Do You Suffer From Hayfever or Sinus Congestion?

Many people suffer in silence from allergies but allergies are not something that you simply have to put up with!
It is possible to manage your allergies naturally. Common allergy symptoms include sneezing, sinus congestion, itchy eyes, persistent cough, wheezing, asthma, headaches, and skin disorders such as eczema. If you have allergies, as well as looking at symptom relief, the underlying causes such as immune imbalances or nutritional deficiencies need to be addressed in order to give you long term relief. The most common causes of hayfever and many other allergies is an imbalance with the microflora in the intestines; dysfunction with the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and/or leaky gut syndrome. Other common causes of allergies include reacting to certain foods, food additives and pesticides, grasses and pollens, dust mites, and chemicals in personal products and cleaning products. However these factors are usually only an issue when there are imbalances in the gastrointestinal system to begin with.

I believe, this is why we are now seeing an increased amount of adults and children suffering from ‘allergies’ – due to poor diet and lifestyle factors resulting in gastrointestinal imbalances. This is a concern if these imbalances are ignored and only the ‘symptoms’ are treated (e.g. with suppressive medications for hayfever and sinus problems) and the underlying causes are not addressed – as this may put the sufferer at a much greater risk of more serious health problems down the track.

As the great Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners have stated for thousands of years – Most disease begins in the gut! (Well, they actually say ‘All’ disease, but I beg to differ as I think some diseases begin in the mind from years of unhappiness, anxiety, grief or other emotional or mental imbalance or from toxin exposure…….but we’ll save that for another day!).

Herbs and Nutrients to Manage Allergies Naturally
Allergies are caused by an immune imbalance so while there are many pharmaceutical medications available for hayfever and sinusitis that may help to reduce your symptoms – they will not address the underlying cause. There are a number of herbs and nutrients that may help to manage your symptoms of allergies naturally, as well as rebalancing your immune function. For symptomatic relief, Essential oils such as eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender and thyme used in a sinus spray can often provide relief from nasal and sinus congestion. Other herbs that may be beneficial in the symptomatic relief of hayfever and sinusitis include Perilla frutescens, Atractylodes lancea, Albizia lebbeck and the bioflavonoid, Quercetin. These should be available as one formula from your naturopath (to save you having to buy each herb separately).

The natural remedies above can be great for the symptomatic relief of hayfever and sinus but please remember these treatments would not be addressing the underlying imbalance in your gastrointestinal system. It may be OK to take them while you are addressing the underlying causes to your problems – but, like any medication that only offers symptomatic relief, you shouldn’t rely on it forever. To prevent disease in the future, you shouldn’t ignore the signs and symptoms that your body is providing to you to let you know there are underlying imbalances. It’s always best to assist your body to heal and repair by addressing the causes of your symptoms.

Depending on the individual needs of my clients, some of the treatments I have used to address their underlying gut imbalances have included high-quality probiotics, especially one containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG®); and formulas that contain glutamine and specific Immunoglobulins that can be beneficial in the treatment of gastrointestinal problems plus Arabinogalactans, zinc and vitamin C.

If you suffer from hayfever or sinusitis, I recommend that you make an appointment with me or your naturopath to find out what the underlying cause to your hayfever is and the best treatment for ‘You’ rather than trying to treat yourself based on generic information.

What Are You Putting Into Your Body?
Common food allergies include gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, and corn. If you find your allergies flare up after eating any of these foods or your diet contains a lot of these foods, you may benefit from a hair test or a blood test to identify food intolerances, or an elimination diet. An elimination diet involves avoiding certain foods or food groups and then reintroducing them and monitoring allergy symptoms. If you lack the time or motivation to do an elimination diet, testing may be a more suitable option. Talk to your naturopath to see if you would benefit from testing for food intolerances or an elimination diet.

These days a lot of our food contains high levels of preservatives, additives and pesticides that can all impact on our immune systems and contribute to allergies. Think about introducing organic foods to your diet. Organic foods not only taste better, they contain higher levels of nutrients which can be beneficial to your overall health.

How To Manage Your Allergy Symptoms
To help balance your immune system and help you manage your allergy symptoms, follow these simple recommendations:

• Talk to your naturopath about identifying and treating the underlying causes to ‘your’ allergies.
• Consider a natural supplement for allergy relief.
• Avoid any foods that are known allergens.
• Increase your fruit and vegetable intake, particularly those bright in colours as they contain high levels of antioxidants and nutrients.
• Avoid processed and refined foods that may contain preservatives and additives.
• Drink at least 2 litres of filtered water per day to keep the body well hydrated.

Call our office today or your naturopath and start managing your allergies naturally.
Online and Clinic Consultations can be arranged to discuss the best treatment for your allergies.
Pathology tests to identify the underlying causes of your allergies can be organized for both our online and clinic clients.

Yours In Great Health,

Sar Rooney BHSc., ND., DC., DASc., GDSc. (Hons), MATMS, MNHAA, MHATO

Naturopathic Medicine Practitioner, Lecturer, Researcher

Earth Medicine ^TM

Web: www.EarthMedicine.com

Email: [email protected]

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Helping you achieve optimal wellness, hormonal balance and disease prevention with personalised, professional naturopathic health care, clinical pathology testing and high-quality herbal medicines and supplements 

Sar Rooney is a Naturopathic Medicine Practitioner specialising in Anxiety and Depression |Women’s Health| Hormonal Imbalances | Thyroid Disorders | Digestive Health | Genetic Polymorphisms (MTHFR/Pyroluria) | Nutritional Medicine | Optimal Wellness & Disease Prevention 

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Disclaimer: The information provided is not intended to replace medical advice or treatment. Please note: I am not a medical practitioner.