Natural ways to treat hay fever
Sneezing a lot lately? Itchy throat? Runny nose? Watery, itchy eyes? These are all common symptoms of hay fever. Hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis occurs when your immune system overreacts to normally harmless airborne particles, usually pollen although it can be mould too, causing symptoms such as a runny nose, itching of eyes and nose, and sneezing.
Hay fever can make you miserable, sleeping and concentration could be a problem and your head may feel as if it is full of cotton wool. There are many types of pollen, which are released from spring to autumn and in the UK most suffers are allergic to grass pollen which peaks from early June to mid July.
You can’t avoid pollen but you can limit your exposure to it by checking the pollen forecast and staying indoors with the windows shut on days when it is high. The peak time for pollen is between 7 am and 10 am and 4 pm and 7 pm so spend as little time outside in these hours as possible. If you do go outside change clothes and have a shower to wash away the pollen. You may also want to use natural remedies, like those listed below, to ease your symptoms.
- The herb butterbur (Petasites hybridus) is a shrub-like plant that grows in northern Asia, Europe, and parts of North America. Butterbur is being studied as a natural allergy treatment. Although how butterbur works is still not known, it is thought to work in a similar way to allergy medications by blocking the action of histamine and leukotrienes, inflammatory chemicals involved in allergic reactions. In a study involving 186 people with hay fever, participants took a higher dose of butterbur (one tablet three times a day), a lower dose (one tablet two times a day) or placebo. After two weeks, both the higher and lower dose relieved allergy symptoms compared to the placebo, but there were significantly greater benefits seen with the higher dose. Butterbur is in the ragweed plant family, so people who are allergic to ragweed, marigold, daisy, or chrysanthemum should not use butterbur. (The raw herb as well as teas, extracts, and capsules made from the raw herb should not be used because they contain substances called pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can be toxic to the liver and kidneys and may cause cancer.)
- Quercetin is an antioxidant that belongs to a class of water-soluble plant substances called flavonoids. Although there is still isn’t enough research to conclude that it is effective for hay fever, I have had good results with hay fever patients in the clinic. Quercetin prevents the release of the inflammatory chemical histamine from immune cells called mast cells. Histamine is involved in allergic symptoms such as sneezing and itching. Quercetin is found naturally in certain foods, such as apples (with the skin on), berries, red grapes, red onions, capers, and black tea. Quercetin is also available in supplement form. A typical dose for hay fever is between 200 and 400 milligrams three times a day. (call 0845 88 00 915)
- Carotenoids are a family of plant pigments, the most popular being beta-carotene. Although no randomised controlled trials show that carotenoids are effective treatments for hay fever, a lack of carotenoids in the diet is thought to promote inflammation in your airways. Good sources of carotenoids include apricots, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, kale, butternut squash, and collard greens. (Call 0845 88 00 915 for a good carotenoid complex)
- Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of essential fatty acid that we must obtain through our diet. Research suggests that may they reduce the production of inflammatory chemicals in the body (prostaglandin E2 and inflammatory cytokines). Although there are no randomised controlled trials showing that omega-3 fatty acids are effective treatments for hay fever, there are associations. For example, one German study involving 568 people found that a high content of omega-3 fatty acids in red blood cells or in the diet was associated with a decreased risk of hay fever. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are oily fish, flaxseed oil, and walnuts. The Omega 3 supplement I use in the clinic is Mega EPA which is high dose EPA and DHA and free from contaminants.