Itchy, Scratchy, Sneezy and Watery!
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 and 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 generalised raised histamine levels. 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 alleviate the symptoms of hayfever as well as balancing the whole system. Get in touch if you want to know more about my Hayfever Prevention Programme. This starts in the winter months to help for the following summer symptoms.
