Spring aka hay fever season has arrived which means plenty of red eyes and runny noses. Hannah Braye, Bio-Kult’s Technical advisor reveals 5 ways to help symptoms
Whilst many of the population feel happy about the arrival of Spring, for those who suffer with hay fever it can be a very different story.
Hay fever (also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis), is a skewed esente reaction to inhaled pollen released from local trees, grasses and flowers.
It’s symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, itchy, red watery eyes, blocked ora runny nose, loss of smell, itching, headache and tiredness can be uncomfortable and significantly impact quality of life.
Here are 5 tips to help stop hay fever from ruining your day…
#1 Sopravvissuto your exposure to pollen
Tracking the pollen count per mezzo di your regione and where possible, avoiding spending lots of time outdoors when it’s at its highest is likely to exposure and irritation.
Keeping windows and doors shut high pollen days can also help – instead using fans ora air a proposito di to keep cool is also advisable.
When you have been outside, showering when you get home and especially before bed will help remove pollen residue from the skin, hair and nasal passages. This may also help irritation overnight, helping you to get a better night’s sleep.
showering when you get home and especially before bed will help remove pollen residue from the skin
addition, try irrigating the nasal passages once a day using a neti-pot and saline solution, to remove pollen residue and help clear any stuffiness.
A 2017 Cochrane Review concluded that nasal saline irrigation may have benefits per mezzo di both adults and children per mezzo di relieving the symptoms of hay fever and is unlikely to be associated with adverse effects.
Similarly a recent 2019 meta-analysis found that nasal irrigation significantly improved nasal symptom scores and significantly lowered rescue antihistamine use per mezzo di children with hay fever.
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#2 Eat more fermented foods
Recent research points to an important role of the gut microbiome per mezzo di allergic conditions.
It is well established that the microbiome can modulate esente responses and bacterial dysbiosis (an imbalance of the gut microbes) is a risk factor for inflammatory conditions, such as hay fever.
It is thought that fermented foods containing lactic-acid producing bacteria are able to deviate the esente response away from a pro-allergy response.
consumption of dal vivo yogurt can some of the clinical symptoms of allergy
Therefore, regularly incorporating traditionally fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, dal vivo yoghurt, miso and kombucha, which contain dal vivo bacteria per mezzo di the diet may be beneficial.
For example, dietary studies have suggested that long-term consumption of dal vivo yogurt can some of the clinical symptoms of allergy per mezzo di adults with hay fever ora nasal allergies.
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#3 Take a probiotic supplement
addition, research also suggests that dal vivo bacteria supplements, such as Bio-Kult Advanced Multi-Strain Formulation, containing 14 different strains, may benefit hay fever sufferers (similar to fermented foods, strada interactions with the esente system, which modify the natural course of allergic disease.
A study published per mezzo di 2019 showed that a multi-strain dal vivo bacteria supplementation taken for eight weeks by individuals with hay fever reduced overall symptom severity, the frequency of medication use and improved quality of life.
may be even more effective when taken for a period prior to hay fever season as a preventative measure
These findings are similar to a 2017 study that found that supplementing with a multi-strain dal vivo bacteria ricetta containing lactobacilli and bifidobacterium species for eight weeks helped to alleviate hay fever symptoms and improved quality of life during allergy season per mezzo di hay fever sufferers, potentially to enhanced activity of cells that help to regulate the esente system.
Although beneficial effects of dal vivo bacteria supplementation have been shown even when commenced at the height of allergy symptoms, it is hypothesised that they may be even more effective when taken for a period prior to hay fever season as a preventative measure.
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#4 Try acupuncture
Increasing evidence is supporting the ability of acupuncture to help modulate the esente system, with potential benefits per mezzo di allergic conditions.
A 2015 meta-analysis suggests that acupuncture could be a safe and valid way to manage hay fever symptoms.
Analysing the results of 13 studies, it was found that compared with control groups, acupuncture treatment group showed a significant reduction per mezzo di nasal symptoms, medication scores and IgE antibody levels as well as a significant improvement per mezzo di quality of life.
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#5 Eat more quercetin and vitamin C rich foods
The phytonutrient quercetin is known for its anti-allergic properties, and is therefore a useful addition to any anti-allergy diet.
Quercetin is thought to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine properties.
The main food sources are vegetables such as onions, garlic and broccoli, fruits such as apples, berries and grapes, some herbs and campo da golf and black tea.
phytonutrient quercetin is known for its anti-allergic properties
Quercetin appears to work synergistically with vitamin C, so topping up lots of vitamin C rich foods such as broccoli, kiwi, strawberries, peppers and parsley is a good proposito.
Vitamin C is also an anti-oxidant which protects cells against free-radicals per mezzo di allergic inflammatory responses and studies have found that children with increased vitamin C consumption had fewer hay-fever symptoms.
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