Allergies – What Causes Them, Common Symptoms, And Natural Remedies

Allergies can be the bane of your existence, but there are things you can do to control your sensitivity and your reaction to them.

It’s possible sometimes to tell from your skin condition symptoms what you’re allergic to.

But when that doesn’t work, as a naturopathic doctor I am able to help my patients identify their allergies in other ways.

In the following video I talk about what causes allergies, their various symptoms, and some natural remedies for dealing with them.

You can also read the full article below for even further details.

What Are Allergies?

Allergies can be described as a hypersensitivity reaction of your body to an allergen.

When the allergen is identified by your body, it produces histamine, which causes inflammation, swelling, and some or all of the following symptoms:

• Itchy eyes
• Runny nose
• Irritated skin from scratching
• Trouble sleeping
• Pain in your sinuses
• Frequent sneezing

Are Food Allergies And Environmental Allergies Different?

Your body does react quite differently with environmental allergies versus food allergies.

Food allergies often lead to diarrhea, because your body just wants to get rid of the irritating agent by expelling it quickly.

Food sensitives are actually not considered a medical condition, per se – but they can still lead to unpleasant side effects.

Environmental allergies on the other hand, including seasonal allergies, are different.

This article does more of a deep dive on seasonal allergies, to get a better understanding.

Why Are Dairy And Wheat So Common As Allergens?

I believe dairy and wheat are so often the allergen because of how heavily their respective industries modify these food sources.

Milk has added agents, while wheat is often genetically modified.

It stands out very obviously when you travel to a different country and eat these same foods, but don’t have nearly the same physical reaction to them.

That’s because they’re more natural.

What Are Some Natural Remedies For Allergies?

Detoxification is helpful for identifying allergies in order to eliminate them.

I encourage my patients to do cleanse that removes all these usual allergens for a week, then slowly reintroduce foods while paying close attention to the body’s reactions.

An itchy throat or sudden buildup of phlegm means there may be a food sensitivity there.

Are All Probiotics Created Equal?

You see a lot of different yogurts out there touting how they have more probiotics than their competitors – or even ADDED probiotics to a naturally-probiotic food – but this is all marketing.

The truth is that no matter how much more they’ve added to their products in the way of probiotics, they’re only going to have a fraction as much as a supplement.

I wrote an article here if you want to learn more about probiotics.

Does Acupuncture Help With Allergies?

Acupuncture is great for symptomatic relief, so no matter what symptoms you’re experiencing, we can custom tailor your treatment to those.

If you’re looking for prevention of allergies, however, detoxification or probiotics might be more effective.

What Sort Of Natural Remedies Are Available?

There are some good allergy combos available, and the base ingredient for most of them is quercetin, which is the most effective of all of them.

Quercetin can also be a helpful natural solution for asthma.

Many allergy combos will also contain vitamin C, which has many benefits and good results, and also an herb called butterbur, which is well known for being effective against allergies.

How Long Should Someone Take Natural Allergy Remedies?

There are three primary allergy seasons: trees cause spring allergies; grass causes summer allergies, and ragweed causes autumn allergies.

If you know you react during those times, start taking your allergy combo supplements a week before.

When you don’t sense any symptoms remaining, then you can stop taking them again.

As well, if you start taking probiotics or some of these other remedies, you’ll find the following year that your allergies are not nearly as bad as you’ve experienced in the past.

How Can You Tell If You’re Having An Allergic Reaction Vs. A Cold?

If you’re getting a cold, the colour of the mucus is usually yellow or coloured, you may experience a fever brought on by the virus, but it will also be over in a few short days.

The same is typically true if you’re trying to determine if your child has a cold or is experiencing allergies.

RELATED: Reducing The Risk Of Cold and Flue In Your Kids

If it’s an allergy, your mucus will be clear, and accompanied by itching and sneezing.

You won’t get a fever from allergies, but unfortunately allergies can sometimes linger for weeks at a time.

Another clue is the time of year.

If you’re feeling under the weather and it’s flu season, then it’s probably not allergies.

How Can Someone Find Out What They’re Allergic To?

If you go to a medical doctor, they may schedule you to have a skin prick test done, which tests for many of the most common allergies.

Another option that gives you more detailed results is an IGG allergy blood test, which checks about 100 foods to see what your blood reacts to.

Finding out allows you to give your immune system a break.

This way it doesn’t have to constantly fight off the allergens, and instead can focus on the viruses you pick up on the subway or from your kids.

What’s The Difference Between A Susceptibility And An Allergy?

Being susceptible means having an innate immunity; what you’re susceptible to means the immune response will manifest itself, but only mildly.

If you react with a full blown reaction, that indicates an allergy, and can lead to anaphylaxis.

Susceptibility and sensitivity are examples of sub-clinical allergies, because they don’t cause you to stop breathing or be covered with an itchy rash, but they do impact your wellness and your overall level of health.

Dr. JJ’s Supplements For Managing Allergies

I’ve included for you my two favourite supplements for managing allergies:

1. Quercetin

Quercetin is a natural product and pigment.

It helps stabilise your mast cells – found in nearby connective tissues – that produce histamines and causes an inflammatory response and itching.

Because it helps the root factor in the allergic reaction, it is powerful in reducing suffering due to allergies.

Recent studies support this and recommend the use of quercetin as an efficient method for reducing your allergy symptoms.

2. Probiotics

Probiotics are great – they are a healthy bacterium that’s found in foods such as yogurt, but that you can also take in pill form.

Probiotics help balance your gut flora, as well as decreasing inflammation in your digestive tract and in your body, overall.

And, like quercetin, recent studies support that taking probiotics can help to reduce your inflammation.

Inflammation is one of the primary side effects of allergies, so by reducing that, you reduce how badly you suffer from the symptoms of allergies.

Take a look at this article if you have more questions about probiotics.

Questions? Ask Dr. JJ

While there are some definitely natural solutions to allergies, it’s always best to consult with a naturopath before adding – and combining – natural remedies.

Call now to book your consultation with me, and let me help you determine the best solution for your unique situation.

We can meet in person, or through a virtual naturopathic consultation, whichever is easier for your schedule.

Book your appointment with me, Dr. JJ, today.