Allergies.....how do you beat them?

[jay]

This year is particularly bad for allergies in my region.  I am lucky in that I do not suffer as badly as some from them but on a trek of several days,  they can start getting to me.  I generally carry some OTC meds with me but was curious if anyone out there knew of any ways to minimize allergies other then meds?  I'm not a big fan of taking stuff if I don't absolutely have to.

Thanks.

[Dogwood]

While we may think allergies can  only be  a result of genetics or  environment, the external "stuff", like pollen,  it could be various foods and lifestyle habits are really at the cause of these types of allergies as they may make us more sensitive by "triggering" or over stimulating or in some way impairing the healthy immune system. Some foods that make us more sensitive  are sugar, artificial sweeteners, modern types of refined wheat, dairy, and various ingredients in highly processed foods. 

My self employed cousin's oldest son had debilitating ear issues diagnosed regarding the eustachian tube for several years. He would be up all night with pain. Seeing more than 1/2 a dozen  western medical approaching  M.D.s the treatment options ranged from a slew of pharmaceutical drugs to $10,000+ surgeries some wanting  both courses of "treatment." The piles of tests and the "treatments" were prohibitively expensive for my cousin because he was paying out of pocket. It was said by all the MD.s that Little Gregory would need surgeries and/or drugs. As a last recourse before applying for a second mortgage it was recommended that my cousin's son see a Integrative M.D. specializing in being open to all forms of treatments from different medical approaches. When this was told to a few of the other MD's already consulted  to get another opinion the Integrative Medical Practitioner was labeled as a "quack" with advice "be careful, those people don't know what they are doing." 

The Integrative Medical Practitioner after only one visit and $200 total in tests started asking about  Little Gregory's diet. My cousin with a puzzled and frustrated look, asked, "what does that have to do about an eustachian tube allergic reaction?" Integrative Medical Practitioner  advised reducing and working on eliminating dairy for Little Gregory's diet. Long story short, after 3 wks of little to no dairy Little Gregory no longer had eustacian tube allergies. 

Understand, the cause of the severity of the reaction was the diet triggering the immune system in an unnatural way not a genetic malady and not external factors that somehow fell upon us from teh sky of not our own doing. $300 and change in diet verse $10,000 plus, surgery, and a lifetime of prescription drugs.          

Pollen doesn't cause allergies. Yup, that's what I said. Clean up your diet. Eat whole foods. Be mindful of maitaining a healthy digestive system  including gut health. See how it works. It's a lot cheaper and easier than pharmaceutical drugs. Most of all, even if that doesn't solve the issues you'll be healthier.  

[HikerJ]

15 hours ago, Dogwood said:

Pollen doesn't cause allergies. Yup, that's what I said. Clean up your diet. Eat whole foods. Be mindful of maitaining a healthy digestive system  including gut health. See how it works. It's a lot cheaper and easier than pharmaceutical drugs. Most of all, even if that doesn't solve the issues you'll be healthier.  

+1... when I saw the topic that the OP posted I came here to say the same thing. Now I don't have type all that out.

[jay]

I agree, we make it a point to eat as much local food as we can.  We use  a good bit of local honey as well.   We are all member of that strange and ancient tribe of people known as "Knows How to Cook".

I have been curious as to hwo others might improve their resistance as well.

[Grey Mouse]

I used to have a poor diet but my heart attack and surgeries stopped that. I also used to have severe summer allergies to the point that if I tried to cut my grass I would risk hospitalization from a very severe sinus infection. Since my diet change I have not had a sinus infection. I mowed my grass yet again yesterday to no ill effects.  

My regimen ? I eat nothing from a can if possible. My diet is low sodium, low fat, and low carb/sugar. I take a homemade tonic (1oz) of apple cider vinegar, local honey, and ginger root after every meal. The tonic has cured my GERD that I suffered from for almost 25 years. I make all of my bbq and hot sauces, pasta, salsa, bread, etc... from scratch. I garden and grow tomatoes and peppers. I also eat fresh garlic several times a week. My newest addition of the low sugar/carb diet has allowed me to loose 41lbs in the last three months. I also stopped smoking, chewing, and drinking although I do keep a bottle of Johnny Walker on the shelf for my winter bedtime tonic  (Johnny, lemon juice, and honey) just like my great granddad did.  

My wife still suffers from sinus issues because she eats the boxed sweets, drinks sodas, and fast food while at work. She has to take meds with her hiking because she will almost always have a flare up. She also does not take my tonic and rarely eats fresh garlic. We are what we eat.

[ppine]

Visit the outdoors when pollen and other troublesome plant parts are not so common. 

My friend has trouble with big sage and rabbitbrush in spring and fall.  We camp above those plant communties then. 

Figure out which plants give you the most trouble and avoid them. 

[jay]

I can do that locally, but going abroad presents another problem.  I have done quite a bit of backpacking in the UK;  even going to different parts of the USA can cause problems.  One thing that gives me grief is mold spores.  I'm a lot better now than I was a few years ago but a bad case of allergies can definitely put a damper on a trip.

[balzaccom]

Of course, with the smoke in the air in California right now, everyone is suffering from respiratory issues.  Last night in my class at least half the students were coughing, sneezing, or staring at me with watery eyes.  And no, it wasn't because of my lecture!

[jay]

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yea, I have been following some of this as well as I can and it looks absolutely terrible.  My wife suffers from chronic respiratory problems and I truly feel for those in similar conditions that live in the area.  A disaster like this is bad enough is you are in good health, it is multiplied significantly if you aren't.

I hope they get a handle on things as quickly as possible.