The change in seasons is a favorite time of year for many people, except for those who suffer from pesky and uncomfortable seasonal allergy symptoms. The incidence of airway allergies has risen significantly in recent decades and is estimated to affect around 40 to 60 million Americans, which is a significant number of people! For some, allergies are not only annoying but may impact their overall quality of life and may even interfere with their ability to do their job. Employers might notice an increase in time off requests due to allergy symptoms, and schools may observe that students are sick more often or unable to concentrate and learn to the best of their abilities, all due to the impacts of seasonal allergies.  

So what are allergies exactly? Allergies, or allergic disorders are an abnormal adaptive immune response that occurs when the body responds to a usually harmless substance with the release of histamines. These chemicals are released by the body’s cells and cause the symptoms you might associate with allergies–cold-like symptoms, sneezing, watery eyes, and a stuffy nose. Now, histamines aren’t all bad, in fact they serve important roles in the human body. For instance, they are an important component of stomach acid and help to dilate blood vessels which allows the white blood cells to attack pathogens (a good immune response). It becomes a problem when there is chronic exposure to allergens, as often happens in the springtime, leading to too much histamine release, or a histamine intolerance.

Common Allergy Symptoms

Allergy symptoms can present in many different ways depending on the individual. Some common symptoms include: 

• Congestion
• Post-nasal drip
• Excess mucus production
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Asthma
• Ear infections or tickle/irritation in the ears
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Scratchy throat
• Exhaustion and sleep disorders
• Mood swings/irritability
• Hives/eczema/skin rashes

A strong immune system is key to fighting seasonal allergies and decreasing the severity of your symptoms, which means that identifying dietary changes, lifestyle choices, and supplement options that boost your health is essential for managing your allergy symptoms.

Dietary changes

As you read, allergy symptoms are a result of the histamine release that occurs when you are exposed to a potential trigger or allergen. It is possible to manage histamine levels by following a low histamine diet and choosing to potentially limit foods that are rich in naturally-occurring histamines. Ideally, your goal should be to be able to consume the widest and most nutrient dense diet possible while potentially avoiding foods that increase uncomfortable symptoms and lead to bodily distress. Some may find that they feel better during allergy season if they choose to consume low histamine foods and that they don’t necessarily need to follow this strict diet throughout the rest of the year, though everyone’s body will respond differently.

Foods that are naturally high in histamines include:

• Red wine and beer
• Fermented foods including kombucha, vinegar, and sauerkraut
• Avocados
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Aged cheeses
• Cured/smoked meats and fish
• Green and black tea

Anti-inflammatory and Low Histamine Foods

If you do choose to follow a low histamine diet, you will likely benefit from consuming more anti-inflammatory and low histamine foods including:

• Local, fresh honey
• Cooked (not cured) meat, poultry, and fish 
• Pasture-raised eggs
• Fresh fruits and vegetables (except corn, eggplants, and those listed above)
• Coconut oil, ghee, or grass-fed butter for cooking
• Spices like turmeric and ginger

Lifestyle changes

When it comes to managing seasonal allergies, there are some important lifestyle changes you can implement to make your environment more allergy-friendly:

• Limit outdoor exposure on high pollen days if possible. By following this recommendation, you will lower your exposure to potential allergens. If you are unable to limit your exposure, experiment with wearing a face covering and light sleeves to limit skin contact with pollen. 
• Drink 8 to 10 glasses of fresh water a day to stay hydrated. Adequate hydration can help to flush toxins from your body, along with assisting many other important body processes. 
• Shower before bed to prevent pollen or other allergens from worsening symptoms overnight.

Supplementation for Seasonal Allergy Relief

Once you’ve adjusted your lifestyle and dietary choices, you can then move on to utilizing supplements to find relief from those uncomfortable allergy symptoms. Although supplements can be a great option in most cases, to really decrease allergy symptoms it’s best to start supplementation 4-6 weeks prior to allergy season or typical onset of symptoms. This allows your body to boost its immune function and build up its nutrient stores before the allergies strike, making you more equipped to fight them off.

• Quercetin. Quercetin is a flavonoid that is naturally found in many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It has significant antioxidant properties that support vascular and immune cell function, and helps to decrease the amount of histamine released from cells. 
• Probiotics. Probiotics support the microbiome in maintaining a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria. The microbiome is extremely sensitive to any changes, and an imbalance in the gut can stimulate a strong allergy reaction. Research has shown that the presence of beneficial bacteria in the gut has been linked to reduced allergy incidence, which is great support for the use of probiotics
• Raw, unfiltered local honey. Consuming local honey may not provide immediate relief of allergy symptoms, but may help decrease your sensitivity to local allergens like pollen in your area. Raw honey contains quercetin, as well as the bee pollen from your local flowers and bee propolis all of which work to strengthen your immune system and decrease allergy sensitivities.

Finding relief from seasonal allergies can feel frustrating and time consuming. By making the appropriate dietary, lifestyle, and supplement choices you may find you’ll start feeling better in no time.

Interested in taking this a step further with individualized nutrition, lifestyle and supplement guidance from one of our experienced practitioners?

Emily Alexander, M.Ed, FNTP—Emily is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with Curated Wellness. She is passionate about supporting others in their journey to improve their relationship with food and their body through gentle nutrition, and is a firm believer that understanding the bio-individual components of nutrition is one of the best ways to do so. Emily completed her Master’s of education in health education and promotion with a concentration in eating disorders, and draws from both her educational background and life experience to help her clients improve their energy, understand their bodies, boost their athletic potential, and break down diet myths one at a time. Read more about Emily.

The information presented on this website is intended for educational purposes only. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any specific condition or disease, nor is it medical advice and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise. Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health conditions or concerns. One should always consult a qualified medical professional before engaging in any dietary and/or lifestyle change or new health program. Curated Wellness does not take responsibility for any health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content.