Hayfever and allergies can disrupt your life and standard treatments can make things worse. Fortunately there are effective natural remedies to combat the sneezes this spring and summer.
Instead of looking forward to running through fields of spring flowers are you fearing the coming of spring? Do clogged sinuses and seemingly endless sneezing bouts cloud your days? If so, you are not alone. Thirty-three per cent of Australians suffer allergies. If you experience spring hayfever then it is most likely due to tree pollens. If you are a summer sneezer then your problem is probably with grasses and weeds. Regardless of when it happens the symptoms are the same and they can be debilitating, so here are some ways to combat your snuffles this spring and summer.
The histamine factor
The classic allergic reaction starts when a foreign substance such as pollen, dust, animal dandruff or food enters the body. If you are sensitive to that substance, then your body produces a specific type of antibody known as IgE. This IgE attaches to the invading substance and then to specialised immune cells known as “mast cells” and “basophils”. These mast cells then release histamine, which causes blood vessels to leak and the airways to contract.
These effects of histamine are designed to be helpful. Yet in oversensitive individuals you get unpleasant symptoms that will vary depending on the location of the mast cell. In the nasal passages (as in hayfever), the fluid moving out of the blood vessels causes congestion and sneezing to try and remove the excess mucus. By blocking histamine pharmaceutical anti-histamines do relieve hayfever symptoms but they can leave you feeling groggy and unable to function. Thankfully, there are natural substances that work without these side-effects.
Natural anti-histamines
 Vitamin C
It is well established that vitamin C is a potent antioxidant and that antioxidants block the action of harmful molecules called ‘free radicals’. When mast cells are exposed to free radicals they become fragile and much more likely to release histamine. Hence antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E and bioflavonoids are useful to protect mast cells and relieve hayfever.
As well as this antioxidant effect, vitamin C reduces production of histamine and stabilizes the walls of mast cells thereby reducing histamine release. Once histamine has been released vitamin C breaks it down and supplementing with vitamin C has been proven to reduce histamine levels in the blood. So vitamin C exerts an overall antihistamine effect without drowsiness.
Quercetin
Bioflavonoids are nutrients commonly found in berries, cherries and vegetables. They help with absorption of vitamin C and also exert antihistamine and anti-inflammatory actions of their own. One particular flavonoid called quercetin has exceptional benefits for allergy sufferers. Quercetin is found in red wine, grapefruit, onions, apples, black tea, and, in lesser amounts, in leafy green vegetables and beans. One recent study (1) reported that quercetin blocks substances involved in allergies and is able to act as an inhibitor of mast cell secretion, causing a reduction in the release of many allergy causing substances from mast cells, including histamine. The authors also make the point that quercetin is a safe therapy that may be used as primary therapy or in conjunction with conventional methods.
Natural nose protection
As well as the natural antihistamines there are a range of natural substances that will help ease your hayfever.
Antioxidants and Omega-3 fats
In one study (2) children with allergies were given either 50iu of vitamin E, 250mg vitamin C or a placebo daily for four months. Those who took the antioxidants experienced a drop in levels of interleukin 6, a marker for inflammation. The airway response was also better in those taking antioxidants. The researchers concluded that the antioxidant vitamins can provide protection against the acute nasal inflammatory response such as in hayfever.
A report from the University of Aberdeen (3) has concluded that a decreasing intake of antioxidants and omega-3 oils has contributed to the rise in allergic conditions we are seeing today. Omega-3 oils such as those found in fish oil exert anti-inflammatory effects that ease hayfever symptoms.
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)
ALA is soluble in both fat and water meaning that it has access to all parts of the body, which is why it is known as the “universal antioxidant”. A trial done on asthmatic mice (4) found that ALA reduced airway constriction and led to lower levels of eosinophils and IgE (both of which are parts of the immune system that contribute to allergy). So supplements of ALA may be a useful adjuvant treatment for allergy sufferers.
Ginkgo
This herb is better known for its ability to boost circulation but it can also help with allergies. Two of the chemicals that contribute to allergic responses in your body are platelet activating factor (PAF) and histamine. One study found (5) found that Ginkgo blocked the effect of both of these chemicals on lung tissue.
 Ancient wisdom in a pot
Although hayfever is on the rise in the modern world, it is a problem that has been around for centuries. One yogic answer to inflamed sinuses that has been around for thousands of years is the Neti Pot. The Neti Pot is a small pot with a spout that is designed to be filled with a salt-water solution to be poured into the nostrils.
Neti Pots have been widely used in India and other parts of Asia. The method of use is to tilt the head and then pour the lukewarm salty water into one nostril such that it will then pass out of the other nostril. Tradition states that after cleansing both nostrils you should then further clean them using a breathing technique wherein you close off one nostril with your forefinger and then exhale heavily through the other nostril. This should be done 10 to 12 times for each nostril.
The Neti Pot treatment is very effective at relieving hayfever if you make it a daily ritual. It helps remove mucus that has built up in the sinuses and also sweeps away potential allergy causing substances. It should be performed every day and of course your Neti Pot must be kept clean to avoid infection.
Hum hayfever away
A final piece of advice not too far removed from the Neti Pot would be to hum. Swedish research (6) has shown that humming dramatically increases the amount of air that you exhale and increases the exchange of air from the sinuses to the nasal passages. This can be of great help in hayfever as mucus build-up in sinuses is at the centre of hayfever symptoms. The research did not suggest what to hum, but perhaps All I Need Is The Air That I Breathe might be a good place to start.
1) Alternative Medicine Review March 2008
2) Clinical and Experimental Immunology Nov 2004
3) J Allergy and Clinical Immunology June 2005
4) J Allergy and Clinical Immunology Aug 2004
5) Shanghai Medical University May 2000
6) Am J Resp and Crit Care Med July 2002
Allergy facts
· Allergies occur in one in three Australians at some time in their lives
· One in five Australians will develop hayfever (allergic rhinitis) or eczema
· Allergies account for around 500,000 sick days per year in Australia
· Allergy is a chronic disease, lasting between 10 - 20 years in most cases
· Health expenditure on allergic disease (including asthma) accounts for approximately 20% of health expenditure in Australia
· Allergy is predominantly a disease of young people in affluent or developing countries
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