Dr. Verma-Dzik is the owner and founder of Ridgefield-based Fairfield Naturopathic Health. A board-certified Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Verma is also a certified medical acupuncturist who practices holistic medicine in the treatment of acute and chronic health conditions.
In this week’s segment, Dr. Verma talks about combatting spring allergies.
The flowers are blooming and spring is in the air. Unfortunately for about 50 million Americans who suffer from allergies, so is pollen. Allergy season, in all its sneezing glory, is in full swing.
For years, I suffered from allergies. Windows were kept closed and if I stepped foot outside it would trigger a series of non-stop sneezing. Today, allergy symptoms are not part of my life. What did it take? Years of healthy eating and cutting down on histamine producing foods. I eat whole foods, follow an anti-inflammatory diet, exercise regularly and get as much sleep as I can.
If you have not had the time to prepare your immune system for the season, there are still things you can do.
Natural medicines and remedies
There are so many natural medicines and supplements that help alleviate hay fever symptoms. The most well known are quercetin, curcumin, bromelain, vitamin C, stinging nettles, and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). These help by inhibiting histamine and are anti-inflammatory. NAC is one of my favorite supplements. When taken with food it helps support liver detoxification. Taken 30 minutes before or after eating, it helps break down the proteins in mucus and enhances our immune system.
Anyone who comes to see me knows I am big on vitamin D. There are so many studies that discuss our white blood cells need for this vitamin. Not only does our immune system benefit from it from an allergy perspective, but also when it comes to cancer prevention.
More studies are emerging about the benefits of herbal medicine. Astragalus membranaceus has been used in China for thousands of years to treat cancer and immune disorders. There has been evidence of its immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, and immune-regulatory effects. Another wonderful herb for inhibiting histamine is butterbur. It works on a cellular level where it inhibits mast cell degranulation, a cell found in the body that releases histamine and other mediators involved in allergies and inflammation.
Similar to allergy shots, you can take the diluted form of an allergen as a homeopathic to become desensitized to a specific allergen. This is another favorite therapy of mine. There are no painful injections, it’s a liquid you can take at home and it has no adverse effects. This can also be safely taken with other allergy therapies for more effective relief.
Other Tips For the Season
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Watch the pollen count and keep your windows closed during those high times. As much as we love fresh air, we want to keep our homes as allergy-free a possible.
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Keep a high-quality air filter in your home. We have an Austin Air in our home, which I love. There are many others to choose from. Allergy Buyers Club offers a wide selection of air filters along with other useful products for allergy sufferers.
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Keep your hair and your dog’s clean. Even if you have a so-called allergy-free dog, the pollen in the air is still sticking to them and it’s being brought into your house and onto you when you’re hugging them.
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Wear sunglasses when you go outside to prevent pollen from sticking to your eyes.
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Flush pollen from your nasal passageways using a neti-pot and you can get more relief from natural nasal sprays, such as XLear, ReBoost or Nasalcrom.
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Take out your essential oil diffuser. Essential oils from basil, eucalyptus, clove and wild mint have been shown to help the immune system and relax the bronchial airways.
These are just a few suggestions. There are many more options you can find that can give you relief from those pesky allergies. Feel free to contact me for more help.
Dr. Veena Verma-Dzik, ND, FIAMA has an office at 20 Prospect Street inside Susi Laura Massage in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Visit here website here.