hayfever remedies
Britain has one of the highest prevalences for allergies in the world – with 44% of Brits suffering with at least one allergy. With hay fever season in full bloom, here’s a helpful natural approach to allergy-management that I’ve been using myself, and for my children.
We spent one summer, several years ago, flummoxed as to why our eldest daughter (who was then just four), had a continual cold. A streaming nose, mild temperature, sneezing, runny eyes – and unable to shift it. That’s when we realised: it was not a cold – it was hay fever! The misery of the condition, and the symptoms that make it difficult for us to go about our daily lives, such as sneezing, itchiness, breathlessness and wheezing, are caused by the body’s own exaggerated immune response to the natural allergens in pollen. Our white blood cells begin to make more of a substance called histamine, which has an inflammatory response within the body – causing all of the above symptoms.
Traditional treatment is with anti-histamine medicine – to block those natural histamines, and dampen down their effects – and yes, they can be very effective. But they do not treat the root cause – which is why some of us produce more histamines in response to allergens than others (and, indeed, why some of us can deal with cats, dustmites, feathers and pollen without a sniffle, while others are reduced to sobbing wheezing wrecks). A couple of years ago I had the privilege of working with leading integrative medical expert, Dr Andrew Weil, and I grilled him on this very subject (hoping, too, to find some natural relief for my daughter along the way). For the most common ragweed allergy (the most prevalent type of pollen that we Brits encounter through spring & summer), Dr Weil recommends stinging nettle (urtica dioica), in freeze-dried capsule form. Children under twelve can take one capsule a day, whereas adults (12 and over) can take one capsule every two to four hours. Dr Weil also recommended quercetin – a natural bioflavonoid, which is most effective when combined with bromelain (a protein-digesting enzyme, from pineapple). Studies have shown that quercetin may help stabilise the cells that produce histamine, and within a week of us giving our daughter a daily capsule, her symptoms significantly improved (Higher Nature make a good one, as do Neal’s Yard Remedies).
The best thing, however, is to begin taking these natural remedies in winter – to build the body up before the allergy seasons kicks in at all (something to remember next time!). The best foods for natural anti-histamines include apples, yellow peppers, watercress, onions, peas, parsley, thyme, turmeric (which is an incredible anti-inflammatory across the board – at home we all swear by Wild Nutrition Turmaforte Turmeric, £32 (wildnutrition.com), ginger, sweet potato, peppermint and pomegranate. Decreasing dairy intake (but ensuring that good sources of calcium still abound – SO crucial for children), can really help too. I also favour a barrier balm (i.e. a natural version of vaseline – you could try Hay Max Pure, but any thick, natural waxy balm will do the trick), which we smear within the nostril and around the outer edges, to trap pollen and prevent it being inhaled and further irritating the mucous membranes. We also invested in a HEPA Air Filter (ours is made by Vax) which is very effective at filtering out airborne pollen during sleep (particularly in summer, when many of us sleep with windows wide open, and certainly when the neighbours are mowing their lawns!). These natural changes have very much benefited our family, and I do so hope they offer you some relief too.
