Eight natural ways to nip your hay fever in the bud

Itchy eyes, sneezing fits and a nose that won’t stop running. If you experience these symptoms yourself, it may be your reality for around six months of the year. Hay fever and seasonal allergies can make spring and summer utterly miserable for both children and adults alike. The good news is that there are some simple and natural steps you can take to calm your immune system’s response to environmental triggers, whether you are managing your own symptoms or helping your child through theirs.

Coming from a family of hay fever sufferers and with 30 years of experience as a naturopath, here are my eight practical tips to help you get on top of hay fever this season. All of these approaches can be used safely alongside prescription or over-the-counter antihistamines.

What is hay fever?

Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, can strike you or your loved ones at any time of year. The symptoms are similar to the common cold with sneezing, itchy eyes, a tingly mouth and a stuffy nose. For some people, it also worsens wheezing and asthma, making it harder to breathe. Poor sleep is another common consequence, which then has knock-on effects for the immune system, energy levels, concentration and mood.

Pollen, that fine powder that flowering plants release into the air, causes hay fever. Trees, flowers and grasses release pollen as part of their reproduction cycle. When we breathe it in, our immune systems can treat it as a threat, triggering an allergic reaction that keeps firing for as long as the exposure continues. If your symptoms are worse at home than at work, or in one particular outdoor space, there may be a nearby plant that is driving the reaction.

Some people react to just one type of pollen, others to several types over the season. Tree pollen tends to strike in early spring, while grass is the culprit if your symptoms start from late spring onwards. Grass pollen is the most common hay fever related allergen, affecting around 90% of hay fever sufferers in the UK. It peaks from mid-May to July, with the first spike in early June and a second lower peak in early July.

Birch trees are one of the most common trees growing in UK and Europe and their pollen can affect many people from early spring onwards. Birch pollen allergy is also closely linked to certain food allergies, known as pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFAS). The main culprit is Bet v 1, the main protein allergen in birch pollen, which shares a remarkably similar molecular structure to the proteins found in certain nuts and foods. This is one of the reasons why nut allergy sufferers can also get bad hay fever. Hazelnuts are the most cross-reactive nut, but this can also occur with almonds, walnuts and peanuts. A child I know has allergies to both birch pollen and all nuts, and he lives on a street lined by birch trees, so he has to manage his allergies really closely when the pollen comes out.

Eight home remedies for your hay fever

Quercetin

Quercetin is one of the most powerful natural antihistamines I know of, and I recommend it every summer without hesitation. You’ll find it in many fruits and vegetables and exceptionally high levels of quercetin are found in capers and the herb lovage. Other foods containing high levels of quercetin include red and yellow onions (especially the outer layers), watercress, buckwheat, kale and hot chilli peppers. Apples, broccoli, blueberries and cranberries also contain some quercetin.

Even though we don’t eat dock leaves, they are abundant in quercetin, which is the likely reason why rubbing them onto a nettle rash brings relief!

A quercetin supplement is a very practical alternative and can be taken up to three times a day. Liposomal quercetin products are slowly being rolled out, which improves the absorption from the gut, so you need to take less.

Vitamin C is one of the simplest ways to support the body when histamine levels are running high. Boosting your dietary intake is a great first step by eating plenty of berries, citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes and pineapple), kiwi fruit, guava, strawberries, blackcurrants, raw bell peppers, chilli peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, thyme and parsley are all excellent sources.

During peak pollen season, many people, including children, find that diet alone is not enough. An additional vitamin C supplement can give your immune system the extra support it needs to stay calm in the face of environmental triggers. Look out for vitamin C products which contain Camu Camu, Acerola Cherry, Rosehips, Baboab and Sea Buckthorn berries, which contain exceptionally high levels of vitamin C, much higher than the normal food sources.

Beta glucans

Beta-glucans are a special dietary fibre that also have immune-modulating properties. You’ll find beta-glucans in oats, rye grass, barley, some mushrooms (such as reishi, shiitake and maitake) as well as in natural yeast.

Several studies show that beta-glucan supplementation can relieve seasonal allergic symptoms. This is why we recommend boosting your diet with beta-glucan rich foods and taking a supplement containing beta-glucans during the hay fever season.

Nettle

Stinging nettle, in the form of nettle tea or nettle soup, is one of my favourite summer allies. It is thought to work by reducing inflammation in the body, which is at the root of most allergic responses to food and environmental triggers. Nettle tea is mild, delicious and easy to drink throughout the allergy season.

For children who are less keen on tea, try making my low-histamine mango and nettle ice lollies, which are a surprisingly popular way to get the benefits of nettle without the fuss.

Tulsi

Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, has a long history of therapeutic use in the Ayurvedic tradition and is particularly well regarded as a respiratory system rejuvenator. It works by preventing mast cell degranulation, which is the process that triggers the release of histamine and sets off an allergic reaction.

Tulsi tea is light and fragrant and adults and older children can drink it throughout the allergy season. This is one of the herbs I return to again and again in clinical practice when patients are dealing with atopic and histamine-related challenges.

Nasal protection

One of the main reasons why seasonal allergens are so irritating is that pollen traps itself in your nasal passages, triggering sneezing, stuffiness and itchiness. Using a natural, petroleum-free pollen barrier rubbed into the nostrils is a straightforward way to intercept pollen before it causes a reaction.

Taking this one step further, I recommend flushing the nasal passages with a saline solution using a small neti-pot. It is inexpensive, very safe, and can bring real relief. Children can use smaller, gentler nasal irrigation devices or squeezey bottles designed for their age group.

Shower and wash more frequently

Pollen accumulates on the skin, hair and clothing throughout the day, which means that by the evening, you or your child could be carrying a significant pollen load into the home. Showering more frequently during peak pollen season, including before bed, is one of the most practical things you can do to reduce overall exposure.

Make sure to wash hair thoroughly, as pollen clings to it easily. Using a gentle, natural body wash will help remove pollen from the skin without causing additional irritation.

Washing outdoor clothes as soon as possible after wearing them, and keeping outdoor and indoor clothes separate, will also reduce the amount of pollen circulating around your home. Regular vacuuming and wiping down your surfaces will keep pollen levels low indoors.

Wear sunglasses and a hat

Wearing sunglasses is one of the most practical things you can do to stop pollen from reaching your eyes, especially if itchy eyes are one of your worst symptoms. By shielding your eyes, you can reduce irritation and the urge to rub them, which can exacerbate symptoms.

In addition to wearing sunglasses, you may also consider wearing a wide-brimmed hat to provide further protection against pollen exposure. A hat can stop pollen from landing on your hair and face, cutting down how much reaches your eyes.

Round up

We all want to enjoy the great outdoors without being armed with packets of tissues. Hay fever and seasonal allergies are very draining, but there is a lot you can do with nutrition and simple lifestyle changes to bring your histamine load down and help your immune system respond more calmly to environmental triggers.

If your symptoms are particularly intense or persistent, it may be worth looking more deeply at what is driving such a strong allergic response. This is where gut health, nutritional deficiencies and immune dysregulation often come alongside atopic, histamine and mast cell activation conditions.

Our NatureDoc clinical team specialise in helping people of all ages, from young children through to adults, with exactly these kinds of challenges. Consultations and lab testing can help identify the root causes of your symptoms and put together a personalised plan to reduce your histamine load.

References

• National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit (University of Worcester) — Allergenic Pollen Types
• Pollen Calendar UK
• When is hay fever season in the UK? – Met Office
• The role of histamine in allergic rhinitis
• Seasonal increase of spontaneous histamine release in washed leucocytes from rhinitis patients sensitive to grass pollen
• The nasal response to histamine challenge: effect of the pollen season and immunotherapy 
• The role of histamine in allergic diseases
• Birch pollen allergy in Europe
• Effects of repeated oral intake of a quercetin-containing supplement on allergic reaction: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind parallel-group study 
• Clinical Effects of Polyphenolic Compounds on Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• Flavonoids inhibit histamine release and expression of proinflammatory cytokines in mast cells
• Quercetin Attenuates MRGPRX2-Mediated Mast Cell Degranulation via the MyD88/IKK/NF-κB and PI3K/AKT/ Rac1/Cdc42 Pathway
• The Efficacy of Quercetin in Attenuating Oxidative Stress and Clinical Symptoms in Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review
• Quercetin Is More Effective than Cromolyn in Blocking Human Mast Cell Cytokine Release and Inhibits Contact Dermatitis and Photosensitivity in Humans
• Improving quercetin bioavailability: A systematic review and meta-analysis of human intervention studies
• Improved Oral Absorption of Quercetin from Quercetin Phytosome®, a New Delivery System Based on Food Grade Lecithin
• Health supplements for allergic rhinitis: A mixed-methods systematic review 
• Nutritional and pharmacological importance of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.): A review
• Efficacy of Supportive Therapy of Allergic Rhinitis by Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) root extract: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo- Controlled, Clinical Trial 
• Complementary therapies in allergic rhinitis  
• Associations of dietary vitamin A and C intake with asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic respiratory diseases
• Study of vitamin C therapy in allergic rhinitis
• Effects of aerobic exercise and vitamin C supplementation on rhinitis symptoms in allergic rhinitis patients 
• Pharmacological Basis For Antianaphylactic, Antihistaminic And Mast Cell Stabilization Activity Of Ocimum Sanctum
• Mast cell stabilizing activity of Ocimum sanctum leaves.
• Micronutrients and Allergic Diseases: A Mendelian Randomization Study 
• Natural treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis
• Role of nasal saline irrigation in the treatment of allergic rhinitis in children and adults: A systematic analysis
• Wraparound eyeglasses improve symptoms and quality of life in patients with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis
• Protective efficacy of sunglasses on the conjunctival symptoms of seasonal rhinitis

This blog was first published on 23rd March 2017 and has been updated.