How to Sail Through Allergy Season!
After a long Winter and April snowstorms, the warmer temperatures, sunshine, longer hours of daylight, and Spring thaw has begun. Guess what that means - more time outdoors!
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, are you equipped with the tools for allergy season so you can enjoy being outside this year with minimal to no symptoms? If you are tired of using antihistamines like Reactine all the time and also don’t want to keep yourselves indoors, the good news is that there can be solutions for symptomatic relief from a naturopathic angle or maybe even help you get to and fix the root cause. Did you know stress can increase your susceptibility to allergies as can low iron? Find out more about allergies and what you can do to prevent them or minimize their symptoms.
Symptoms:
Itchy / Watery eyes
Runny nose (clear discharge)
Nasal and/or sinus congestion
Hives
Itchy skin
Eczema
Hay fever
Headaches
Throat swelling, shortness of breath, swollen tongue (in severe allergies - anaphylaxis)
What Triggers Allergies?
Allergies are mediated by the Th2 immune response that releases cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-13 which promote the production of eosinophils and mast cells that produce histamine (1). Multiple factors can trigger Th2 dominance such as vaccines, chronic infections, birth control pills, and STRESS. Eosinophils which can secrete some histamine or eosinophils can also activate mast cells which are the predominant white blood cell involved in an allergic response releasing histamine.
The Th2 immune response involves the synthesis and secretion of IgE antibodies. Antigens (protein molecules) trigger B cells to make IgE antibodies. Subsequently, these antigens will then bind to the receptors on IgE which then bind to mast cells (basophils and eosinophils to a lesser degree) and trigger the release of histamine and other inflammatory compounds. Histamine is the neurotransmitter or compound that triggers the known allergy symptoms and inflammation. Often the first exposure may not trigger any symptoms but on-going exposures to the antigen will trigger symptoms. Antigenic compounds can only be proteins - pollen, peanut protein, gluten, casein, whey, etc. The skin scratch test done by an allergist looks at introducing the antigen into the skin to see if it reacts with IgE antibodies. A serum IgE test can be offered via an allergist or a naturopathic doctor and looks for IgE in the blood.
Asthma and eczema can sometimes be an allergic response and Th2-mediated known as Atopy.
What are your treatment options?
Antihistamines like Claritin, Reactine, or Allegra will prevent the already released histamine from binding to its receptor on cells to reduce the symptoms. They can be great when you are having an anaphylactic moment (particularly Benadryl). However, the histamine levels in your body will continue to increase.
If you want to prevent the release of histamine from the mast cells, this is where nutritional supplements such as vitamin C, flavonoids, nettle, and quercetin come in. To know the right one for you that is safe with any medications you are taking or even safe in pregnancy / lactation, speak with a naturopathic doctor.
A low histamine diet or even avoiding cross-reactive foods (foods that have a similar protein which will react with the receptor that binds food protein you are allergic to) can help reduce allergies. Often, avoiding foods that cross-react with certain pollens during various times of the year when the pollen is more active (ie-almonds and cherries during birch pollen season if you are allergic to birch pollen).
Steroid nasal sprays or inhalers which can relieve symptoms and suppress inflammation but you can end up with rebound nasal congestion with the nasal sprays or even other side effects of using corticosteroids (cortisone).
IV nutrient therapy with increased vitamin C, glutathione, selenium, zinc and B vitamins can also help to support the immune system and reduce the mast cell respones.
The Naturopathic Approach
Naturopathic doctors will help to find you the best natural symptomatic support like what we discussed above while helping to get to the root cause and see what is triggering the onset of the allergies and Th2 dominance. This could involve looking at areas and correcting things like:
Iron deficiency as low iron can increase your susceptibility to making IgE antibodies
Re-balancing your immune system and down-regulating Th2
Ensuring optimal vitamin D status which helps regulating immune responses
Restoring estrogen-progesterone balance as progesterone can be anti-inflammatory and an absolute or relative increase in estrogen can activate mast cells and trigger allergenic symptoms.
Address gut dysbiosis and/or liver health as these can generate inflammation which can generate Th2 dominance.
Restoring glutathione levels as when reduced glutathione (GSH) is depleted within antigen presenting cells like macrophages, TH1 cytokine production is inhibited favouring TH2 cytokine production and TH2 T-cells. This favours the production of histamine-producing white blood cells and IgE antibodies (2). Of course, addressing why glutathione is depleted such as too much estrogen, inflammation, chronic infections, toxin or mold exposure.
Addressing autoimmune conditions which may trigger a Th2 immune response.
References:
(1) Paul WE, Zhu J. How are Th2-type immune responses initiated and amplified? Nat Rev Immunol. 2010 Apr;10(4):225-235.
(2) Fraternale A, Paoletti MF, Casabianca A, Oiry J, Clayette P, Vogel JU, Cinatl Jr, Palamara AT, Sgarbanti R, Garaci E, Millo E, Benatti U, Magnani M. Antiviral and immunomodulatory properties of new pro-glutathione (GSH) molecules. Curr Med Chem. June 2006;13(15):1749-1755.
