If you suffer from seasonal allergy symptoms, you may have noticed they're worse than normal. There are several reasons why this may be the case, but you can discover what's causing your allergy symptoms, and what you can do about it, with some help from holistic nutrition and health science!

1. Why Are My Allergy Symptoms So Terrible?
Written by: Evelina Hovich on July 18th
2014
Are your allergy symptoms worse than usual? The reason may surprise you!
Allergies are always frustrating, but you may have noticed that
your allergy symptoms are worse recently than they used to be.
There are a few different possible reasons for this. The good news, though, is
that you don’t have to suffer with them forever! The reasons for your allergies
may be complex, but it is possible to find relief.
Here are some of the main causes of allergy symptoms, and what you can do
about them.
Impaired Immune System
If your immune system isn’t functioning the way it should, it can result in allergic
reactions.
This is because your immune system sees relatively harmless substances like
pet dander and pollen as invaders, and reacts accordingly. It creates a certain
type of red blood cell called a mast cell which releases histamines to fight the

2. allergen. Histamines are an important function of your body, but they also trigger
allergic reactions.
To help support your immune system, holistic nutrition can help. Make sure to eat
a wide range of whole, natural foods as much as possible. Include a wide range
of colours in your diet from different vegetables, which will help your body get the
nutrients it needs.
Variety is important! If you eat the same food all the time, you may develop
allergies from overconsumption.
Impaired Digestive System
If your digestive system isn’t functioning at the level it should, you’ll end up with
all sorts of problems.
When your digestive system has trouble digesting your food, it won’t be able to
draw all the nutrients out and absorb them through the intestinal tract, which can
lead to malnutrition. It can also trigger an immune response as your immune
system sees undigested food as a foreign invader.
Extreme cases of impaired digestion may lead to Leaky Gut Syndrome. This is
an issue resulting from poor digestion within your stomach.
When your food isn’t properly broken down in your stomach, it travels in larger
chunks into your intestinal tract. Because they’re so large, your intestines have
trouble absorbing them into your body. This forces the spaces between the cells
that make up your intestinal wall to expand, which allows more material to be
released into your bloodstream, triggering an immune response.
Holistic nutrition tells us fermented foods in particular, like sauerkraut, kimchi,
and kombucha, will help provide your body with the friendly bacteria it needs to
support your digestive system.
Climate Change
Climate change is having all sorts of effects on the Earth, and we’re just
beginning to understand it.
The burning of fossil fuels has increased the number of pollutants in the
atmosphere. These pollutants can trigger your allergy symptoms, or heighten
their effects. This is because as the unseasonably warm weather becomes the
norm, it can trigger the release of allergens earlier than usual. This means your
allergy symptoms may start earlier, and last longer, than they did in years
previous.

3. Food and Environmental Allergy Crossover
If you have food allergies, seasonal allergies may make them worse.
This is because seasonal allergies can overstimulate your immune system,
causing a significant increase in those mast cells mentioned earlier. This,
compounded with the mast cells your body is already releasing due to your food
allergies may turn you into a sneezing, sniffling mucous factory!
The same can be said for overexposure to certain foods. If the body is constantly
being exposed to the same foods, your body can develop an intolerance to them,
which causes the body to produce more of these mast cells.
The overproduction of mast cells can instigate an allergic reaction when exposed
to seasonal allergies. This can also explain how a person that had never had
seasonal allergies can suddenly develop them.
What Can I Do About It?
Through holistic nutrition, you can discover the types of food that are best for
you, and which you should avoid. After all, your allergy symptoms or intolerance
symptoms aren’t always obvious, and might not show up every time you eat the
offending food.
There’s a lot out there that can trigger symptoms of allergies or intolerances. The
good news, though, is that there are steps you can take which may help you
experience relief by addressing the root cause of your allergy symptoms. A
combination of educated nutritional advice and BIE therapy may be just what
you’re looking for!
Thanks for reading! Yours in holistic health and wellness, this is
Toronto nutritionist Evelina Hovich.
Evelina Hovich is a certified holistic nutritionist and BIE practitioner in Toronto,
Canada. She has helped her clients optimize their health, and manage a variety
of health issues including digestive problems, weight loss, food and
environmental allergies, and more. To discover more about Evelina's services,
read more of her articles, and find out how she can help you, visit her online:
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