Knocking the Snot Out of Allergy Season
By Dr. Molly Casey
Allergies are in full swing. The biggest culprit at this time of year is pollen. Trees, grass, weeds and other plants release tiny grains into the air in order to fertilize other plants. This process is part of what keeps nature going round. It is also a process that causes plenty of people to suffer greatly whether it be from sneezing attacks, itchy eyes, and hay fever, to name a few. What can you do to help yourself this time of year naturally?
Why Do Allergies Affect Some But Not Others
Let’s first look at what’s going on in the body. The immune system is your body’s defense against infectious organisms -- think viruses, bacteria, fungus. In the case of allergies, the immune system is perceiving pollen as an invader. The immune system then activates and lights up, starting a whole host of processes that fight the perceived invader -- and symptoms result. The issue is the pollen is not a true invader and the individual suffers.
So why are some affected and others not? Individuals are unique and so are their immune systems. Individuals can have overactive and/or hypersensitive immune systems. When that is the case, the system will perceive and react to stimuli regardless of whether or not the stimuli is truly a threat. Systems become overactive and hypersensitive for a variety of reasons that include, but are not limited to, health history (degree and harshness of illnesses that it’s dealt with prior), lack of proper development and support, sluggish detox system and poor diet high in chemicals and irritants.
Best Way to Naturally Address
A multi-pronged approach is the best way to decrease the suffering of those who deal with pollen allergies this time of year.
Chiropractic care - Can improve the function of the nervous system. This is your communication system and you live your entire life with this system. How well the immune system functions is dependent upon the communication system. It’s logical to infer that the greater the stress on the nervous system, the more the immune system will struggle with optimal functioning, which could play out as hyperactivity or sluggish detoxing. Indirectly, the stress on the nervous system can affect how one’s body reacts to pollen and how much the individual suffers. The chiropractic adjustment increases the function of the nervous system. Adjustments have also been shown to increase the healthy activity of the immune system and improve the detoxification process and lymphatic flow (waste system). Get adjusted regularly to allow for optimal immune function and waste management so you can suffer less.
Proper hydration - Every single cell in the body requires water. Proper amounts of water for optimal body function cannot be overstated when looking to improve health, function and/or decreased symptomology. If you want to assist your immune system in calming down, how about giving the cells enough water to properly flush and operate.
Clean diet - Cleaning the diet of common irritants such as dairy and genetically modified foods help decrease the toxic load on the body and the immune system. When the toxic load is decreased, the immune system is less stressed and one can logically infer it would be less reactive.
Detoxification - Assist your body in getting rid of the junk. Aside from chiropractic care, proper hydration includes exercise or saunas to sweat stuff out. It may be quite helpful to keep the exercise indoors so you don’t ingest more pollen while doing so.
Limit exposure - Limit as best you can your time hanging out in the pollen outdoors. It doesn’t mean that you spend zero time outside. It does mean that if winds are heavy and there’s dirt and dust everywhere, it may be a time to forgo the soccer game.
You can make it through pollen season. It’s possible and it can be done naturally. Chiropractic serves as an incredible tool to help your body help itself in dealing with pollen and keeping your immune system as healthy as possible. Stop into The Joint Chiropractic and see how regular chiropractic adjustments can improve the quality of your springtime experience!
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