Hayfever Symptoms and Histamine
If you suffer from hayfever symptoms or the effects of histamine, then keep reading…
Do itchy or watery eyes, Scratchy throat, and Constant Sneezing cause you constant discomfort?
Hayfever is a common illness that embodies all of these symptoms. Itchy skin, hives, sneezing and a runny nose are all quite unpleasant.
Hayfever symptoms and Histamine can ruin your summer!
Histamine is the chemical responsible for these symptoms. It’s released in our bodies as part of the inflammatory process. Traditional medicine uses antihistamines to try and control the symptoms. However, your body can raise 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 from 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 and chocolate.
Some foods actively release stored histamine into the bloodstream: citrus fruit, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, and 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.
