Itchy/Watery eyes, Scratchy throat, and Constant Sneezing!
Do these symptoms sound familiar? Hayfever is a common illness that embodies all of these symptoms. Itchy skin, hives, sneezing and a runny nose are all quite unpleasant.
Hayfever and Histamine – They can ruin your summer!
Histamine is the chemical responsible for these symptoms. It is released in our bodies as part of the inflammatory process. Traditional medicine uses anti-histamines to try and control the symptoms. However your body can have raised histamine levels overall. Here are some tips to help during hayfever season:
- Wear wraparound sunglasses to help prevent pollen from entering your eyes
- Smear Vaseline or beeswax just under your eyes and inside your nostrils to prevent the pollen travelling further into your body
- Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk when the pollen rises and then falls
- Keep a note of when your symptoms are worse. You may notice a trigger or pattern
- Eating 1tsp of raw local honey daily during hayfever season can lessen your symptoms
- Taking a zinc supplement can help as histamine and zinc are on a ‘see-saw’. If one is high, the other is low.
Are your histamine levels raised all year?
Certain foods can increase these levels: alcohol/ cured meats/ shellfish/ chocolate
Some foods actively release stored histamine into the bloodstream: citrus fruit/ strawberries/ kiwi/ pineapple/ food additives like nitrates, sulphites and sulphur dioxide
Some foods block DAO (Diamine Oxidase) which removes excess histamine from the system: alcohol/ black tea/ Rooibos tea/ green tea
Some foods decrease histamine levels: capers/ radish greens/ watercress/ dill/ coriander/ fennel tops/ carob/ kale/ red pepper/ red onion/ radicchio/ apples
Homeopathic remedies can help ease the symptoms of hayfever as well as balancing the whole system. I also offer my Hayfever Prevention Programme. This starts in the winter months to help prepare the body for the following summer hayfever symptoms. It is safe for children and adults.
