A few weeks ago I posted about my depression/anxiety reactions to seasonal allergies. I figured I could add to that information with some things that I’ve learned that might help other people deal with their allergies more efficiently. Let’s all take a moment to remember that I am not a doctor, and find an appropriately-sized grain of salt to take with the following information, but also let’s celebrate the sharing of experiences so that we all don’t have to make the same allergy mistakes as each other, year after year.
Stuff You Gotta Do:
- Identify allergens. An allergist can help you find out what pollens & other particles you are reactive to, but the one I went to drew the line at food (not including anaphlaxis from severe food allergies or celiac disease, which are kind of in their own categories – as far as who wants to help you with it at the medical center where I currently go for doctors to make me feel stupid about trying to figure out my health problems)
- Get medicated. I take an over-the-counter allergy pill as well as a prescription nasal spray. My goal for improving my health is to not have to take these forever, but if I have to, at least I know I won’t be miserable.
- Avoid making it worse. I’ve found that a lot of things I used to do would make my allergies so much worse. I generally avoid dairy, wheat, and most types of alcohol because I know they have inflammatory effects on my body, which is especially important during allergy season because they amplify the inflammation from allergies. Eat nutritionally awesome food and also get enough sleep. Try to find fun things you can do that won’t make you hate your life.
- Learn more & be prepared. There’s a lot of good information out there, and yes, there’s even an app for that. I love ZYRTEC’s Allergycast iPhone app, also available on Android and accessible on the web, all for free. Knowing the forecasted pollen levels can help you decide if you need extra medication or to hide indoors all fucking day.
- Do some hippie shit. There are all sorts of awesome things you can do that your non-alternative doctor won’t tell you about. Get some raw, local honey and eat some every day. I have a really cool chiropractor who does what is called a Nasal Specific, where she inflates a little balloon inside all 10 of my nasal passages, one at a time, to expand them and reduce congestion. You can also get a neti pot and add eucalyptus oil* to the solution, as well as take a daily Allergy Bomb*. My friend Cassidy who is a Young Living consultant (here’s her educational site) hooked me up with a dropper bottle full and some veggie capsules, and I’ve noticed that my eyes feel not itchy after I take it. (*some people may not react well to certain oils, so dip a toe before you jump all the way in.)
- Take probiotics. There are studies coming out showing that peanut allergies are caused by the absence of certain gut bacteria. Cultivating good gut germs not only helps with processing allergens and foods more efficiently, but also with production & transfer of happy brain chemicals. (Remember to keep your sugar and fake sugar consumption to a minimum, as they both have negative effects on beneficial gut bacteria.)
There are probably tons of other great stuff that you can do to combat seasonal allergies that I don’t have time to list right now, so don’t give up on not feeling shitty. One last thing to remember: After the Spring allergy season dies down, there is another pollen bloom in the Fall (as early onset as August, to as late as October) that will fuck your shit up if you’re not ready for it. Thanks for reading, please add your allergy-fighting tips & tricks to the comment section!