Somewhere along the line, we started believing that seasonal allergies were normal (perhaps it was the endless bombardment of allergy drug commercials), and that they are something that an individual is going to have to live with for the rest of their life, while medicating themselves. Seasonal allergies are far from normal, and the fact that they are so common means that many do not have an optimally functioning body.
Here are some tips for beating allergies this and every spring without relying on pill popping:
- Avoid histamine containing foods, these are foods that have been aged and fermented – beer, alcohol, cheeses, pickles, sausage, etc.
- Eat more anti-inflammatory foods – fresh produce, fish and nuts (And less sugar, grains, and processed foods)
- Drink more water! – Research shows that staying well hydrated helps relieve allergy symptoms
- Drink green tea – The antioxidants in green tea block histamine production and reduce inflammation
- If you must pop pills – Vitamin C and Quercetin are potent natural antihistamines
- Get adjusted regularly – A proper functioning nervous system is essential to conquering allergies.
You may be thinking, how can chiropractic help allergies? Well, your body’s lack of ability to properly adapt to the changing environment is what we label as a seasonal allergy. After all, everyone breathes the same ragweed pollen, yet everyone does not have seasonal allergies. The difference is not the pollen, the difference is how our bodies react to the pollen. An allergic response happens when the body’s immune system overreacts to allergens such as dust, pollen, pet dander, etc. The response is that the body overproduces neutralizing chemicals such as histamines to correct the problem.
Chiropractic care aims to have your nervous system functioning at an optimal level by removing irritation and misalignments of the spine- so that the body will not overreact to foreign substances (like pollen). Traditional allergy treatments only deal with the symptom without addressing the cause. Anyone who has taken allergy medication knows that it will work for a period of time and then its effect will gradually begin to decrease.
*From personal experience – My allergies in the spring time were nearly debilitating, and I went the standard pharmaceutical route – prescription antihistamines, eyedrops, you name it… nothing helped. And then, I went to Chiropractic School, started getting adjusted on a regular basis, and I haven’t touched a Claritin or Allegra pill since.
References:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/seasonal-allergies-treatment/
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/7-ways-to-beat-allergies-naturally.html
