happens and our immune cells stay on the couch.
For people who suffer from hayfever however, their immune cells literally yell – AH! IT’S YOU – and start to party. This overreaction causes histamine to be released which sets off an inflammatory cascade leading to a bunch of symptoms which can range from mild to severe.
- Swelling, congestion
- Watery eyes
- Stuffed ears
- Nasal drip
- Sneezing
- Difficulty breathing
How do we stop the hayfever hoedown?
The first thing to do is to try and identify what’s causing the ruckus.
Once the culprit is pinpointed, it can be avoided and symptoms can be limited.
Trouble is, we can’t always stay inside under the covers – as much as we’d like to! But luckily, there are many tools available that can be helpful when it comes to reducing and limiting symptoms of hayfever.
As histamine is a leading cause for the symptoms of hayfever, the use of pharmaceutical antihistamines is common. However, there are natural antihistamine options that may also be effective…
Vitamin C.
Has been shown to reduce histamine levels in the bloodstream and may reduce symptoms by up to 74 per cent.
Foods high in vitamin C include dark leafy greens, kiwifruit, broccoli, citrus fruits, berries and papayas.
Maritime pine bark.
Inhibits the release of histamine and additionally may improve symptoms of allergic rhinitis by reducing inflammation. Its best results are seen when used for five weeks before allergy season.
Quercetin.
Known for its antioxidant activity, quercetin has potent anti-allergic properties which include inhibition of histamine release and a reduction of pro-inflammatory chemicals that cause hayfever symptoms.
Quercetin is found in high amounts in apples, berries, brassica vegetables, onions, shallots and black tea.
Probiotics.
The ingestion of a variety of different probiotic strains has been shown to reduce symptoms in both children and adults with allergic rhinitis by reducing the allergic responses to a variety of different allergens. In addition to this, a strain used on its own, Lactobaccilus casei, reduced the number of hayfever episodes in preschool children.
This information suggests that supporting the microbiome with a variety of probiotics may be helpful in managing hayfever symptoms, hence foods such as yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi are all worth considering before hayfever season!
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