Spring and summer are a joy, unless you’re one of millions who suffer with seasonal allergies. Then it can be a really miserable couple of seasons of sniffling, scratchy throat, coughing, itchy eyes – or the alternative – taking medications that make you sleepy or even more detrimental side effects that can leave you debilitated even further. 

It’s even worse if your allergies trigger your asthma – which is the case for many adults and increasing numbers of children. Evidence shows seasonal allergy rates are rising throughout the world, and especially in urban areas. Here’s what I’ve learned: With the right approach, you can kick your seasonal allergies to the curb for good.

What really causes seasonal allergies?

The dry, itchy eyes and sore throat that come with seasonal allergies are often blamed on high pollen counts. All of the symptoms associated with seasonal allergies are signs of inflammation: redness, swelling, and itching. To get rid of allergies, you have to get rid of inflammation and hyper-reactivity. Where do you start:
The place to start is in your gut.

While the connection between your gut and seasonal allergy symptoms might not be instantly obvious, healing your gut is the first step to waving your seasonal allergies goodbye.

The Gut and Allergy Connection

While the connection between your gut and seasonal allergy symptoms might not be instantly obvious, healing your gut is the first step to waving your seasonal allergies goodbye. Let’s take a closer look.

One of the major jobs of your digestive system is to provide an interface between the external world (foods, allergens, bacteria, etc.) and your bloodstream. It does this in the stomach by using natural digestive acids to break down potentially allergenic proteins and in the intestines via a layer of barrier cells that prevents these proteins from getting into your bloodstream. You also have a whole host of special bacteria in your gut, as well as immune cells, whose job it is to break down and get rid of proteins and other molecules that can cause you to get sensitized to them, leading to gut – and systemic – inflammation.

What causes your gut to become inflamed?

Many lifestyle habits and food choices can weaken your gut lining over time, making you more prone to inflammation and allergies. Here are a few examples:

• Acid reflux medication, such as proton-pump inhibitors. When you are taking medications for reflux (like a PPI such as Prilosec) this takes out the first line of defense – your stomach acid.
• Food sensitivities. When your gut barrier gets weakened from chronic exposure to foods that irritate your gut, you’re more likely to experience inflammation.
• Antiobitics. When the good gut bacteria get out of balance from antibiotics, you can develop a leaky gut.

Foreign proteins get into your system and place your body on red alert to react to many harmless triggers in your environment such as tree pollen.

So the first step to quieting down your body’s over reactivity is to heal your gut. This will reduce both seasonal allergies and common food sensitivities (bonus!).

Come to our next free seminar on April 23rd here at our office:
“Allergies:Food/Seasonal – How To Treat Them Naturally”

You will get a free mini-evaluation that night!!
We want to see you thrive this allergy season…not just survive!!

Call the office to reserve your seat. Hope to see you soon and have a great weekend! In good health, 
Dr. Serge & Dr. Stacey