Spring is coming; the sun is shining, temperatures are rising, and the flowers are blooming. Wonderful! Right? Not for people who suffer from hay fever... The only thing they see? Pollen!
What is hay fever?
Sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, and a dry throat… the classic hay fever symptoms. In the Netherlands alone, over one million people are estimated to suffer from hay fever. It is a form of allergic rhinitis – an inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane. This inflammation is caused by hypersensitivity to pollen, grasses, plants, and/or trees. Can we do something about it?
What causes hay fever?
One of the things we always see in hay fever patients is an overactive immune system. The symptoms arise from the release of too much histamine – a substance produced by the body that fights foreign substances in the body. The body, therefore, believes that incoming pollen is harmful to the body, even though this is not the case.
The body then produces too much histamine, which is secreted through the nasal and/or eye mucous membranes, causing the symptoms. People suffer from this particularly in spring and summer when everything is in bloom and more pollen is released into the air.
Advice for hay fever
For hay fever patients, several things are important to restore health and reduce or eliminate symptoms. I have listed them for you!
Avoid histamine-rich foods
To ensure you don't ingest even more histamine, it is wise to avoid histamine-rich foods. Histamine can be found in chocolate, pork, beer, red wine, E-numbers, tomatoes, kiwi, and liquorice, among other things.
Foods rich in flavonoids
The foods you do want to consume when experiencing hay fever symptoms are rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids have an antihistamine effect, which can be very beneficial for hay fever symptoms! Think of bell peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits, green tea, blue grapes, and red fruits.
Restore the gut barrier
Our health is linked to our gut health. To strengthen the immune system, it is important to restore the gut microbiome. A healthy and varied diet is crucial here. Eat plenty of vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins.
Support the immune system with supplements
Due to the overactivity of the immune system, your health is not optimal with hay fever. It is therefore even more important to provide your body with extra nutrients.
If you have any doubts or questions, you can always request a free supplement consultation. Then I, or one of my colleagues, will assist you!
