It’s allergy season, and if you have a bad reaction to pollen, then you are suffering this time of year.
And if you use conventional treatments to treat your symptoms, then you suffer from the side effects of these medications too.
What are the downsides of these medications?
Antihistamines:
Drowsiness, dry mouth/throat/nose, blurred vision, constipation and stomach upset
Nasal Sprays (Corticosteroids or prednisone):
Elevated pressure in the eyes (glaucoma), fluid retention, causing swelling in your lower legs, increased blood pressure, problems with mood swings, memory and behavior and other psychological effects, such as confusion or delirium and weight gain, with fat deposits in your abdomen, face and the back of your neck
Nasal Sprays Decongestants:
Burning/stinging/dryness in the nose, runny nose and sneezing
Oral Decongestants:
Dizziness, nervousness, headache, increased heartbeat, higher blood pressure, problems sleeping
Nasal Anticholinergics (Nasonex):
Headache, dry nose, dry mouth or throat, nasal or throat irritation, nosebleeds, bad taste in mouth, nausea, dizziness, constipation, or blurred vision
These drugs are designed to block the histamines and suppress the inflammation that produce the running nose and watering eyes.
But as you can see, the relief from your symptoms comes at a cost to your overall wellbeing.
But what if there was a way to stop the histamine response before it became a problem?
That has been the subject of some interesting research and there has been some promising treatment options which are worth experimenting with because there are no known side effects unlike those of the anti-allergy medicines.
THE KETO CURE
I personally switched to a ketogenic diet nearly two years ago.
One of the reasons I did was because my blood work showed that I was showing signs of high inflammation in my blood work.
Interestingly enough I also suffered from allergies all year long.
I took three over-the-counter allergy medicines every day just to breathe clearly.
I noticed that my long-term allergy symptoms were going away as I became keto adaptive.
In less than a month I was off all my allergy medications and have never taken them since.
Since the keto diet is inherently anti-inflammatory many people notice a major reduction in autoimmune issues such as psoriasis and even allergies.
It has been shown that the high-carb diet can overstimulate the production of cortisol in the system, and this can lead to a higher prevalence of allergic reactions.
Stopping the inflammation helps the body heal itself and allow the immune system to actually work the way it is supposed to.
Dramatically cutting carbohydrates (which are converted to sugar in the body) helps make this happen for many people.
Please note, that when you switch to a keto diet, there is a transition period of 4-6 weeks as your body switches over to using fat for fuel.
The first week is often the hardest.
But once the body is fat adapted, the inflammation starts to go down.
A PROBIOTIC OPTION
Another interesting cure for allergies is to use helpful gut bacteria to help your body fight the histamines.
Specifically, Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92 led to a two and a half times reduction in seasonal allergy symptoms.
People who used this probiotic decreased their use of over-the-counter allergy medicines significantly.
It has been shown in studies to help the swollen eyes and clogged stuffy noses.
If you think of allergies as a symptom of your immune system having problems and treat that, you might find relief without the side effects of allergy medicines.
