If you're one of the millions who struggle with hayfever every allergy season, you know just how frustrating it can be. Seasonal allergies can leave you sneezing, itchy, and generally miserable. The go-to solution for many is antihistamines, but they don't always offer lasting relief. Today, let's dive into why that is, and explore how you can naturally manage your histamine levels to reduce hayfever symptoms.
Why antihistamines don’t always work
Antihistamines are designed to block your histamine receptors, reducing the immediate symptoms. But as anyone with seasonal allergies will tell you, the relief is often short-lived. In fact, if the pollen count is particularly high, antihistamines may not work at all.
Before we go any further, it’s important to clarify what histamine is and why it plays such a central role in allergies. Histamine is a naturally occurring compound in your body that’s produced as part of the immune response to certain triggers. In the case of hayfever, your immune system reacts to pollen by sending out histamine, which causes the familiar symptoms of sneezing, itchy eyes, and a runny nose.
But don’t be too quick to demonise histamine! It’s actually a crucial part of your body’s defence system. Histamine helps with muscle recovery, prevents excessive bleeding from cuts by swelling the edges, and plays an essential role in several other bodily functions. Which is why those with hayfever can find exercise ramps up their symptoms…..!
The Bathtub analogy
Think of it like this: your body is a bathtub, and histamine is the water. There's always some water coming into the bath from the taps - this represents the histamine you produce naturally, the histamine in certain foods, and even the histamine produced by the microorganisms in your gut. Usually, this influx is balanced out by the water flow out through the plug (your liver), which works to break down and eliminate excess histamine when it’s no longer needed.
However, when you’re experiencing hayfever, the amount of histamine coming in exceeds what your liver can handle. Your tap inflow has exceeded the rate of outdoor through the plug, the water level rises and splashes over the sides (splashes = symptoms). The key to reducing these symptoms is to decrease the influx of histamine into your system (from food, the environment, etc.) and to help speed up the breakdown process.
How to manage your histamine levels naturally
Here are a few natural ways to balance your histamine levels and reduce hayfever symptoms:
1. Avoid Histamine-Containing Foods
Certain foods are high in histamine and can exacerbate your symptoms. These include:
- Fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, tempeh)
- Bone broth
- Aged cheeses
- Cured and smoked fish and meats
- Leftovers (histamine naturally increases in foods as they age, so freeze any extra portions immediately)
2. Limit Histamine Promoters
Some foods and substances can promote the release of histamine in the body, which can trigger your allergy symptoms. These include:
- Alcohol
- Coffee (Matcha is a great alternative!)
- Citrus fruits
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Peppers and chillies
- Cacao and chocolate
The more intense your symptoms are, the stricter you’ll need to be about avoiding these histamine promoters.
3. Increase Histamine Breakdown
This is where the "plug outflow" comes into play. To help speed up the breakdown of histamine, you can add targeted nutrients to your diet. These nutrients will support your liver in metabolising and eliminating excess histamine. Some examples include:
- Vitamin B6 - naturally found in poultry, fish, chickpeas
- Magnesium - naturally found in green leafy vegetables, almonds, pumpkin seeds
- Quercetin - raw red onions, dill, coriander, apple skins
- Parsley - naturally blocks histamine release and helps to clear it from your system
- DAO (diamine oxidase) enzymes - actively degrade histamine. Please email info@lieblinghealth.com if you would like to be sent this.
These can be added through foods or supplements, depending on your individual needs. See linked resources for supplement suggestions.
4. Support Your Liver Health
Your liver plays a vital role in breaking down histamine. Make sure you’re supporting liver function by eating plenty of antioxidant-rich foods, such as:
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower)
- Leafy greens (spinach, kale). I’m a big fan of this Kale Salad recipe - packed full of colourful veggies, with crispy chickpeas for protein, and brought to life with a zingy carrot ginger dressing.
- Foods rich in vitamin C (fresh herbs, raspberries)
5. Stay Hydrated
Drinking plenty of water helps your body flush out toxins, including excess histamine. Aim for your bodyweight in kilograms x 0.04 as your baseline intake of water in litres a day, particularly during allergy season. I also recommend adding a pure, unflavoured electrolyte complex to water to increase your body’s absorption, like Oshun.
6. Minimise Other Triggers
Life must go on so staying inside when the pollen count is high and hiding isn’t really an option!
But these bits can help:
- Limit exposure to other fragrances - especially perfumes, cleaning products and scented candles (unless natural options)
- Apply a natural balm like HayMax or a natural lip balm around nostrils and eyes. This will trap pollen floating in the air. Wipe off when you come inside.
- Cover your hair when walking outside to avoid pollen become trapped in it, and wash pillowcases regularly.
- Keep windows closed, especially in the early morning and late afternoon when pollen levels are highest.
- Use air purifiers to help filter pollen and other allergens from the air in your home.
If possible, start tweaking your diet and lifestyle before allergy season kicks in. This can help you avoid symptoms altogether. However, if you're already experiencing hayfever symptoms, don’t worry. By following these steps, you should be able to reduce your symptoms within a week and be completely symptom-free within two weeks.
In conclusion…
Hayfever can be a nuisance, but it doesn’t have to control your life. By understanding how histamine works and making strategic adjustments to your diet and lifestyle, you can enjoy allergy season without the constant sneezing and discomfort. Remember, it's not about eliminating histamine altogether (which would be impossible!), but about managing its levels so that your body can function optimally.
If you have any questions or need more information, don’t hesitate to reach out! You can book a confidential quick consult with me here for an immediate discussion.
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