The immune system is designed to fight harmful "invaders" like bacteria and viruses. Sometimes our immune system regards a harmless substance such as tree or grass pollen as an invader and tries to destroy it. This attack is called an allergic reaction or, in layman terms, hay fever.

The allergic symptoms that we're familiar with (stuffy, runny nose; red, itchy and watery eyes, swollen eyelids; Itchy mouth, throat, ears, and face) are direct signs that the immune system is trying to destroy these harmless substances.

The body cannot differentiate between the immune reaction caused by pollen and the stress put on the immune system from infection. That is why seasonal allergies can cause added discomfort for people with autoimmune disease.

Tips to deal with seasonal allergies naturally:

1. Consume foods with properties that help stop the production of histamines - which cause allergy symptoms such as runny nose and watery eyes

• Apples - have a high concentration of anti-inflammatory flavonoids such as Quercetin. Quercetin stops the production and release of histamines
• Other vegetables, nuts and grains rich in Quercetin include:

• Spirulina -- a type of blue-green algae which also stops the release of histamines
• Vitamin C (2,000 - 5,000 mg per day) - has antihistamine properties that help reduce allergy symptoms. It can also provide additional protection against the effects of air pollution and smoke
• Bee pollen - eating bee pollen is like getting vaccinated. When you put a small amount of bee pollen from local flower pollens (the irritant) into your body, your immune system builds immunity against it. This will make the immune system less and less sensitive to the pollen, grasses and trees and "ready" to handle any of those substances in larger quantities the next time it comes into contact with them

2. Use a neti pot to flush out clogged up nasal passages and get rid of any irritants such as pollen that have made their way into your nose. I use a ceramic neti pot. I boil some water and wait for it to become warm. Then I add ¼ teaspoon of Celtic sea salt and stir until the salt is completely dissolved. 

3. Use hot water compresses to soothe your eyes - I do this trick at least twice a day every day. Use a clean face towel. Run some hot tap water over a part of the face towel. Note that the water can be as hot as you can handle but be careful not to scald yourself. Place the towel over your eyes. Make sure your eyes are closed when you do so. The hot water compress will help your eyes produce good quality tears, increase circulation and reduce swelling

4. Certain foods can also cause allergy symptoms. It has been my experience that removing some of the common allergens from the diet helps dramatically in supporting your immune system during allergy season. If you are interested in making dietary changes to help alleviate not only your allergy symptoms but also the symptoms associated with your auto-immune disease, I invite you to contact me at rana@live-healthfully.com