photo credit: GollyGforce

WHAT IS THE UNDERLYING REASON FOR HAY FEVER THIS SEASON?

Spring is here, and along with it in many parts of the country come sneezes, itchy eyes and more. It’s called hay fever, a hyper-reaction of our immune systems to air-borne pollen from blooming plants and trees.

If you have hay fever, you are not alone. More than 26 million Americans suffer from hay fever symptoms, and 14.6 million Americans have asthma, which often accompanies hay fever.

The “hay fever season” is different for different people. Trees, grasses, and weeds produce pollen during different seasons. People who are sensitive to tree pollen may suffer in the early spring when trees are producing pollen. In the late spring and early summer, about half of all hay fever sufferers are affected by grass pollen. From midsummer to late fall, ragweed causes the most hay fever. Some people react to more than one type of pollen, so their “season” can be from early spring to the first frost.

There are many people who suffer from allergic reactions to dust and dust mites, mold and fungus spores, pets, furs, chemicals and a host of other airborne substances that attack their weakened immune systems all year long.

For both seasonal hay fever and year-round allergies, symptoms can include running nose, nasal congestion, postnasal drip, sneezing, itchy reddened eyes, conjunctivitis and sore throat. Allergies can affect the trachea and the lungs, causing shortness of breath, chest congestion, wheezing and asthma. Hay fever can even turn into an infection, and when severe, cause fever and headaches.

Treat the Cause, Not the Symptoms

Conventional therapies call for antihistamines, decongestants, oral steroids, and corticosteroid sprays, bronchodilator inhaler, and allergy injections. All of these just treat the symptoms and many have unpleasant side effects.

A growing number of hay fever sufferers are finding relief from alternative, drug-free approaches, such as Chiropractic adjustments, Acupuncture, and dietary changes to help boost immune systems.

Using a combination of natural remedies and alternative treatments such as acupuncture and chiropractic may be all you need to treat the cause of the hay fever, relieve the symptoms and even find a permanent improvement. The right combination of treatments can diagnose and treat the underlying imbalances that cause the allergies in the first place.

Posted by Erik Remmel, Remmel Wellness Center, a full service chiropractic and and wellness facility in St. Petersburg, Florida.

SOURCES: Acupuncture.com, April 2007, http://www.acupuncture.com/newsletters/m_apr07/main2.html;
American Lung Association, http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35050#seasons