Holistic Help for Allergies

Allergies are common in our society and take many forms including food allergies, environmental allergies and seasonal allergies. While I will cover some tips that work for all types of allergies this post will focus mostly on seasonal allergies. This post will cover holistic help of allergies.

One of the areas where I feel that herbs really shine is in their ability to help with more than just physical ailments. More and more research is connecting our mental and even spiritual health with our physical health. Allergies are no different.

While allergies are often blamed on a particular plant or season, it is often a combination of factors that contributes to the overall load we carry. The seasonal plant allergies add to that load and may or may not push us over the top and produce an allergic reaction. However, by reducing other factors where we can, we can reduce the overall load and therefore the allergy reaction.

Pollen from plants is one source of seasonal allergies

Environmental Factors

I was once at a class on holistic approaches to breast cancer. The instructor talked about how wi-fi and other electronic interference can negatively impact our health. She recommended turning off your wi-fi at night, not charging your cell phone in your bedroom (and actually charging them as far away from your bedroom as possible) and looking at other electronic interference, such as where the electricity enters your house. She added that it would be a bonus to limit other forms of electricity in the bedroom including bedside lamps and telephones.

I do think it is important to think about when and where our environment may not be conducive to our optimal health. But I am also willing to accept that some things have to be accepted as just parts of modern living. In my life and family many of these suggestions have been difficult to implement, but should we have issues with allergies it may become important to investigate further.

Here is a list of additional (though not extensive) environmental concerns.

wi-fi and electricity (see above)
mold
processed foods
toxins on fruit and vegetables not organically grown
animals and pets we share our life with
leaching from plastics in our life
toxins on newly purchased cloth items like clothing. I recommend washing clothes, towels and bedding before using them
cleaning supplies
new furniture and carpet (these often experience off-gassing)

Stress

The above environmental concerns contribute to stress that we experience in our body. But stress that we experience mentally also contributes to the overall load we experience.

In No More Allergies by Gary Null the connection between mental and physical ailments is highlighted

Millions of allergy sufferers attest tot he fact that stressors, whether real or perceived may aggravate of even precipitate allergic-type reactions. The concept of ‘allergic burden’ usually refers to the individual antigen exposures or cumulative environmental insults per day. When this burden overwhelms the immune system, a headache or wheezing or diarrhea results. However, psychic stressors should be considered as part of this process. As such, patients need to incorporate stress-reducing techniques into their daily life-cycle.
Gary Null

This is where nervine herbs can contribute to overall health of our bodies. We should still engage in stress relief activities and an assess where stress can be reduced in one’s life.

Here is a short list of nervine herbs that are commonly available and may be of help

Lavender in any form but is especially love the essential oil here
Chamomile
Rose
Blue Vervain
Goldenrod (not necessarily a nervine but a specific for cat allergies)

Overload

So when you are experiencing a stress overload it is often more likely that our body will try to right itself to bring it back into homeostasis. If you have noticed that some years are more difficult with allergies then previous years it may be that your overall stress load is higher this year. Often it is blamed on a higher pollen count or other physical changes the body is going through. But this may or may not be the case, it may be the overall stress load you are experiencing. If there is something you can do to improve this load your health will definitely improve.

Holistic ways to improve allergies

If you are experiencing a strong allergic reaction here are some steps you can take to improve your overall health and thus lesson the allergic reaction.

First and foremost take a look at the stress load you have in your life. Where possible take steps to reduce stress, including looking at stressful relationships, work and living situations. While some things you may not be able to change, drawing your attention to this matter and paying attention to additional stress that may be coming into your life can overall impact your health for the better.
Check out the foods you eat. While you may not feel that you are having a food allergy, things that you are eating that you are sensitive to could be contributing to the overall load your body is experiencing. A food elimination diet to pinpoint sensitivities would be helpful.
Look at the list of environmental concerns and look for one area that you could focus on improving.
Focus on positives. While there are always things that we can improve on with our health, focus on the wins you have already achieved. A positive outlook can do wonders.
Incorporate nervines into you life. Many of them are amazing aromatherapy herbs and this is a very pleasant way to incorporate them,