The great hay fever challenge!

As much as spring is one of the prettiest seasons in Melbourne and other states, all those delightful blossoms can be a serious health challenge.

Itchy, watery eyes, scratchy throat, sneezing, running nose, headaches, hives… an exhausting list of symptoms. And of course, with COVID restrictions our only main option for exercise is outside.

However, there are many measures we can take to decrease or prevent symptoms. I know this sounds slightly bizarre, but placing a little dob of aloe vera gel into each nostril can help prevent pollens adhere to nasal lining. Okay that is pretty basic, more sophisticated treatment encompasses the following.

Herbal medicine. There are many herbs which raise our threshold to being reactive to external allergens. Specifically, Baical Skullcap, Albizia, Terminalia, ginger, black pepper all help reduce major symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis, including sneezing, nasal congestion and runny noses.

Vitamin C. Particularly the bioflavonoids quercetin and bromelains. These enzymes inhibit histamine release, decrease mucous production and decrease inflammation. They also assist with increasing immune tolerance by improving helper T cell production which is associated with allergic desensitization and the production of antibodies.

Probiotics. There are two species of probiotics which are immune modulating and reduce the occurrence of allergy symptoms. Specifically, Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG) and Lactobacillus paracasei (LP-33) These species interact with lymphoid tissue (GALT) in the gut and stimulate the production of regulatory T cells and promotes a shift towards an enhanced anti-inflammatory response.
A double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled trial on 425 subjects with allergic rhinitis compared the effects of Lactobacillus paracasei or placebo over a five-week period.
Results illustrated that the L.paracasei group demonstrated significant improvements in their Rhinitis Quality Of Life (RQLQ) score as well as a reduction in nasal and ocular symptoms.

Zinc. This mineral, which is a very common deficiency amongst Australians is crucial for a healthy, responsive immune system. Zinc stimulates the production of natural killer cells and antibody production. It also supports the healing of the epithelial lining of the gut, (i.e. leaky gut syndrome) which if compromised can allow external allergens to enter the blood stream and create havoc, lowering the threshold of reactivity.