Optimum Wellness

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― Sunshine, birds chirping, buds blooming—spring is in the air. But for more than 18 million adults and 7 million children, spring means sneezing, itchy eyes, runny noses and headaches. We're talking hay fever here, also known as allergic rhinitis or seasonal allergies. By the latest count from the government's National Center for Health Statistics, over 14 million people a year visit their physician for hay fever help. Seasonal allergies plague roughly 8.5% of American adults and nearly 10% of American children. While allergic tendencies may be hereditary, seasonal allergies may also indicate a weakened immune system.

People's immune systems react differently when it comes to pollens and grasses. For some people, they cause no problem at all, but for others they act as allergens, triggering a rise in histamine, a substance released by the immune system when it mistakenly thinks something normal (like pollen) is harmful and over-reacts. The miserable drippy, sneezy, itchy symptoms make people instantly want to reach for an antihistamine right away. Antihistamines prevent your body from producing histamine, but these drugs can often cause drowsiness and/or difficulty driving or performing on the job. Other possible negative reactions, though less frequent, include headache and dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and reduced tolerance for contact lenses.

But prevention is always better than treatment, so the best course of action is to strengthen your body's immune system and stabilize the cells that release histamine before allergies begin. If that's not enough, then there are some natural alternatives to typical over-the-counter and prescription medications.

An unhealthy lifestyle with lack of adequate nutrition, exercise and rest can worsen allergic reactions; so can stress. Eliminating common food offenders such as cow's milk, wheat, gluten, eggs, peanuts, soy products, corn, shellfish, and any other known food sensitivities can be a tremendous boost to the immune system and can help the overall health of the individual. True food allergies are a completely different subject that we're not going to address here. Our goal here is to attempt to eliminate common "problem foods" to help optimize immunity before seasonal allergies begin. On that note you also want to avoid fried foods, saturated fats, tobacco, and excess sugars to create a strong immune system

A good theme is to keep it simple in the kitchen. Stay away from "over-condimenting" your foods (salt, ketchup, mustard, sugar, excess seasonings). For some people, honey can be a problem if they are sensitive to the pollen in the honey. Red wine may cause a problem because of the sulfites and the histamine content. Overloading an already challenged respiratory system may be what puts you over the edge. Simplify your meals and don't eat too many different food families at one setting or it may be difficult to determine what is worsening your symptoms. If you know you are allergic to the ragweed family, for example, try avoiding cantaloupe, banana, and watermelon. Those allergic to tree pollens may want to avoid apples, cherries and peaches.

There are a few supplements that act similarly to antihistamine medications and can be helpful both in preventing and treating hay fever. Quercetin is our top recommendation. Quercetin inhibits the production and release of histamine and other inflammatory substances. It is found naturally in apples, onions, and to a lesser degree olive oil, grapes, dark cherries, and dark berries. Vitamin C is also essential (citrus fruit, mango, dark green leafy veggies, bell peppers, tomatoes, berries, kiwi, pineapple). If you are supplementing your diet, typical beneficial doses of vitamin C start at 1 to 3 grams daily taken in divided doses. With quercetin, about 2 grams daily for maintenance or 2 grams every 2 hours for an acute situation and then cut back to the 2 grams daily.

A recent study of 125 people with hay fever found that an extract of and herb called Butterbur was as effective and less sedating than a commonly prescribed antihistamine medication. Butterbur may help decrease excess mucus. To help bring down any inflammation, there are some special herbs including ginger, turmeric, bromelain and Boswellia that have natural anti-inflammatory effects. These are available in tea or capsule forms, but it is important to consult your doctor or someone well versed in herbal medicine before supplementing on your own. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), which grows rampant in the northwest, may also be useful in treating symptoms of hay fever. Nettle leaf can be bought in dried form (capsules or tablets) and a typical dose is 500 milligrams twice daily.

People who are prone to allergies typically require more essential fatty acids. This can be a challenge for vegan vegetarians who don't eat fish. Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like cold water fish, flaxseeds and walnuts can help decrease inflammation in the body. Limiting foods with omega-6 fatty acids found in many oils including corn, safflower, and cottonseed, egg yolks, and meat is also a good idea because they tend to increase inflammation (when out of balance with omega-3's).

Exercise has not been shown to aggravate symptoms of allergies but if you know it is going to be a heavy pollen day, either work out indoors or get your exercise in first thing in the morning (before 7 am!), when pollen counts tend to be at their lowest. The highest counts occur on hot sunny days with light winds and no rain.

You may consider acupuncture as an alternative treatment for your hay fever. Recent evidence showed that acupuncture was as effective as antihistamine therapy in improving symptoms of hay fever and the beneficial effects appeared to last longer. Constitutionally homeopathy is also worth considering. Unfortunately there hasn't been as much research done on specific homeopathic remedies and seasonal allergies. Consult with an expert if you can. One over the counter homeopathic remedy that we do really like is Similisan Allergy Eye Relief Drops, a homeopathic eye drop solution that can really help on the days when your eyes itch and burn.

As you see, there are many alternatives out there and we've just barely scraped the surface. Of course you should do what you can to keep the dust and mold factors minimal on the homefront. Honor yourself where you are and believe that you can and will improve or even conquer your symptoms this year. Remember the things you can control (your diet, exercise, stress) and work from there.

Lifestyle Recommendations:

• Manage stress

• Drink half your body weight in ounces of pure water

• Mild to moderate exercise daily (early in the day)

• Yoga/relaxation exercises

• Acupuncture

• Biofeedback

Dietary Recommendations:

• Reduce and avoid saturated fats

• Avoid foods you're sensitive to

• Reduce and avoid sugar and refined/processed foods, red meat

• Avoid alcohol, MSG, sulfites, and tobacco

• Reduce and avoid fatty, fried, and spicy foods

• Increase salads, cooked vegetables

• Increase fish

• Maintain vegetarian lifestyle

• Cook with ginger


References:

Brinkhaus B, Hummelsberger J, Kohnen R et al: Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized-controlled clinical trial. Allergy. 2004 Sep;59(9):953-60.

R, Joos S, Hahn E, Schuppan D et al: Nettles-an aid to the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Eur Herbal Med. 1997;3(2):34-35.

Otsuka H, Inaba M, Fuikikura T et al: Histochemical and functional characteristics of metachromatic cells in the nasal epithelium in allergic rhinitis: studies of nasal scrapings and their dispersed cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1995;96(4):528-536.

Owen RW, Giacosa A, Hull WE et al: The antioxidant/anticancer potential of phenolic compounds isolated from olive oil. Eur J Cancer. 2000a;36(10):1235-1247.

Schapowal A; Study Group. Treating intermittent allergic rhinitis: a prospective, randomized, placebo and antihistamine-controlled study of Butterbur extract Ze 339. Phytother Res. 2005 Jun;19(6):530-7.

Thornhill SM & Kelly AM. Natural treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis. Alt Med Rev. 2000;5(5):448-454.

(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)