The Art and Science of Managing Allergies

Managing allergies can go well beyond taking a daily antihistamine, which is helpful as some people dislike the side effects of antihistamines. From dietary tweaks to herbs and supplements, to customized prescription immunotherapy to teach the immune system to be less reactive to allergens there are options to help you breathe more freely each season!

I thoroughly enjoyed a few weeks of snow in my typically rain-sodden Vancouver, but before the snow has fully melted I’m already seeing buds on trees start to swell.  And that means that my patients with allergies are about to begin their no-fun seasons of sniffling and sinusitis as the days get warmer and brighter.

The saying goes that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” so while it may feel premature to prepare for allergies now, doing so may help to ease impending symptoms in the next few weeks or months!

Options for Allergy Symptoms

Depending on the nature of the allergies themselves – the triggers (tree, weed, or grass pollens, cats or dogs, dust mites, or moulds) and the symptoms experienced (watery eyes or nose, itchy eyes or palate, sinus congestion, asthma, skin reactions) there are natural options for managing allergies, including specific herbs and nutrients that are typically helpful and make the offending months more bearable.

Herbs for Allergies

Eyebright (Euphrasia officianalis) is a classic herb for irritated eyes and other allergy symptoms. This could be due to some of the anti-histamine flavonoids that are naturally found in this beautiful herb.

Nettles (Urtica dioica) while painful on the skin while fresh, have a long history of use for allergic conditions. Despite causing inflammation and irritation on the skin, medicinally nettles contain anti-inflammatory compounds that can ease the discomfort of seasonal allergies.

Ginger (Zingiber officianalis) is another anti-inflammatory food that can be helpful for allergies. Particularly if there is nasal congestion, try ginger tea in which your breathe in the steam before sipping.

The list of potential herbs for helping you manage your allergies is far more extensive, and a custom formula tailored to the individual is usually most effective.

Immunotherapy To Retrain The Immune System

Immunotherapy is an option for some people, either in the form of allergy shots (SubCutaneous ImmunoTherapy or SCIT administered by an MD in their office) or a liquid taken under the tongue (SubLingual Immunotherapy or SLIT administered by the patient in their home).  Both operate on the same principle:  a very small amount of the actual antigen delivered to the body either under the skin every week, or under the tongue every day, that exposes the immune system to the trigger at a level too low to cause a reaction.

Over time (LOTS of time, 3-5 years usually!) the immune system gets accustomed to having that antigen around and is re-trained to no longer react to it. 

Early on in the treatment patients report needing fewer doses of antihistamines, and then a year or two later maybe only needing them if really up close and personal with their allergens (having a picnic on a lawn mown that morning, for example). Eventually they no longer need the antihistamine at all.

Some maintenance may be required to prevent the immune system from lapsing into its old over-reactive ways – a few months of pre-season treatment with no continuous year-round use – but for the most part previous allergy sufferers are free to mow the grass, scratch the ears of a friendly pet, and breathe deeply and comfortably all year round.

A Holistic Approach To Allergy Management

Since the immune system is so complex the best approach to managing allergies is usually a multifactorial one. While subtle dietary tweaks and helpful herbs may be enough for some patients, many require a stronger and more enduring intervention to help make each season of each year increasingly allergy-symptom-free.