Glazed-over, itchy, watery eyes. Sneezing. Coughing. Stuffy nose. Congestion. Sound familiar? A feeling of hopelessness emerges when you realize that with each season this invisible monster is just lurking around the corner. When it arrives, there is nothing you want to do more than to take a hose to the inside of your head to clear out all that junk, right? But there are alternative, less drastic approaches.
You may be someone who has always dealt with allergies, or may be new to that world. Whichever the case, it’s never too late or too early to take preventative measures by either totally eliminating the chance of irritation or to shorten the duration and severity.
While allergies have multiple causes, they are simply a hypersensitive immune reaction to an irritant that is generally not harmful, but rather a normal substance in our environment. A key factor for fighting those pesky seasonal allergies that drag us down is to look at your immune function. The possibility that systemic yeast overgrowth can be the underlying factor can make this happen. Yes, I realize that “yeast” is a word generally associated with yeast infections or jock itch, but extensive research has shown that yeast overgrowth can weaken the immune system. This then opens the flood gates for allergies, asthma, food sensitivities, skin problems and other related health issues. This overgrowth is directly related to gut health.
Simply put, when the gut is affected, it can trigger an immune response that cascades into several health problems. Overuse of antibiotics, processed foods and chemical toxins can cause an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in your digestive tract. This upset in the ratio of bacteria allows the normal yeast to grow out of control eventually compromising our immune system.
A typical response to allergies is rush to the grocery store to purchase nose sprays, antihistamines, and decongestants. Although these items may provide temporary relief, they can also cause side-effects like drowsiness – without getting to the cause. So before spending your money on expensive over the counter products, consider that yeast overgrowth and a weakened immune system may need to be addressed.
As with other health-related problems, a way to take control is balanced nutrition and natural support for internal health. Eating a predominantly anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich diet will boost your immune system.
Foods rich in antioxidants that are great for the summer time are beets, carrots, spinach, kale, mangoes, cantaloupe, berries, and papaya. To help promote a healthy gut and cut down on yeast overgrowth, try a pharmaceutical-grade probiotic. My top choices and what I offer my patients are OrthoMolecular Product’s probiotic and Integrative Therapeutic Inc.’s probiotic. In conjunction with acupuncture and a lymph drainage massage, this can elevate immune function. Inflammatory foods that you want to avoid because they are mucus producing and promote yeast overgrowth are refined sugars, dairy, wheat (gluten), and processed foods.
Now, we may not be able to take a hose to our head, but the closest thing to that is the Neti-pot. Using luke-warm, PURIFIED water with a saline solution is a phenomenal rinse for your sinus cavities. This rinse will help clear up that congestion, unless you are fighting a sinus infection with excess mucus. In that case, ask your physician to differentiate allergies or sinus infection. Adding a little colloidal silver (a natural anti-bacterial) to your Neti-pot will help kill the bacterial infection.
A few of my top products to naturally help alleviate some of the symptoms that come with allergies are:
- Sinusin and Luffeel nasal sprays by Heel Biotherapeutics
- D-Hist non-drowsy antihistamine by OrthoMolecular Products
- Sinucomp congestion tablets by Integrative Therapeutics
Start building up your immune system and don’t be afraid to go outside this summer. I think I’m going to begin by making myself a spinach and kale salad with walnuts and antioxidant-rich fruit!
Dr. Jason Wibbenmeyer is a physician of natural health, practicing chiropractic, homeopathic and Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and clinical nutrition. For additional resources and/or to contact Dr. Wibbenmeyer, please visit www.innovativehp.com
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