What makes spring so beautiful for many people leads to misery for those who suffer from seasonal allergy symptoms. Fresh-cut grass, blooming trees and flowers, and weeds release pollen, causing seasonal allergies (also known as hay fever) in an estimated 40 million to 60 million people each year, or up to 20 percent of people living in certain countries.

Surveys have shown that when left untreated, seasonal allergy symptoms can become pretty miserable, affecting day-to-day activities and sometimes even spurring asthma attacks.

Treating hay fever symptoms can reduce asthma-related hospitalizations and emergencies.

How do you treat seasonal allergies? The good news is that natural allergy treatments can be as effective and, in many cases, even more effective than allergy medications.

Some of the best options for managing seasonal allergy symptoms include making changes to your diet to reduce common allergens and inflammatory foods, taking supplements that support your immune system, and ridding your home of allergy triggers.

What Are Seasonal Allergies?

Allergic rhinitis is the medical term for hay fever and seasonal allergies, which affects the nasal passageways. This condition is characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells within the mucosa and submucosa.

What months are allergy season? The time of the year that someone suffers from hay fever depends on the person’s specific triggers. Allergic rhinitis can occur not just in the spring, but throughout the summer and into the fall depending on the person.

While hay fever frequently begins at a young age, it can strike anyone at any time. Sometimes seasonal allergy symptoms fade over the years, only to reoccur later in life.

If you experience allergic rhinitis one location and move to a new area with different types of flora, your symptoms may go away or possibly get worse.

Pollen is one of the main causes of seasonal asthma. Every tree, flower and weed releases pollen, but not all individuals have heightened sensitivity or allergic reactions to all types of pollens.

It’s important to pay attention and recognize which things specifically trigger your hay fever symptoms. For some people, cottonwood trees and ragweed are the problems, while others struggle with grass.

Research indicates nearly 75 percent of people in the United States who suffer from seasonal allergies are allergic to ragweed. Unlike grass, trees and flowers that produce pollen in the spring and summer, pollen due to ragweed is often highest during the fall.

Nearly a third of ragweed allergy sufferers also experience allergic responses to certain foods. These include cucumbers, melons, zucchini, sunflower seeds, bananas and chamomile tea. (See below in the “Foods to Avoid” section.)

Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

What symptoms can seasonal allergies cause? The most common allergic rhinitis symptoms include:

• Stuffy nose/runny nose
• Post-nasal drip
• Excess mucus production
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Scratchy throat
• Tickle/irritation in the ears
• Decreased concentration and focus
• Decreased decision-making
• Exhaustion and sleep disorders
• Mood swings
• Irritability
• Low blood pressure
• Asthma
• Hives
• Eczema
• Middle ear infections

Hay fever can feel similar to a common cold or sinus infection, but colds and sinus infections come and go much more quickly than seasonal allergies. Allergies usually don’t go away until the pollen is dormant.

Someone suffering from seasonal allergies faces the same challenges season after season. When the allergen is pollen, mold or another airborne substance, the symptoms typically manifest in the lungs, nose and eyes.

Food allergies,on the other hand, most commonly affect the mouth and stomach and may cause skin rashes.

Researchers are at odds as to why this problem has worsened over the past 30 years but agree that allergies to pollen, mold and some foods are growing exponentially.

We know increased pollen counts are one of the health effects of climate change; In 2000, pollen counts registered at 8,455 grains per cubic meter. By 2040, that number is projected to be well over 20,000.

How do you know if you have bad allergies?

The same pollen and allergens that trigger seasonal allergy symptoms can sometimes cause more serious symptoms, such as asthma attacks that result in wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and difficulty breathing. This condition is referred to as allergy-induced asthma or allergic asthma.

People with compromised immune systems, COPD and other respiratory conditions also need to manage their seasonal allergy symptoms to prevent further complications. Changes in diet, natural supplements, essential oils and lifestyle changes can help, but it’s also smart to work with a doctor if you suffer from multiple conditions that affect your breathing.

Causes

As mentioned above, examples of allergy triggers that can cause hay fever symptoms include:

• pollen
• ragweed
• mold
• dust
• grass
• residue from trees and flowers

These triggers are most likely to lead to rhinitis symptoms when the weather is dry and warm.

Allergy symptoms are due to our bodies releasing histamine in response to an allergen. A strong immune system is therefore key to fighting seasonal allergies, since this helps control histamine release.

Did you know that your risk of suffering from seasonal allergy symptoms increases dramatically if you have certain underlying medical conditions? Asthma, unmanaged stress, deviated septum, nasal polyps, recent trauma or illness, pregnancy, and even food allergies can put you at heightened risk.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, allergies are actually disorders of the immune system. The body over-reacts to harmless substances and produces antibodies to attack the substance. This is what causes the symptoms.

You’re particularly susceptible to experiencing hay fever if you have:

• A weakened immune system
• Physical trauma or surgery
• Underlying illnesses
• High amounts of emotional and physical stress
• A lack of sleep
• You’re pregnant

Stress plays a big part in keeping up immune defenses, and unmanaged stress can lead to worsened allergic reactions.

Women who are pregnant — even those who’ve never suffered from allergies before — are more prone to allergic rhinitis. In fact, one in 100 pregnant women suffers from asthma during pregnancy, and many more suffer from hay fever.

Safely treating allergies during pregnancy can be difficult — most over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription allergy medications aren’t considered safe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Fortunately, there are numerous effective natural remedies that are safe, including for children, pregnant women and the elderly.

Natural Treatments

Limiting the time you spend outdoors can help relieve these symptoms of hay fever, but this isn’t the best solution. Who wants to spend their spring, summer and fall stuck indoors?

Allergies can’t completely be prevented, but allergic reactions typically can be — or can at least be reduced.

The treatment goal is to avoid contact with the allergen — however, this can be extremely difficult depending on your lifestyle.

Treating your allergies typically requires a multi-pronged attack, one that addresses your diet, lifestyle and natural treatments.

Foods to Avoid During Allergy Season:

Any foods that you are allergic to, or have sensitivity to, should be avoided. If you’re not sure how far-reaching your food sensitivities are, an elimination diet can help identify foods that can make your allergies worse.

Here are some common food allergens:

1. Alcohol
2. Caffeine
3. Conventional dairy
4. Chocolate
5. Peanuts
6. Sugar
7. Artificial sweeteners
8. Processed foods
9. Melons
10. Bananas
11. Cucumbers
12. Sunflower seeds
13. Shellfish
14. Bottled citrus juice
15. Echinacea
16. Chamomile
17. Wheat
18. Soy

In addition to those above, many common food preservatives — including sodium bisulfite, potassium bisulfite, sodium sulfite and artificial sweeteners — can contribute to your allergic rhinitis symptoms.

Avoid dried fruits, bottled citrus juice, shrimp and any highly processed foods. Many people also find relief when avoiding foods that cause mucus production — and it isn’t just dairy that contributes to mucus.

Conventional dairy, gluten, sugar, caffeinated beverages, as well as any foods that you have sensitivities to can worsen your reaction.

If you have a ragweed allergy, it’s important to avoid melons, bananas, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, echinacea and chamomile, as they can trigger allergic responses in your system. The goal of limiting foods that you have sensitivity to is to lighten the overall burden on your immune system and allow it to function more optimally.

Best Foods to Enjoy During Allergy Season:

The foods to avoid list may feel overwhelming, but fortunately, there are great-tasting foods that help relieve your symptoms while strengthening your immune system, including:

1. Raw local honey
2. Hot and spicy foods
3. Bone broth
4. Probiotic-rich foods
5. Pineapple
6. Apple cider vinegar
7. Fresh, organic vegetables
8. Grass-fed meats
9. Free-range poultry
10. Wild-caught fish

Raw local honey is at the top of this list for good reason. In a randomized, controlled study published in the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology, patients who consumed honey had significantly better control of their allergies compared to those on conventional allergy medications.

Local honey works to relieve symptoms because it contains local pollen that causes your allergies and helps the immune system deal with it better. A couple of tablespoons each day can relieve your itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and the general symptoms of hay fever.

If you are battling excessive mucus, heat things up by eating hot, spicy foods. Hot, spicy foods help thin the mucus and allow it to be more easily expressed.

Try adding garlic, onion, ginger, cinnamon and cayenne pepper to your recipes.

Bone broth from chicken, beef or lamb helps ease respiratory problems and expel excess nasal mucus. It also helps reduce inflammation.

Probiotic-rich foods support a healthy gut, improve digestion, increase energy levels and so much more. Probiotic foods to eat during allergy season include:

• Kefir
• Sauerkraut or kimchi
• Kombucha
• Natto
• Yogurt
• Raw cheese

If you experience excessive mucus production, consume raw, organic dairy products, as the pasteurization process destroys the enzymes the body need.

The enzyme bromelain found in pineapple, in addition to high levels of vitamins B, C and other essential nutrients, can help reduce your reaction to allergens. Be sure to eat the core of fresh, ripe pineapples, as it has the highest concentration of the essential nutrients you need during allergy season.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) supports a healthy gut and helps break up mucus and support lymphatic drainage. Three times per day, mix one tablespoon of ACV with one tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a half-tablespoon of local raw honey, and drink it.

Fresh, organic vegetables — including Swiss chard, which is high in quercetin, cabbage, beets, carrots and yams — can help you fight allergic reactions. Choose vegetables that are dark green, yellow or orange for the best nutrient density during allergy season.

Clean proteins, including wild-caught salmon, free-range poultry and organic grass-fed beef and lamb, are important, too. Wild salmon is rich in vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, essential minerals and, of course, protein.

If you haven’t yet made the switch to these types of clean proteins, allergy season is the perfect time.

Other foods to enjoy during hay fever season including ginger, garlic, horseradish and onions. Ginger can be particularly helpful as it helps warm the body and break down toxins in your system.

Best Supplements for Allergy Symptoms:

It’s best to start supplements 30–60 days in advance of allergy season for the best results. Recent research shows that spirulina, butterbur and phototherapy hold promise in treating the symptoms of seasonal allergies.

• Spirulina — 1 teaspoon per day: Spirulina helps stop the release of histamine that causes symptoms. Consumption of spirulina was shown to significantly improve symptoms, including nasal discharge, sneezing, nasal congestion and itching, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
• Quercetin — 1,000 milligrams per day: Research shows that quercetin, the flavonoid that gives fruits and vegetables their rich color, stops the production and release of histamine. Please note that quercetin may interfere with certain medications, including antibiotics, cyclosporine and other medications changed by the liver.
• Butterbur — 500 milligrams per day: Butterbur has traditionally been used to treat bronchitis, excess mucus and asthma. In a recent study of hay fever sufferers, it also was found to be as effective as some allergic rhinitis medications. However, young children and pregnant or breast-feeding women should not take butterbur supplements.
• Probiotics — 50 billion international units (2–6 capsules) per day: Probiotics modify the intestinal flora in the gut and help boost the immune system — plus they show promise in the treatment and prevention of allergies. While studies using probiotics are still in the early stages, another study from the European Annals of Allergy and Clinical Immunology supports findings that probiotics can be an effective allergy treatment.
• Vitamin A — 2,000 micrograms per day: Vitamin A helps fight inflammation and has antihistamine properties.
• Bromelain — 1,000 milligrams per day: Bromelain, the enzyme in pineapple, helps reduce swelling in the nose and sinuses, helping relieve hay fever symptoms.
• Zinc — 30 milligrams per day: Zinc helps treat adrenal fatigue caused by chronic stress.
• Stinging Nettle — 300–500 milligrams twice per day: Stinging nettle contains antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the body’s production of symptom-causing histamine. If you take lithium, sedatives, blood-thinning medications, or medication for diabetes or high blood pressure, be aware that stinging nettle can cause adverse interactions with these medications.

Complementary Natural Treatments:

These complementary approaches can help you feel better overall when partnered with a healthy diet and supplements.

• Neti Pot — Using a Neti pot is a very effective way to flush out mucus. Once or twice daily, use warm, filtered water or distilled water with a touch of salt to flush your nasal passages for relief.
• Essential Oils — Diffusing essential oils, including menthol, eucalyptus, lavender and peppermint oil, helps open up the nasal passages and lungs, improves circulation, and relieves stress. Try this homemade vapor rub when you have excess congestion and mucus.
• Acupuncture — Acupuncture may help reduce symptoms associated with seasonal allergies without side effects. Prior to allergy season, meet with an acupuncturist to determine the best course of action.

Lifestyle Changes for Allergy Season:

1. Stay hydrated. Drink eight to 10 glasses of fresh water each day. If you get dehydrated, any mucus you have will become much more difficult to expel.
2. Limit exposure. On high pollen count days, or days that are particularly dusty or windy, limit your exposure. Wear a mask if you cannot limit your time outdoors.
3. Shower before bed. Pollen and dust left on your skin and in your hair overnight can make your symptoms worse.
4. Wash clothes and bedding. Freshly laundered bedding and clothes help reduce incidental exposure to allergens.
5. Wipe down pets. Pets that spend time outdoors come into the home covered in pollen. Wipe them down with a damp washcloth to limit your exposure to pollen and dust.
6. Replace carpeted areas with hard-surfaced flooring. Carpet attracts and keeps dust and pollen that is nearly difficult to remove with a vacuum. If you have significant seasonal allergy symptoms, you could benefit from replacing your carpet with an easy-to-clean surface.
7. De-clutter. Clutter can increase house dust and allergens, which make your seasonal allergy symptoms worse. Remove clutter, especially from your bedroom, for the best results.
8. Keep doors and windows closed. When pollen counts are high, or on dusty days, keep your doors and windows closed to limit exposure.

Risks and Side Effects

Antihistamines, corticosteroids and decongestants, as well as other OTC allergy medications, such as nasal sprays and allergy shots, are most often prescribed by doctors to counteract the effects of histamines produced by the body. However, they do have side effects, and sometimes they take weeks to begin working.

The most common side effects caused by allergy medications include:

• Drowsiness
• Impaired performance
• Dryness of the eyes, nose and mouth
• Restlessness
• Abdominal distress
• Unusual bleeding and bruising
• Heart palpitations
• Insomnia

In children, side effects include:

• Nightmares
• Over-excitability
• Upset stomach
• Impaired cognitive function

Pharmaceutical allergy medicines, such as nasal sprays and allergy shots, simply aren’t for everyone. Remember, they don’t cure the allergies — they just treat the symptoms.

In fact, many aren’t recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or those with high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney or liver disease, glaucoma, or with thyroid problems.

Conclusion

• Allergic reactions, including allergic rhinitis and food allergies, have dramatically increased over the last several decades.
• Common hay fever symptoms can include having a stuffy nose, sinus pain, headaches, fatigue, itchy throat, watery eyes and more.
• Medications may provide some relief but usually not as well as natural remedies. Plus, they don’t solve the underlying causes.
• Treating allergies takes patience and a combination of tactics. Start now by removing foods you are sensitive to, eating foods that boost your immune system, managing stress, and incorporating supplements and complementary treatments into your routine.

The post Hay Fever: Natural Ways to Treat Seasonal Allergy Symptoms appeared first on Dr. Axe.

A neti pot is used for nasal irrigation. Nasal irrigation may sound strange, but it’s simply the act of flushing out your nasal cavity.

A neti pot allows a user to do just that quickly and efficiently with a solution of purified water and salt. Yes, that’s right — just two simple ingredients.

If mucus or allergens are clogging up and irritating your nose, a neti pot may be just what the doctor ordered. In fact, many doctors recommend using a neti pot for general nasal congestion as well as colds, allergies and sinus infections.

According to a study of 330 actively practicing family physicians in Wisconsin, 87 percent recommended saline nasal irrigation (which is what you do with a neti pot) as part of their treatment recommendations for the following health issues:

• chronic sinus infections (91 percent)
• acute bacterial sinus infections (67 percent)
• rhinitis (stuffy nose) resulting from seasonal allergies (66 percent)
• viral upper respiratory infections (59 percent)
• other allergic rhinitis (48 percent)
• irritant-based congestion (48 percent)
• rhinitis due to pregnancy (17 percent)

In addition to breathing easier through their noses, many neti pot users also report a better sense of smell and taste after a neti pot session. According to doctors at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, neti pots are typically safe as long as they are used and cleaned in the proper manner.

What Is a Neti Pot?

A neti pot is a device that cleanses and refreshes the nasal passages. Neti pots are usually plastic or ceramic, and they resemble a small teapot.

The neti pot has its origin in Ayurvedic medicine. “Neti” is actually Sanskrit for “nasal cleansing.”

How do neti pots work? By design, a neti pot enables its user to pour a nasal rinse into the nostrils in such a way that it flushes out irritants and thins out mucus. This typically leads to less congestion and easier breathing through the nose.

A neti pot acts as somewhat of a booster for your body’s own natural operations. What do I mean by that?

Microscopic, hair-like structures called cilia line your nasal cavity and the surrounding sinuses. Cilia help usher mucus out of your nose.

Nasal irrigation with a saline solution is said to help the cilia work better at getting rid of mucus and unwanted particles (like dust, pollen, etc.) that often lead to sinus issues.

A neti pot is filled with purified water and salt or salt-based mixture specifically designed for neti pot use. It’s also super easy to create your own homemade neti pot solution (recipe coming later in this article).

You may be wondering why you can’t use water by itself in your neti pot. The interesting fact is that using water alone can actually irritate the inside of your nostrils. Adding salt to purified water permits the water to travel through the sensitive membranes of the nasal passages with very little to no burning sensations.

Benefits

1. Congested Sinuses

In India, flushing warm salty water through the nasal cavities has been used for centuries to help with nasal congestion as well as allergies. Sometimes we can experience sinus congestion due to environmental irritants, including dust, pollen, chemicals or synthetic fragrances.

In general, a neti pot is an excellent tool to perform nasal irrigation and reduce general sinus congestion. Whatever the cause, neti pots are best known to help get the inside of your nose in a healthier, less irritated state by flushing out any unwanted invaders and excess mucus.

2. Colds

One of the most classic unwanted symptoms of the common cold is nasal congestion. It can also be accompanied by sinus headache and facial pain.

When you use a neti pot for a stuffy nose due to a cold, you can thin out the mucus so it can drain out more easily. This can help relieve multiple cold symptoms. In addition to using a neti pot, you should also drink a lot of water to help break up mucus.

3. Sinus Infections

Not only can using a neti pot help with an acute sinus infection, but it can even provide relief for chronic sinusitis.

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal revealed that patients suffering from chronic sinus infections were able to improve their symptoms and maintain positive outcomes for six months. The study subjects not only got relief from sinus congestion, but they also experienced fewer headaches and resorted to over-the-counter medicines a lot less.

Dr. Richard J. Harvey, a professor of rhinology at Macquarie University, also points out that higher-volume neti pots definitely trump nasal sprays. This is because the neti pot actually accomplishes true nasal irrigation, removing irritants as well as excess mucus.

4. Allergies

If you’re one of the millions of people that suffer with allergies on a yearly basis, when your season comes around it’s a good idea to get out your neti pot. Seasonal allergy symptoms commonly include nasal congestion and post-nasal drip.

A 2010 scientific review published in the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy confirms that nasal irrigation with a saline solution is a safe and inexpensive way to improve a stuffy nose caused by allergies. It also improves overall quality of life for the allergy sufferer and leads to less of a need for allergy medications.

5. Pregnancy-Related Sinus Issues

For some women, pregnancy brings on much more than food cravings and fatigue. Thanks to hormonal chances, some pregnant women also commonly experience nasal congestion.

Pregnancy experts like the American Pregnancy Association and the Mayo Clinic commonly recommend nasal irrigation as a safe and effective home remedy to improve general congestion as well as congestion due to sinus infections and allergies for moms-to-be.

6. Snoring

If sinus congestion causes snoring, guess what — a neti pot can help unclog your nose. Once you get rid of the congestion, you are likely to get rid of your unwanted snoring habit. A neti pot may be just the ticket to a snore-free sleep for some and may even help you stop mouth breathing.

How to Use Safely

It’s absolutely essential that you use a recommended and safe water source in your neti pot. According to the FDA, these are the only acceptable water options for a neti pot:

• Distilled or sterile water (the label will indicate “distilled” or “sterile”), which you can purchase in stores.
• Tap water that’s boiled for at least three to five minutes and then allowed to cool so it’s lukewarm before use.
• Previously boiled water stored in a clean, closed container for up to 24 hours.
• Water that has gone through a filter specifically designed to trap potentially infectious organisms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention filter recommendations include one that has an “absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller” or a label that reads “NSF 53” or “NSF 58.”

When it comes to the solution, you can buy a premade sinus rinse, or you can make your own homemade neti pot solution. Simply combine one cup of purified (see list above) water with a quarter teaspoon to a half teaspoon of non-iodized salt. You can also include a pinch of baking soda if you would like.

If you use two cups of water, then double the amount of salt and baking soda.

It is vital that you don’t use a salt in your neti pot that contains any additional ingredients. You only want one ingredient in the salt that you use to make a homemade neti pot solution: salt.

A healthy solution is said to mimic the salt-to-water balance of your body’s own tissues. You can use sea salt, kosher salt or a plain cooking salt for your solution.

Once you have your nasal rinse solution in your neti pot and your hands washed and dried, you are ready to use your neti pot.

How to use a neti pot:

1. Lean forward over a sink, and tilt your head sideways (about a 45-degree angle). Place the neti pot’s spout in the upper nostril (the one closer to the ceiling).
2. As you breathe through your open mouth, slowly pour the neti pot’s contents into that upper nostril. You will immediately see the neti pot solution begin to come out of the lower nostril. This is a good thing — the nasal irrigation has officially begun!
3. Simply repeat on the other side. Aim to use about half of the neti pot’s contents in each nostril.

The whole process doesn’t take more than around five minutes so it’s not a big time obligation. In terms of messiness, you definitely want to lean over a sink because you will have liquid coming out of your nostrils.

After some practice, you probably won’t get your clothes wet. In the beginning, you may have a few water spots after you’re done. Don’t worry, they’ll dry quickly and won’t stain.

Common Mistakes and Risks

The No. 1 risk when it comes to neti pots is using a dangerous water source. By dangerous, I mean water that contains bacteria.

This can happen if you use tap water in your neti pot that has not been boiled and cooled first. ALWAYS use recommended water sources, and don’t take any chances whatsoever.

A neti pot death can occur if you use water infected with deadly bacteria. In 2011, there were at least two deaths in the United States due to improper neti pot use. Both deaths were the result of using tap water contaminated with Naegleria fowleri, a very fatal type of bacteria.

Naegleria fowleri causes the brain infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Symptoms of PAM usually begin one to nine days after infection.

At first symptoms can include headache, fever, nausea or vomiting. Later stage symptoms may include stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance, seizures, and hallucinations.

The disease tends to rapidly get worse and typically leads to death within about five days of onset. This is not meant to freak you out, but there truly is a very good and scary reason why you don’t want to mess around with the water you use in your neti pot.

In addition to using purified water, it is absolutely essential that you keep your neti pot extremely clean. Every single time you use it, clean it thoroughly with the same high quality of water that you used in it to prevent any bacteria.

It is also important to allow your neti pot to air dry completely between uses or to dry it well with paper towels. If your neti pot is dishwasher-safe, you can put it through the dishwasher every so often.

Make sure to wash and dry your hands before using your neti pot to remove any germs.

Neti pots are like toothbrushes: They should never be shared. Of course, it would be more cost-effective to share a neti pot with your family members, but it is not the safe or sanitary thing to do.

Another common mistake with neti pots is to overuse them. As with many natural remedies, overdoing it does not lead to better results — in fact, it can actually cause more problems.

A 2009 study found that a short-term practice of nasal irrigation can be helpful and therapeutic, but long-term use can actually be harmful. It’s theorized that using a neti pot too routinely may remove some of the essential protective elements of the mucus membranes that line the nasal passages and sinuses.

That is definitely not what you want, so make sure not to overuse your neti pot.

Neti pots are not recommend for infants.

If you experience any discomfort or unwanted side effects after using a neti pot, discontinue use, and seek medical attention.

Conclusion

• It’s pretty awesome that a little teapot-like vessel and some salty water can offer such easy and fast relief for nasal congestion. Using a neti pot is not hard to do, and it’s not expensive. Plus, it’s not meant to be done too often.
• When used appropriately, even the conventional medicine world agrees with holistic and Ayurvedic medicine practitioners. Neti pots are awesome at relieving nasal congestion for all kinds of reasons, including allergies, the common cold, sinus infections and pregnancy.
• The scientific studies are also there to back up this century-old nasal irrigation tool. Just remember to use the right kind of salt (no additives!) with a safe, purified water in a properly cleaned neti pot.
• If you have nasal congestion, get your neti pot out. In under five minutes, you are likely to be breathing a lot (or at least a little) easier!

The post Neti Pot: 6 Health Benefits of Nasal Irrigation + How to Use One Safely appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Did you know that milk is one of the most common food allergens in existence? It’s estimated that between 2–3 percent of children under the age of 3 have a milk allergy. Experts used to think that these were just temporary baby allergies or infant allergies and kids would outgrow their dairy allergy once they were 3 years old. But research has shown this isn’t necessarily the case.

In fact, at least one study has demonstrated that less than 20 percent of children outgrew their milk allergy by time they turned 4 years old. While 80 percent may outgrow it by the age of 16, that’s still leaving a whole lot of adults who are dealing with a milk allergy for the rest of their lives.

The good news is that there are a lot of natural ways to deal with this common food allergy.

What Is a Milk Allergy?

Before we define a milk allergy, which is also known as a dairy allergy, let’s talk about just what is milk? Milk can be defined as a white liquid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals, which typically nourishes infant mammals for a period of time starting immediately after birth.

The majority of the milk and milk products consumed in Western countries, including the United States, come from cows.

A milk allergy is an abnormal response by the body’s immune system when it is exposed to milk or products containing milk. Someone who is allergic to cow’s milk is reacting badly to one or more of the proteins in it. The offending milk protein can be casein (a casein allergy) or whey (a whey protein allergy). Some people with milk allergies are allergic to both casein and whey.

Cow’s milk is the common cause of most people’s milk allergy, but the milk that comes from sheep, goats, buffalo and other milk-producing mammals can also cause milk allergy symptoms. Whenever someone with a milk allergy consumes milk or milk products, the body sees the protein(s) as dangerous intruders.

The immune system then goes into overdrive trying to fend off the “intruder.” This is what causes the allergic reaction and unpleasant allergy symptoms as chemicals like histamine are released into the body. An allergic reaction to milk usually occurs within minutes to hours after consuming milk or products that contain milk.

Immunoglobulin E, or IgE, is an antibody normally found in humans that causes allergy symptoms. An allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) blood test can be conducted to determine if a child or adult is allergic to a particular substance such as milk.

Milk Allergy Vs. Milk Intolerance

Both an allergy and an intolerance to milk can cause unpleasant digestive complaints. How do you know if you are truly allergic to milk and dairy or if you are just intolerant or sensitive?

Typically, a food allergy comes on suddenly and can be much more dangerous and even fatal. With a milk allergy, consuming just a little bit of dairy can trigger a reaction while an intolerance can require eating a lot of dairy.

So it’s possible not to be allergic to milk but to either have a milk protein intolerance or lactose intolerance. Symptoms of a lactose intolerance or a milk protein intolerance can include the following digestive complains after consuming milk or products containing milk: bloating, gas or diarrhea.

All milk from mammals is naturally lactose milk, meaning it contains the milk sugar lactose. People with lactose intolerance often consume lactose-free milks. People with a milk allergy cannot even tolerate lactose-free milk.

Someone with a milk allergy has an immune system that treats dairy products as dangerous invaders. Meanwhile, lactose intolerance involves the digestive system. Someone who is considered lactose intolerant is deficient in the enzyme lactase, which is responsible for breaking down the sugar in milk called lactose. An individual with a milk protein sensitivity or intolerance has trouble breaking down the protein in milk called casein.

Symptoms

When you have a a milk allergy, you may notice unpleasant symptoms within just a few minutes after having dairy. Or it could take up to a few hours. An allergic response to dairy can vary by individual.

Either way, symptoms of dairy allergy are not pleasant. People with a cow’s milk allergy may also be allergic to the milk of other domesticated mammals such as goat’s milk or sheep’s milk.

Immediate milk allergy symptoms to look for (they’ll occur right after drinking milk or another product containing dairy):

• Wheezing
• Hives
• Vomiting

Some symptoms of milk allergy aren’t immediate and take time to appear. These later-onset dairy allergy symptoms can include:

• Abdominal cramps
• Loose stools, which may contain blood
• Diarrhea
• Coughing or wheezing
• Runny nose
• Watery eyes
• Itchy milk allergy rash on the skin, commonly found around the mouth
• Colic (in babies)

Causes

So what exactly causes a milk allergy? A milk allergy, like all food allergies, is caused by the malfunctioning of the body’s immune system. With a milk allergy, the immune system views milk proteins as hazardous invaders. Once a milk product is consumed, the immune system triggers the release of IgE antibodies with the goal of counteracting the allergens, which in this case would be the milk proteins.

Cow’s milk contains two proteins that are involved in a milk allergy, which are casein and whey. When you have a milk allergy you can be allergic to just one or both of these milk proteins. Casein is the curd or solid part of milk while whey is the liquid part of milk that remains after milk has been curdled and strained.

Certain factors may increase the risk of developing a milk allergy including: (10)

• Age: It’s more common for children to have a milk allergy.
• Family history: The risk of having a food allergy such as a milk allergy is greater if one or both of your parents have a food allergy or another kind of allergy including hay fever, eczema or asthma.
• Other allergies: Many children allergic to milk also have other allergies. Milk allergy is often the first to develop.
• Atopic dermatitis: Children who have atopic dermatitis, also commonly known as eczema, are much more likely to develop a food allergy.

Conventional Treatment

There is currently no cure for milk allergy. Allergen immunotherapies for treating food allergies are in the works, but oral immunotherapy has not been approved for any food allergy in the U.S. to date. Researchers have already experimented with some success on how oral immunotherapy may be able to help treat a milk allergy.

It’s recommended that you speak with your doctor about how bad your milk allergy is and what foods you should avoid. Conventional medical resources will also tell you that the only way to prevent an allergic reaction to milk is to avoid milk products in the first place. So to avoid the cause of the allergy is the best treatment.

The severity of a milk allergy can also vary from person to person. For example, some milk allergy sufferers can tolerate milk in certain forms such as yogurt or the heated milk in baked foods. If you or your child has a milk allergy, antihistamines are conventionally recommend for mild milk allergy symptoms in the case of accidental milk consumption.

For babies, the best cow’s milk allergy formula alternative is always breast milk but conventional doctors may recommend vitamin and mineral enriched soy-based formulas.

How to Manage a Milk Allergy

1. Follow a Dairy-Free Diet

Following a truly dairy-free diet is the surest way to avoid milk allergy symptoms. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, “Avoidance of milk or items containing milk products is the only way to manage a milk allergy.” (14)

So the best way to deal with a milk allergy from both a conventional and natural perspective is to avoid dairy products and also any other products that contain milk protein. Looking at a list of dairy products can be helpful if you’re not sure what to avoid. It’s always key to read food labels, even of dairy-free foods because not all of them are truly dairy-free!

2. Know the Obvious Things to Avoid

You can’t follow a dairy-free diet if you don’t educate yourself on what you need to avoid. If you have a milk allergy, it’s not just milk you have to abstain from. For example, is butter dairy? Yes, it is.

There are a lot of products that you may or may not expect to be on the list of foods that contain dairy. You also need to avoid products that contain milk or any of the ingredients below if you want to steer clear of an allergic reaction.

If you have a milk allergy, you should avoid foods that contain milk or any of these ingredients:

• Butter, butter fat, butter oil, butter acid, butter ester(s)
• Buttermilk
• Casein
• Casein hydrolysate
• Caseinates (in all forms)
• Cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Cream
• Curds
• Custard
• Diacetyl
• Ghee
• Half and half
• Lactalbumin
• Lactalbumin phosphate
• Lactoferrin
• Lactose
• Lactulose
• Milk (in all forms including condensed, derivative, dry, evaporated, cow’s milk and milk from other animals, low-fat, malted, milkfat, non-fat, powder, protein, skimmed, solids, whole)
• Milk protein hydrolysate
• Rennet casein
• Sour cream
• Whey (in all forms)
• Yogurt

This is not a complete dairy products list, but it includes a lot of common offending milk products and milk-based ingredients.

3. Know the Less Obvious Things to Avoid

There are other less obvious sources of milk such as chocolate, baked goods, candies and artificial butter flavor, for example. Then there are some really unexpected products that may contain milk, like canned tuna (some brands contain casein), shellfish (can be dipped in milk to reduce fishy odors) and processed meat products like cold cuts are known to contain the milk protein casein as a binder.

Is potassium lactate dairy? Potassium lactate is the potassium salt of lactic acid. According to the FDA, it is added to foods as a flavor enhancer or flavor agent. ]

4. Beware of Seemingly Safe “Dairy-free” Foods

“Dairy-free” products may still contain milk derivatives, which are problematic for people with a milk allergy. A milk derivative is defined as a substance that can be made or obtained from milk. These “dairy-free” products are meant for people with lactose intolerance rather than people with an actual milk allergy.

Examples of milk derivatives include things like casein and whey, which are known for being at the root of a milk allergy. If you have a milk allergy, then it’s really important that you fully read labels. Even if something claims to be “dairy-free” or “non-dairy,” neither label has a regulatory definition in the U.S. For example, coffee creamers labeled “non-dairy” are commonly made from caseinate, a milk protein.

5. Use Truly Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives

There a lot of alternatives to animal-derived milk these days. Some of my favorite dairy-free milk options include coconut milk and almond milk.  Just make sure that you opt for unsweetened versions of these milks so you don’t overdo it on sugar.  Store-bought almond milk typically includes significant amounts of vitamin E, vitamin D and calcium.

Coconut milk is another tasty dairy-free milk option that is loaded with healthy fats. It also contains important nutrients like manganese, iron, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, copper, magnesium and more in each serving.

6. Breast-Feeding for Babies

According to Mayo Clinic, “Breast-feeding is the best source of nutrition for your child. Breast-feeding for at least the first four to six months of life if possible is recommended, especially if your infant is at high risk of developing a milk allergy.”

Dr. Axe highly recommends skipping soy-based formulas and breast-feeding if you can.

7. Cook at Home with Whole Foods

One of the best ways to steer clear of milk is to make more of what you eat at home and use whole foods. This way you not only know what is going into your meals, but you also can pretty much know exactly what the ingredients you are using truly contain. Using whole food ingredients avoids the ambiguity of food labels and manufacturers of processed foods.

Precautions and Possible Complications

If you or a loved one has a milk allergy then it is essential to always read the entire ingredient label of foods and beverages before consumption. Sometimes milk or milk-derived ingredients are within the list of the ingredients. Other times, milk may be listed in a “Contains: Milk” statement located underneath the regular list of ingredients.

It’s also important to note that food manufacturers voluntarily choose whether or not to include advisory statements such as “may contain milk” or “made in a facility with milk.” Ask your health professional if it is safe for you to eat products with such warnings, which are not currently required by federal labeling law. In general, speak with your health professional if you’re ever feeling unsure about whether or not a certain food item is problematic.

If you or your child experiences anaphylaxis (a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction) to milk, use an epinephrine injection and get emergency medical care immediately. If you know that you or your child have the risk of experiencing anaphylaxis, then your doctor will probably recommend having injectable epinephrine, such as EpiPen, on hand at all times.

Children with a milk allergy are also more likely to develop hay fever as well as allergies to other foods such as peanuts, soy, eggs or even beef.

Final Thoughts

• It’s not fun dealing with a food allergy, especially when it’s something found in so many foods, but try not to be discouraged. Thankfully, there are now so many delicious and healthy alternatives to cow’s milk.
• There are also a lot of food manufacturers and restaurants that are being a lot more thoughtful when it comes to people’s food allergies, and it’s easier to find dairy-free options these days.
• In general, the best natural and conventional way to treat a milk allergy is to avoid milk and other dairy products in the first place. This is the only sure way to avoid an allergic reaction.

The post Milk Allergy Symptoms & 7 Natural Ways to Manage appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Add “bothersome sneezing and watery eyes” to the list of ways the pandemic may be affecting your quality of life. All that hand sanitizing and social distancing you’ve been doing may contribute to more severe symptoms this allergy season.

It’s called the hygiene hypothesis. Most of us haven’t been exposed to typical amounts of viruses or bacteria over the last year or two. When that happens, your immune system can become dysregulated. Once you are re-exposed to seasonal allergens, it is possible your immune response will overreact and your symptoms will be a whole lot worse than usual. That’s simply how the immune system works.

How to Be Prepared Ahead of Peak Allergy Season

Pollen, and other airborne allergens, causes cells in the immune system to release histamines. Those histamines trigger everything from itchy eyes and throat to a runny nose.

If you want to try avoiding the primary causes of your seasonal allergies, testing can help identify the culprits. In addition to the familiar skin scratch tests, there are blood tests for allergies and sensitivities. But 100 percent avoidance may not always be possible. Instead, there are safe, natural solutions to reduce your exposure to allergens and keep annoying symptoms from disrupting your life. The trick is catching them early.

By the time most people seek help, they’re miserable from a full-blown allergy attack, and vasoconstrictor eye drops and antihistamines (with all their many side effects) may be their only options. In the case of conventional eye drops, those can overdry your eyes so you’re exchanging one uncomfortable symptom with another.

How to enjoy more freedom from allergy symptoms:

1. Minimize your exposure to inflammatory agents

Allergic reactions can contribute to inflammation, which can lead to a whole host of other issues including speeding the aging process. This isn’t to say that inhaling tree pollen will cause premature aging, but it makes sense to avoid bombarding your immune system with other inflammatory agents such as sugar and white flour that promote inflammatory cytokines. Also steer clear of excessive alcohol and smoke.

2. Choose homeopathic solutions

Homeopathic products, such as Similasan Allergy Eye Relief eye drops, activate your body’s own defense mechanisms to address the underlying problem. Similasan contains only natural active ingredients (no dyes, chemical vasoconstrictors, decongestants or steroids). That means, for example, the eye drops can be used as often as needed.

3. Start eating more brightly colored fruits and vegetables

The mast cells (part of the body’s immune system) react to allergies by releasing histamines, which cause itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, etc. There’s a ton of research showing that the quercetin in some foods helps stabilize the mast cells before they start releasing histamines. Common quercetin-rich foods include apples and onions.

4. But avoid foods that may cause allergy cross reactivity

This occurs when proteins in pollen are similar to the proteins found in a particular food. Tree nuts also demonstrate cross-reactivity. This causes tingling and unpleasant itching in the mouth, throat and lips, as well as an irritated GI. Although not life threatening, it’s actually more common than peanut, milk, egg and fish allergy occurring in about 10 percent of the population.

If you have an allergy to tree pollen (especially Birch) then you likely have a cross reactivity to: apples, plums, kiwis, carrots, celery, potatoes, hazelnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and even spices such as oregano, basil and dill. These may need to be avoided. If your allergy stems from grass pollen you may want to avoid melons, oranges, kiwi, tomatoes and peanuts, among others.

Other Tips for Reducing Seasonal Allergies

• Be aware that some health products may be bad for allergy sufferers. For those reactive to ragweed, serious cross-reactions are possible from consuming chamomile, honey and echinacea. This is not oral allergy syndrome, however. In this case, it’s because they belong to the same botanical family.
• Remove outdoor allergens once you come home. Change your clothes. Wash your hair. Put your pillow and pillow case in the dryer to remove dust and pollen. And use a saline flush to safely remove allergens from your nasal passages.
• Understand that allergens are everywhere! It’s a common misconception that allergens are seasonal and only encountered outdoors. Your indoor air (home, car and office) is often more polluted. Plus, even if you don’t see yellow dust, microscopic outdoor allergens can cling to your hair and clothing. You may be carrying them with you throughout your day.
• Wear sunglasses and a hat. These will help keep allergens from getting into your eyes and clinging to your hair.
• Replace your home filters and vehicle’s interior cabin air filter. If you can afford to, install a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter on your furnace. This type of air filter can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns.
• When it comes to your car, most people are unaware they even have these filters, which trap pollen, dust and other airborne particles. They typically need to be replaced every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. And if you drive on dirt roads, you may want to replace yours more frequently.

Conclusion

Allergies don’t have to be a no-win battle. The key is to change your behavior before symptoms become severe. That way, you can help your body respond more effectively when it is exposed to allergens and finally enjoy all the good things that the season has to offer.

Bryce Wylde, BSc (Hon), DHMHS, is a leading health expert specializing in integrative and functional medicine, homeopathy, clinical nutrition, and supplementation. As associate medical director at P3 Health in Toronto, and director of My Health Report, he blends the latest in science and technology with traditional and ancient remedies. Wylde is the author of three national best-selling books, previous host of CTV’s Wylde on Health, and is a frequent guest health expert on U.S. and Canadian TV.

The post 4 Natural Solutions for Peak Allergy Season appeared first on Dr. Axe.

New research released this spring is nothing to sneeze at: Allergies and asthma are linked to heart disease, although the exact cause of the connection isn’t definitive. In fact, it could be a combination of factors.

News of this finding is far-reaching and could impact a large portion of the population. In America, 25 million Americans are currently living with asthma, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s one in 12 people — nearly 8 percent of the population.

Allergies are even more widespread: More than 50 million Americans currently suffer from allergies, including hay fever, skin and food allergies.

Study Findings: Allergies, Asthma Linked to Heart Disease

The study, published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, included about 10,000 adults with at least one allergic disorder. This included asthma, along with respiratory, digestive and skin allergies.

Researchers mined the data from the National Health Interview Survey, a well-known cross-sectional survey of the U.S. population.

Here are some of the key findings:

• Having an allergic disorder was linked to a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and coronary heart disease.
• The risk of high blood pressure was most pronounced in people ages 18 to 57; higher coronary heart disease was most common in those 39 to 57, particularly in Black men.
• While allergies did increase the risk, asthma was a more potent predictor of high blood pressure and heart disease.

While more research is needed, the study authors cautioned, some public health experts believe the findings warrant keeping a closer eye on heart health in people dealing with allergies and asthma.

“For patients with allergic disorders, routine evaluation of blood pressure and routine examination for coronary heart disease should be given by clinicians to ensure early treatments are given to those with hypertension or coronary heart disease,” lead study author Yang Guo, Ph.D., of the Institute of Dermatology at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, said in a statement.

How to Manage Allergies, Asthma

Allergies and asthma may affect the cardiovascular system in different ways. For instance, previous research published in 2020 found asthma increases a person’s risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a risk factor for stroke.

Although inflammation was thought to be the initial culprit, that didn’t necessarily play out in the research, leading the research team to say, “There may be specific unique patterns of inflammation not identified or even other non-inflammatory pathways that may be driving an increased risk.”

Some of the medications used for asthma and allergies could also impact heart disease risk. Those containing pseudoephedrine or similar ingredients can increase blood pressure and heart rate, which could be particularly harmful for people with heart disease.

People with or at risk for heart disease should consult with a health care provider if taking anti-histamine allergy drugs, since some can have cardiac-related side effects.

If you’re someone dealing with allergy and/or asthma symptoms, there are complementary ways to help bring relief, in addition to your medicine.

Home remedies for asthma and allergies includes things like:

• Eating a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables
• Making sure cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts and broccoli are part of your meals
• Getting enough fatty acids rich in omega-3s
• Eating foods rich in vitamin B5, like shiitake mushrooms and avocados
• Avoiding processed foods as much as possible
• Doing the elimination diet to find out your food triggers
• Avoiding fragranced products, including things like scented air fresheners, cleaning products perfumes, colognes, candles and laundry detergents

How to Protect Your Heart

The dietary recommendations above will also benefit your heart, and while focusing on your diet and movement can go a long way to improving your heart health, you should focus on your connections with others, as well.

Even loneliness can impact your heart in negative ways, so consider becoming part of a social circle that cooks healthy meals together, a community garden, or a neighborhood group that goes for walks or wheelchair outings for increased social stimulation, healthier meals and more exercise.

Conclusion

• A new study supplied more evidence to the idea that allergies and asthma can increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease.
• If you take allergy medicine and are dealing allergies and/or asthma, you may want to ask for additional heart monitoring.
• There are many ways to reduce asthma and allergy symptoms, including eating healthier, finding allergy triggers and avoiding fragranced products, among others.

The post Allergies, Asthma Linked to Heart Disease appeared first on Dr. Axe.

According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, one in five people, or an estimated 50 million Americans, suffer from some type of allergies. The chances are high that you or someone you know deals with ongoing allergies, whether seasonal allergies, food allergies or another type, and could use allergy relief at least from time to time.

Most people who struggle to find allergy relief go to the doctor to be treated and/or are routinely given pharmaceuticals ranging from acetaminophens to antihistamines, both of which may actually further aggravate the symptoms they were given for.  If you prefer not to take prescriptions to keep your symptoms under a control, what can help allergies at home?

Home remedies for allergies — including symptoms like congested sinuses, headaches, and watery or itchy eyes — include using frankincense essential oil, eucalyptus oil and quercetin. Below you’ll learn about nine amazing, all-natural home remedies for allergies that can help provide fast allergy relief.

What Are Allergies?

An allergy is defined as a type of “bodily reactivity (hypersensitivity) to an antigen in response to a first exposure,” or an “exaggerated or pathological immunological reactions (as by sneezing, difficult breathing, itching, or skin rashes) to substances, situations, or physical states.” 

In other words, allergies are due to hypersensitivity of the immune system that causes damaging responses that can affect the whole body. Some of the most common causes of allergies are things like pollen found outdoors, animal fur, dust or particular foods.

Allergy symptoms occur when your body responds to allergens by producing a chemical called histamine, which works by helping to counteract the allergen. The immune system causes allergic reactions by producing immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies that cause widespread symptoms.

There are several broad categories of allergies, which include:

• Seasonal allergies (also called rhinitis or hay fever), usually worsening when pollen levels increase or change, such as during the spring or fall
• Perennial allergies, occurring year-round
• Food allergies, such as shellfish allergies
• Drug/medication allergies
• Indoor allergies, such as to mold or dust
• Skin or eye allergies
• Pet/animal allergies, such as to dogs/cats, insects, etc.
• Anaphylaxis, which is a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction in response to a number of different allergens

Symptoms/Causes

Symptoms caused by allergies vary from person to person, depend on what causes the allergic reaction, and vary depending on how severe the allergy is. Common symptoms associated with allergies can include:

• Runny nose, itchy nose, congestion and stuffiness
• Skin rash, redness, hives, dryness, peeling or itchiness
• Tingling or itchy sensations in the mouth and on the lips
• Swelling of the tongue, lip, throat or face
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea and abdominal cramps
• Coughing, wheezing and trouble breathing (asthma symptoms can sometimes be triggered by allergies)
• Dizziness, lightheadedness and in severe cases loss of consciousness

What Causes Allergies?

There are so many different things that can cause allergies that it can be hard to pinpoint which are contributing to your symptoms. Some of the most common causes of allergies include:

• Pollen from trees, plants and grass
• Dust, including the kinds found around your home
• Certain foods, especially those known to cause the most food allergies like gluten, dairy, tree nuts (especially peanuts), eggs, soy and shellfish
• Insect bites and stings
• Animal fur and dander
• Mold
• Certain medications, such as antibiotics
• Latex, such as the kind used to make latex gloves or condoms
• Fragranced personal care or beauty products (cause of so called “fragrance sensitivities“)
• Smoking, including cannabis, which is associated with asthma in some cases

Conventional Treatments for Allergies

Allergies are typically treated in the following ways:

• Over-the-counter products that serve as decongestants
• Antihistamines, which are drugs that prevent the release of the chemicals that cause allergic reactions
• Immunotherapy drugs
• Eye drops
• Skin creams, including those containing antihistamine or steroid compounds
• Corticosteroids to control inflammation
• Elimination diets (such as gluten-free or dairy-free diet) to manage food allergies
• Someone with severe allergies might also carry an emergency epinephrine auto-injector (Epipen) in case of an attack

Some experts feel that the conventional treatment approaches above (besides an elimination diet) are not the best ways to manage allergies because they don’t fix the underlying causes.

When it comes to allergies, what’s important to understand is that when your immune system produces an allergic reaction to something it’s because it senses that something is not right within your body. Instead of only addressing the symptoms of allergies (itchy skin or watery eyes, for example), you need to uncover the root cause and build your natural defense system for true allergy relief.

When we take prescribed medications or over-the-counter products for allergies, these can disturb natural processes of your immune system and have other deleterious effects like altering our pH balance. To keep symptoms at bay, you will always have to take a drug because your body doesn’t learn how to adapt to allergens.

Allergy drugs, drops, creams and other products can alleviate and hide symptoms, but they don’t address the fact that the problem still exists.

Natural Allergy Relief Options

What helps relieve allergies fast? Watching what you eat, getting plenty of fresh air and drinking enough water are some of the natural remedies that can relieve allergies by improving functions of the immune system.

It may take several weeks for your symptoms to subside, but they are likely to be better kept under control when you tackle the root causes. Here are nine ways to get natural allergy relief.

1. Eat an Anti-Inflammatory, Alkaline Diet

First and foremost, start eating an anti-inflammatory diet to reduce your risk for allergies and many other health problems. Caring for your body with nutrient-dense foods gives your immune system the ability to repair itself, bringing it back into balance so it can fight off common allergies in your environment.

Here are some of the best foods and ingredients to incorporate into your diet to help you beat allergies:

• Garlic — What’s so fantastic about garlic? Garlic is a natural antibiotic that helps ward off infections, viruses and even allergies. Eating or juicing two raw cloves of this powerful antioxidant may literally keep the doctor away. Some people choose to take garlic supplements because they don’t want to smell like garlic, but the supplements do not work as well as the real herb does, so don’t be deceived by this. Raw garlic eaten every day helps fight off all types of allergies because it boosts your immune system immensely.
• Lemons — As most of us know, an alkaline body means better balance and immune function. Lemons and limes are excellent immune-boosting fruits and used for various afflictions, including allergies. Both of these fruits are loaded with vitamin C and immune-boosting antioxidants. Drinking lemon water throughout the day detoxifies the body and rids it of impurities. Mix the juice of one or two lemons or limes with olive oil to make a wonderful-tasting dressing for salads and veggie sandwiches.
• Green leafy vegetables — Leafy greens (including spinach, kale, collard greens, romaine, arugula and watercress) are great sources of essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes that aid detoxification and help reduce inflammation.
• Probiotic-rich foods — Probiotic foods support immune health and can help repair a damaged intestinal lining. Examples include kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, natto, yogurt, raw cheese, miso and kombucha.
• Bone broth — Bone broth, made from beef and chicken stock, is rich in many minerals and amino acids that support the treatment of leaky gut, thereby helping strengthen the immune system.
• Coconut milk — The best alternative for cow’s milk is coconut milk, which is free of dairy, lactose, soy, nuts and grains.
• Almond butter and seeds — For people allergic to peanuts and peanut butter, almond butter is a safe and healthy alternative that provides healthy unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, minerals like riboflavin and magnesium, and even some antioxidants. Flaxseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are also great sources of healthy fats and fiber.
• Gluten-free flours/grains — Instead of using wheat flour when you cook or bake, try coconut flour, almond flour, spelt flour, oat flour and rice flour, which are all gluten-free.
• Breast milk — Studies shows that exclusive breastfeeding seems to have a preventive effect on the early development of asthma and atopic dermatitis.

Although it’s not abundant in many foods, vitamin D is also important for immune function and may help manage allergy symptoms. In fact, certain studies have shown that children who live farther from the equator are more likely to develop allergies and suffer higher rates of hospital admissions due to allergic reactions.

You can get enough vitamin D by spending about 15 minutes in the sun most days without sunscreen and by eating foods like whole milk and some mushrooms for natural allergy relief.

2. Local Raw Honey (Bee Pollen)

Considering how good it tastes, having some raw honey every day to help control seasonal allergies may sound too easy to actually work well, but don’t discount this ancient remedy. Taking a tablespoon of local, raw honey every day helps your body build a tolerance to the local pollen that is running amuck on your sinuses.

Researchers involved in a study published in International Archives of Allergy and Immunology discovered that patients taking honey “reported a 60 percent lower total symptom score, twice as many asymptomatic days, and 70 percent fewer days with severe symptoms.” They also used 50 percent less antihistamines compared to the control group that took conventional meds.

Try taking one tablespoon of raw local honey daily, such as by stirring some into tea, adding some to oatmeal along with cinnamon, or putting some in your smoothies.

What makes raw honey so powerful at reducing allergies? One reason is because it contains bee pollen, which is known to ward off infections and allergies and boost immunity.

The bees living in your area go from flower to flower collecting pollen that you are suffering from. It would make sense then that eating local raw honey will help build up your immunity to local pollen.

Honey also contains many enzymes that supports overall immune function, which helps with allergy relief.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

You can now find high-quality apple cider vinegar in most supermarkets, which is great considering it can help break up mucus and support lymphatic drainage.

Drinking a glass of water with a teaspoon of ACV and some fresh lemon juice is one of the best ways to wake up every morning. At the first sign of an allergy attack, put one teaspoon of ACV in your neti pot solution for a natural “sinus flush.”

4. Quercetin

Quercetin is a polyphenol antioxidant that is naturally found in plant foods, such as cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli or cauliflower), onions/shallots, green tea and citrus fruits. Considered a bioflavonoid that stabilizes the release of histamines, it helps naturally control allergy symptoms.

According to a 2020 study, quercetin has anti-allergic functions that are known for inhibiting histamine production and pro-inflammatory mediators. Another study found evidence that quercetin is effective at reducing congestion because it helps calm down hyperactivity of the airways.

It is so powerful that researchers have found evidence suggesting that quercetin can help control peanut allergies, the leading cause of life-threatening/fatal allergy attacks. Various sources suggest that it is best to use quercetin as a long-term remedy, since it can take several months of use to start working.

People prone to seasonal allergies should start to take it a few weeks before spring arrives when trees and plants start to bloom.

5. Neti Pot

What is the best allergy relief for a runny nose? Neti pots are a natural remedy for allergies and many respiratory conditions because they help clear the sinuses and remove congestion.

Use of neti pots has been shown to help improve quality of life in sufferers of respiratory illnesses and cause little to no side effects.

Clearing the nasal passages of allergens and irritants, this form of “sinus irrigation” originated in the Ayurvedic medicine tradition hundreds of years ago. People living in India have been receiving astounding results from using neti pots for centuries, and now you can, too.

Thankfully, this “alternative” approach to preventing congestion and allergies has now become more mainstream. David Rabago, MD, has conducted several studies on the subject and has proved clinically that using a neti pot is beneficial for preventing and treating several upper respiratory conditions, including chronic and acute sinusitis, the common cold, and seasonal allergies.

When you use a neti pot, make sure that the water is distilled and as sterile as possible. Tap water is full of chlorine and fluoride and can actually aggravate your sinuses, so it shouldn’t be used.

If you don’t want to use a neti pot, you can also try a salt water sinus rinse by mixing sea salt with warm water and sucking it up one nostril.

6. Stinging Nettle

Research has specifically shown that stinging nettle leaf naturally controls histamines, which is why a growing number of doctors recommend taking a freeze-dried preparation before hay fever season begins. It can also be used as a tea or in tincture form.

According to sinus allergy experts, other herbal remedies that may help control symptoms by supporting the immune system and reducing congestion include:

• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Yarrow
• Reishi mushrooms
• Astralagus
• Perilla (Perilla frutescens)
• Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)
• Butterbur (Petasites hybridus)
• Horehound (Marrubium vulgare)

7. Eucalyptus Oil and Frankincense Oil

One interesting study evaluated the effect that various essential oils had in killing the highly allergic house mites and found that eucalyptus oil ranked among some of the most potent. Essential oils for allergies work by reducing inflammation and improving detoxification of harmful bacteria, parasites, microorganisms and toxins that can trigger attacks.

You can use eucalyptus oil for seasonal allergy relief in a variety of ways:

• You can put several drops of eucalyptus oil into your neti pot, inhale it via a diffuser or use it in your laundry detergent as an antimicrobial agent.
• For an eco-friendly, biodegradable addition to your natural detergents, add 25 drops of eucalyptus oil to each load of wash during allergy season, especially if you or the kids are running around outside.
• If your allergy symptoms are going strong, mix eucalyptus oil with coconut oil, rub it on your chest and behind your ears, and diffuse it in the air during the day and while sleeping.

Another powerful essential oil for managing allergies is frankincense oil. The almost unbelievable cancer-killing capacity of Indian frankincense has been well-established in scientific literature for several years, but its life-giving power doesn’t end there.

• In a study published by Phytotherapy Research, when mice took 1–10 milligrams of frankincense orally, it was discovered that multiple levels of their immune systems were stimulated, including IgG, IgM and interferon. This means that frankincense has seriously powerful effects when it comes to supporting the immune system.
• To implement it into your natural health regimen, simply rub frankincense behind your ears and on your chest several times per day, or diffuse frankincense essential oil in your home and office for about three hours daily.

8. Probiotics

It’s now become common knowledge that a strong immune system starts with a healthy gut. More than 80 percent of your immune function is stored in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It should be no wonder that research keeps surfacing that links probiotic supplement use to reduced risk of allergies.

Probiotics are beneficial “good bacteria” that live inside your GI tract and help defend you against infections, viruses, allergies and more. They are increasingly being employed to correct gut dysbiosis (an imbalance of bacteria in the microbiome) and, in turn, to modulate allergic diseases.

They are so effective that a study published in the journal Pediatrics discovered that women who regularly take probiotics during pregnancy significantly reduce their children’s risk of developing allergies.

I highly recommend getting your soil-based organisms through probiotics in supplement form or from probiotic foods, which are sold at farmers markets and can even be made from foods growing in your own local garden.

9. Cleaning Up Your Home to Remove Irritants

There are many things you can do to limit the amount of irritants and triggers you’re exposed to, such as dust, fragrances, etc. Here are some of the most effective changes to make to your home, cleaning and beauty routines for natural allergy relief:

• Avoid burning scented candles in your home or wearing perfume.
• Use hypoallergenic beauty products, such as lotions, shampoos, etc.
• Use laundry detergent that is fragrance-free and dye-free (or hypoallergenic). Avoid dryer sheets and softeners.
• Use a humidifier to help cleanse the air in your home. You may also want to use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
• Vacuum regularly to remove dust, and wash things like sheets, towels and blankets often.
• During times of the year when allergens outdoors are high, keep windows closed.
• Be careful about how indoor plants and pets may affect your allergies.

Risks and Side Effects

While most of the supplements and tips described above can provide natural allergy relief safely, there are some precautions to keep in mind.

When allergies are mild or moderate, they are usually not very threatening and go away with time. However, severe allergic reactions can be dangerous and require medical attention.

Anaphylaxis is the term for a severe allergic reaction, which can happen due to contact with food allergens, drugs/medications or insect stings. Symptoms usually affect the lungs, blood vessels or heart and can include:

• trouble breathing
• tightness in the lungs
• chest pains
• blood pressure changes
• dizziness
• fainting
• rash
• vomiting

If you or your child experience these symptoms, head to your doctor or the emergency room right away to prevent complications.

What can you do for severe allergies? Your doctor may need to prescribe allergy shots or prescription asthma medications, such as bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids.

Discuss these options with your health care provider, and consider trying the natural allergy relief remedies described above in addition to using medications.

Conclusion

• Allergies are due to hypersensitivity of the immune system that causes the release of damaging histamines. This can affect the whole body, especially the skin, eyes, nasal passageways and lungs.
• Wondering how to help get rid of allergies? Millions of Americans turn to Benadryl, Claritin and other products to try and find some relief from their allergy symptoms. The good news is that you might not necessarily need to take any medications, since there are many natural allergy relief remedies you can try first.
• Natural remedies for allergies include avoiding triggers and eating an anti-inflammatory diet, among other natural allergy relief options.
• Some of the most common causes of allergies/triggers include pollen, animal fur, dust, mold, insect bites, medications or particular foods.
• For help with natural allergy relief, you can consume raw honey and apple cider vinegar, take quercetin supplements and stinging nettle, and use essential oils like frankincense and eucalyptus.

The post Top 9 Natural Allergy Relief Home Remedies appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Believe it or not, up to one-third of all adults deal with some type of fragrance sensitivity, which can trigger symptoms such as trouble breathing, headaches and skin irritation. In fact, the American Academy of Dermatology considers fragrances to be the leading cause of cosmetic contact contact dermatitis.

How do you treat fragrance sensitivity? As explained below, the best way to manage fragrance sensitivities or allergies is to rid your life of as many scented products as possible, especially those made with a multitude of synthetic chemicals, as many are.

The truth is it can be hard to avoid all scented products given how popular they are and because ingredient labels are not always transparent. Even some products that are labeled as “unscented” or “fragrance free” contain certain ingredients, such as oils or herbs, that can be irritating to some people.

That said, there are steps you can take to reduce your exposure to fragrances and minimize your reaction to them when avoiding them is impossible.

What Is Fragrance Sensitivity?

A fragrance sensitivity is a negative reaction to fragranced products, which can include beauty, household and personal care products.

Did you know that there are over 5,000 different fragrances used in products today?

People with fragrance sensitivities most often react to products including:

• perfumes, body mists and colognes
• air fresheners
• laundry detergents
• cleaning solutions
• body lotions and other toiletries
• hair care products, such as shampoo, hairspray, mousse, etc.
• essential oils and various products made with these oils, such as candles, cleaning supplies and facial serums
• pesticides

What causes fragrance sensitivity?

Most people are unaware that a “fragrance” in personal or household products is typically a chemical mixture of several dozen to several hundred chemicals. Fragranced products emit dozens of different volatile compounds that are then breathed in or that come into contact with the skin or eyes, including some that are considered air pollutants.

In some cases, these products contain essential oils that are normally health-promoting when used properly, but some people are sensitive to their smells and effects. This can be due to genetic factors, allergies or other causes.

Certain perfumed products even contain chemicals that are known to be dangerous, such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.

Unfortunately it can be hard to know if you’re being exposed to irritating perfumes and other fragrances, since it’s not required that manufacturers list all ingredients on their product labels. You can usually tell if a product will be irritating by smelling it yourself or by contacting the manufacturer or looking on its website or more detailed information.

The following chemical ingredients are among the most likely to cause symptoms:

• Oakmoss absolute
• Isoeugenol
• Eugenol
• Cinnamyl alcohol
• Cinnamic aldehyde
• Hydroxycitronellal
• Geraniol
• Amyl cinnamic aldehyde
• Lyral
• Citral
• Farnesol
• Coumarin
• Citronellal
• Alpha hexyl cinnamaldehyde

Can you be allergic to fragrances?

Is fragrance sensitivity a disability? Is it different than an allergy?

Some people with fragrance sensitivity symptoms actually experience allergic reactions to some chemical, or combination of chemicals, in scented products. People with a history of asthma, allergies or other respiratory disorders are usually more susceptible to the effects of fragranced products.

Allergies are defined as an “exaggerated or pathological immunological reactions (as by sneezing, difficult breathing, itching, or skin rashes) to substances, situations, or physical states.”

There are two main types of allergy symptoms due to fragrance sensitivity: respiratory and skin allergy symptoms. The best way to prevent fragrance sensitivity is to remove, block or avoid the offending substance.

When someone is affected by a fragrance allergy in the workplace, this can be considered a form of disability. For those with strong sensitivities or allergies to certain scents, fragrance product exposure can be harmful enough to interfere with workplace performance, the ability to attend school and generally how well someone functions in society.

Symptoms

Symptoms that can be caused by a fragrance sensitivity can include:

• breathing/respiratory problems, including coughing, shortness of breath and worsened asthma symptoms
• congestion
• watery eyes
• migraines
• skin rashes, as well as hives, tingling skin and dermatitis
• upset stomach
• neurological effects in some severe cases

There can also be an emotional and social component to this type of sensitivity.

For example, one expert told Health Magazine, “Some people feel like they can’t enter public restrooms or walk inside shops because they don’t want to risk an asthma attack…This loss of functionality makes a fragrance sensitivity not just a health issue, but a societal and economic one too.”

Stats/Facts

How common is a fragrance sensitivity? Findings from one large study conducted in Australia that were published in Preventive Medicine Reports found that about one-third of participants experienced one or more health issues from exposure to scented products.

Some participants even had severe reactions to scented products that caused symptoms strong enough to interfere with daily living, such as due to trouble breathing.

The same study also uncovered the following statistics about prevalence and common symptoms associated with fragrance sensitivities:

• 17% of participants reported experiencing respiratory difficulties due to certain fragrances, while 14% reported mucosal symptoms (such as congestion and watery eyes).
• About 10% experienced migraines and skin problems.
• About 8% reported asthma attacks, and the same number said they missed work due to symptoms caused by fragrance exposure in the workplace.
• Between 3% and 5% reported gastrointestinal problems, cognitive or neurological symptoms (dizziness or fainting, trouble concentrating, etc.).

Other research studies have found that between 17% and 20% of the general U.S. population has reported breathing difficulties, headaches or other health problems when exposed to air fresheners and deodorizers.

When participants in one study were asked about their preferences related to fragrances/scents in indoor environments, here’s how they responded:

• 42.8% would be supportive of a fragrance-free policy in the workplace.
• 43.2% would prefer that health care facilities and health care professionals be fragrance-free.
• 57.7% would prefer flying on an airplane without scented air pumped through the passenger cabin.
• 55.6% would prefer staying in a hotel without fragranced air.

Treatments

How do you treat fragrance allergies or other negative reactions? Here are recommendations according to leading experts:

1. Avoid Synthetic Scents

Many fragranced products are capable of emitting hazardous air pollutants. For some people, synthetic scents can trigger adverse reactions due to the chemicals they contain, which can be irritating to the sinuses.

To cut down your exposure, get rid of the following from your beauty routine, home, car and office:

• Air fresheners
• Candles with synthetic fragrances
• Cleaning supplies with strong fragrances
• Toiletries/personal care products with strong smells

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) helps consumers identify cleaning and other products that have been determined to be effective and safer for human health and the environment. This is a good resource for looking into potential dangers of some scented products.

The Environmental Working Group also posts information on many beauty and household products, which are worth checking out if you experience sensitivity symptoms or allergies.

Another helpful allergy remedy that may help reduce your reaction to fragrances is taking quercetin. Quercetin is an antioxidant that is naturally found in plant foods, such as cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli or cauliflower), onions/shallots, green tea and citrus fruits. As a bioflavonoid, it helps stabilize the release of histamines and helps naturally control allergy symptoms, including those caused by hyperactivity in the respiratory system/airways.

2. Use Natural Cleaners in Your Home

If using scented cleaning products in your home tends to trigger your symptoms, try simple solutions such as vinegar and baking soda instead to clean and wipe down your kitchen and bathroom. Fragrances don’t actually have any functionality or cleansing effects, so unscented, natural cleaning products work just as well to keep your home clean and germ-free.

If you don’t react badly to it, you can also try putting several drops of eucalyptus oil into a diffuser in your home (or a neti pot) so you can inhale it to help clear out your nasal passageways and cleanse the air of allergens. It can also be used in homemade laundry detergent as an antimicrobial agent.

3. Upgrade Your Beauty Products

Among those with fragrance sensitivities, fragranced skin, hair and beauty products should be swapped out for fragrance-free options instead. It can be difficult to find personal care products that are unscented in most stores, which means making your own may be your best option.

You can use readily available ingredients, such as coconut oil, sugar, argan oil, apple cider vinegar and aloe vera, to make homemade cleaners, serums, toners, conditioners and so on. If you can tolerate essential oils, feel free to add a bit of lavender, chamomile or frankincense oil for even more benefits.

4. Speak Up About Your Sensitivity at Work

Some surveys have found that about twice as many people prefer fragrance-free indoor environments rather than fragranced environments, which means that asking your workplace to remove harsh scents won’t put you in the minority.

If it’s interfering with your ability to work, speak to co-workers or HR about the need to reduce secondhand scents in your workplace (such as from candles, air fresheners, odor-eliminating sprays or even others’ perfumes). If fragrances cannot be banned or removed from your workplace, your employer may be able to move you away from the fragrance source instead, or you can consider taking steps such as modifying your schedule, using an air purifier in your office, keeping windows open or using fans.

For more information regarding your rights at work when it comes to avoiding irritating scents, you can refer to the Job Accommodation Network’s website.

Other Tips

Here are other tips and home remedies for managing your reaction to scents indoors:

• Keep windows open to improve ventilation when you’re indoors.
• Only shop in stores that don’t use candles and perfumes, and be careful about trying on clothing that has been sprayed with fragrances.
• If you can’t avoid smells in certain places, consider wearing a facial mask to help reduce how much you breath in.

Conclusion

• Fragranced beauty, cleaning and household products emit and generate a complex mixture of chemical pollutants that can cause adverse reactions among some people.
• It’s estimated that up to one-third of adults may have a fragrance sensitivity, in which they experience symptoms like breathing/respiratory problems, including coughing (shortness of breath and worsened asthma symptoms), congestion, watery eyes and migraines when exposed to strong scents.
• To cut down on exposure to irritating scents, opt for homemade beauty products, fragrance-free cleaners, and natural products made without chemical pollutants.
• Be especially careful about using candles, air fresheners, odor-eliminating sprays and perfumes in your home and on your body.

The post Fragrance Sensitivity: Allergy Symptoms, Triggers & Treatment appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Tree nuts — which include almonds, cashews, walnuts and several other nuts — are among the eight most common food allergens. An estimated 0.5 to 1 percent of the U.S. population has a nut allergy, usually which begins during childhood and lasts for a lifetime.

Here’s an alarming finding for parents: Studies show that reactions caused by unknown nut allergies spike during Halloween and Easter, holidays in which children are commonly given candies and other treats that contain ingredients they aren’t accustomed to eating. This can cause sudden food allergy symptoms, such as hives and digestive upset, or rarely more severe issues, including trouble breathing.

How can you best manage a nut allergy? Because a cure or treatment isn’t available, a strictly nut-free diet is often the only way to prevent symptoms.

Let’s take a look at which foods are most likely to trigger a reaction, as well as steps you can take in the case of an allergy emergency.

What Is a Nut Allergy?

A nut allergy is an allergic reaction to nuts. An allergic reaction happens when someone’s immune system reacts to a specific molecule in a food, causing increased production of antibodies that triggers an inflammatory reaction.

This involves the release of chemicals called histamines, which lead to allergy symptoms, including hives, swelling of the mouth and so on.

What nuts are included in nut allergies? Technically, “tree nuts” include:

• almonds
• cashews
• macadamia nuts
• Brazil nuts
• pistachios
• hazelnuts
• pecans
• walnuts

Nuts are defined as hard-shelled pods that contain both the fruit and seed of the plant. “Drupes” are types of tree nuts and include peaches, mangoes, pistachios, coconuts, almonds and cashews.

Peanuts are actually legumes (edible seeds enclosed in pods) and not nuts. They are related to foods like beans, lentils, chickpeas and peas.

Even though not technically nuts, peanuts still very commonly cause allergies.

Types/Varieties

Which nuts cause most allergic reactions? In both children and adults, peanuts are one of the most common foods that cause life-threatening allergic reactions.

Along with shellfish, they are the most common food allergen and the leading cause of allergy-related death in children.

Is a peanut allergy the same as a nut allergy? Not necessarily.

Some people are allergic to peanuts but not allergic to tree nuts or seeds (such as sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.). However, a relatively high percentage of those with peanut allergies also react to other tree nuts.

The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports that up to 40 percent of people with peanut allergies are also allergic to at least one tree nut. If you have an allergy to one type of tree nut, then you have a greater chance of also being allergic to other nuts, which is why experts usually advise people with any known tree nut allergy to avoid eating all nuts.

Nut allergies differ from person to person. If you have a nut allergy, nuts and seeds that you may need to avoid include:

• peanuts
• almonds
• Brazil nuts
• cashews
• hazelnuts
• hickory nuts
• macadamia nuts
• pecan nuts
• pine nuts
• pistachios
• walnuts
• sesame seeds (the most common seed allergy)
• sunflower seeds
• poppy seeds
• coconut (rarely)

Some people need to avoid all or most types of nut trees, while others only react negatively to one or several types. This ultimately depends on the person’s unique immune system.

Nut Allergy Spike During Halloween

Experts have observed an increase in nut allergy symptoms around the time of Halloween and Easter, presumably because children (and some adults too) tend to eat candies and other treats that they normally don’t consume very often.

One study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that there was an 85 percent increase in severe peanut-related allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) during Halloween, as well as a significant increase in reactions to other nuts. Similarly, Easter was another time when allergic reaction spiked.

The people who experienced these reactions were mostly children who were not aware that they were consuming nuts and didn’t know they had an allergy.

Nuts can be found in many types of chocolates, candies, desserts and packaged treats, leading to symptoms among children who have not been previously exposed.

Are nut allergies increasing? There’s reason to believe that more and more children are experiencing nut and peanut allergies compared to in past decades.

What recently caused a sudden increase in peanut allergies? The reason that nut allergy symptoms are increasing is unclear.

There are several theories as to why more people are developing food allergies, including:

• The negative effects that an unhealthy lifestyle and poor diet have on the immune system.
• The “hygiene hypothesis,” mostly which affects people living in industrialized nations. This describes how over-sanitizing people’s bodies has changed their microbiomes and left them more susceptible to allergies
• Environmental pollution
• Less exposure to microbes and potentially increased use of antibiotics

Here are some other statistics and facts about nut allergy trends:

• Food allergies in general affect about 15 million Americans. Peanut allergies are more common in children than adults. They affect an estimated 2.5% of children and 1.2% of adults living in the U.S.
• According to an article published in the AJMC journal, the prevalence of peanut allergies in the United States more than tripled between 1997 and 2008, with a recent study finding another 21% increase since 2010.
• Peanuts and tree nuts account for most fatal cases of food-related anaphylaxis in North America.
• There was a five-fold increase in peanut allergies in the U.K. between 1995 and 2016.
• Australia has the highest rate of confirmed food allergies, with an estimated 3% of the population allergic to peanuts.
• A peanut allergy is the single most common allergy in children.The prevalence of nut allergies in children also appears to be growing. One large-scale study found that in 1997, only about 0.6 percent of respondents had a child with a nut allergy — however by 2008, 2.1 percent of respondents reported having a child with an allergy to peanuts, tree nuts or both.

Symptoms

What happens if someone with a nut allergy eats nuts? It depends on how allergic that person is to the nut/seed that he or she is exposed to.

Some people experience mild reactions, while others have severe food allergy symptoms (known as anaphylaxis). Anaphylaxis occurs as a result of the activation of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the body, which will cause the most severe symptoms and sometimes can be fatal.

The most common nut allergy symptoms include:

• red bumps of skin (hives) and itchy skin
• runny nose
• swelling of the lips
• tingling of the throat and mouth
• tightening of the throat
• cramps, indigestion, pains, nausea or vomiting
• difficulty talking or a hoarse voice
• wheezing or persistent cough
• persistent dizziness or collapse
• paleness and weakness

Causes

Why are people allergic to nuts? It’s not entirely known why nuts and peanuts are such common allergens, however genetics and lifestyle factors seem to play a role.

What we do know is that a nut allergy is caused by increased release of IgE, an antibody that binds to allergens and triggers the release of chemicals that causes symptoms.

Can you all of a sudden become allergic to nuts? While “adult onset food allergies” do affect some people, they are rare.

Much more often a child will develop a nut allergy. Sometimes they may outgrow it but usually do not.

It’s believed that about 9 percent of children with a tree nut allergy eventually outgrow their allergy. This means that about 90 percent of children with a nut allergy to peanuts need to be cautious even as they get older.

How to Reduce Risk

1. Speak With Your Doctor First

First and foremost, if you suspect you have a tree nut allergy, visit a clinical immunology or allergy specialist. You can ask your doctor for a referral if you’re unsure of whom to visit.

Your doctor, or an allergy specialist, may decide to help diagnose your allergy by performing a skin prick test or a blood test.

He/she might also suggest that you follow an elimination diet and avoid all nuts and products containing nuts so you can track your symptoms. Then you reintroduce nuts to your diet under medical supervision in order to determine if this triggers your symptoms.

2. Avoid All Foods Containing the Nuts You’re Allergic To

There isn’t currently a treatment for most food allergies. The only guaranteed way to control tree nut allergy symptoms is to avoid all products containing the foods that you’re allergic to.

Unfortunately, tree nut allergies tend to be lifelong conditions, which means a restrictive diet may need to be followed forever.

For people with food allergies, it’s really important to read ingredient labels carefully. In countries such as the U.S.,  labeling on packaged foods is required for 18 different tree nuts.

The goal is to identify any food or food product that contains the nuts/seeds you’re allergic to and then to strictly avoid having any. Depending on how severe your allergy is, you may need to eliminate food products from your diet that “may contain” or are “processed in a facility that also manufactures” potential allergens.

Foods to avoid or to only eat with caution if you have a known nut allergy include:

• Nut butters
• Trail mixes
• Granola and granola bars
• Cereals
• Certain peanut-flavored sauces, dressings and marinades (especially those used in Asian, African and Indian cuisines)
• Candies and chocolate (including Halloween candies, such as Snickers, Almond Joy, Mounds, many milk chocolates and brittles, and others)
• Packaged baked goods and desserts
• Prepared soups and chili
• Packaged mixes
• Some soaps, skin lotions, hair care products
• Some alcoholic drinks

If your child is given candies and treats from other people, such as during Halloween or at parties or even school/daycare, you’ll want to monitor what they’re consuming. This is especially important if they’ve ever shown signs of having a nut allergy.

Make sure to have your children wash their hands thoroughly and often if around nuts/seeds that they are allergic to, and be sure to clean surfaces with cleaning sprays or sanitizing wipes to remove residues.

Be sure to make other adults and children aware of your children’s allergy, which reduces the chance that they’ll be given a triggering food. You should also explain to your children that they’ll need to avoid homemade treats during Halloween and at school and parties because you can’t be sure which ingredients they contain.

You can try keeping food allergy alternatives on hand, such as treats made with coconut, honey and sunflower butter (assuming you know your child isn’t allergic to these foods).

3. Have an Action Plan If You Have a Reaction

If you or your child has been diagnosed with a tree nut allergy, speak to your doctor about making an action plan to help manage a potential allergic reaction.

Your doctor might choose to prescribe you an adrenaline (epinephrine) autoinjector (such as an EpiPen®), which can be used when a serious reaction occurs. Epinephrine (adrenaline) is currently the only treatment for anaphylactic shock.

Here are other ways to help manage nut allergy symptoms and reactions:

• Lay the person flat if that person is in shock, rather than having her/him to stand or walk. This is a good time to administer adrenaline with an autoinjector (such as an EpiPen®) right away.
• Dial triple zero (000) to call an ambulance in a medical emergency.
• Wear medical identification jewelry or carry a card identifying your allergy, which can hep someone give you adrenaline during an emergency.
• Talk to your doctor about avoiding medications that can increase the severity of allergic reactions, including beta blockers.

Conclusion

• Peanuts, tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts) and seeds are some of the most common food triggers for life-threatening severe allergic reactions.
• Nut allergy symptoms differ from person to person but can include digestive issues, rashes, swelling of the mouth and lips, trouble breathing, changes in blood pressure, and more.
• The only way to avoid nut allergy symptoms is to avoid all food products containing the nuts/seeds that you’re allergic to. This means being very careful about consuming nut butters, trail mixes, candies, chocolate, cereals, granola, snack bars, desserts and sauces.
• Because nut allergy symptoms spike during Halloween and Easter, parents should monitor their children’s intake of treats, consider providing allergy alternatives instead and be very precautions if a child has a known nut allergy.

The post Nut Allergy Spike During Halloween: Stats, Symptoms & How to Limit Risk appeared first on Dr. Axe.

In the U.S., approximately 1 to 2 percent (or more) of the population has a peanut allergy — about 3 million people — a percentage that continues to rise.

In the past two decades, the prevalence of peanut allergies has more than quadrupled, up from 0.4 percent of the U.S. population in 1997 to 1.4 percent in 2008 to more than 2 percent in 2010.

Peanut allergies are more prevalent among children under 3 years old, and the risk of developing this allergy increases to 7 percent for a sibling of a child with a peanut allergy. This is why peanuts are among the “big eight” food allergies, along with eggs, fish, milk, tree nuts, shellfish, soy and wheat.

What’s really disturbing is that there’s no clear, definitive reason why this common food allergy is on the rise, but new research in the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet suggests that avoiding peanuts at an early age may be partly to blame.

And, on top of that, recent research shows that consuming minuscule amounts of peanut protein combined with probiotic supplements can significantly reduce peanut allergies and sensitivities in children.

Thankfully, in January 2017 the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases released guidelines for parents and health care professionals to assist in the introduction of peanut-containing foods at an early age. And if you or a family member does suffer from a peanut allergy, there are natural remedies to help ease peanut allergy symptoms as well as peanut butter alternatives to try.

What Is a Peanut?

A peanut is actually a legume crop that is grown for its edible seeds. Unlike most crop plants, peanut pods develop under the ground, which is why peanuts were given the specific name hypogaea, which means “under the earth.”

Although peanuts aren’t technically nuts, people tend to place them in the same category as tree nuts such as almonds and walnuts. In the U.S., peanuts and peanut butter are the most popular “nut” choice.

Pros

Peanuts and peanut butter support your metabolism and aid fat loss when you consume them with omega-3 foods, like flaxseeds and chia seeds.

Peanuts serve as a rich source of omega-6 fatty acids, dietary fiber, protein, potassium, calcium, iron, vitamin B6 and magnesium. There are several studies indicating that peanuts are indeed healthy foods, including the following:

• A 2010 study published in Nutrients indicates that nut consumption (both peanuts and tree nuts) has been associated with a reduced incidence of coronary heart disease and gallstones in both genders and diabetes in women. Limited evidence also suggests that nuts have beneficial effects on hypertension, cholesterol, cancer and inflammation.
• A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2015 found that nut consumption, particularly peanut consumption, was associated with decreased overall and cardiovascular mortality across different ethnic groups and among individuals from low socioeconomic statuses.

Cons

There are some health issues when it comes to eating peanuts and peanut butter, including the following:

• Because peanuts are high in omega-6 fats and low in omega-3 fats, they can cause an imbalanced ratio of omega 3 to 6, which is a common issue among Americans today.
• Another issue with peanut butter nutrition is that peanuts grow on the ground and they get very moist, causing the development of mycotoxins or mold. The mold on peanuts can grow a fungus called aflatoxin that can affect the health of your gut.
• Peanuts have been linked to food sensitivities, leaky gut syndrome and a slow metabolism. That’s because aflatoxin can actually compete with probiotics in your gut and thus damage digestive health. This is especially true for peanut butters that aren’t organic. The presence of mold may be a reason why so many children have inflammatory immune reactions to peanuts.
• For those of you who don’t have a peanut allergy, avoid the potentially harmful fungi peanuts typically grow by choosing Valencia peanuts or Jungle peanuts. These peanuts usually aren’t grown in the moisture of the ground, but in bushes off the ground or higher up, and that eliminates the issue with mold.

Peanut Allergy Symptoms

Peanut allergy is one of the most serious of the immediate hypersensitivity reactions to food in terms of persistence and severity.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, peanut allergy symptoms include:

• Itchy skin or hives (could be small spots or large welts)
• An itchy or tingling sensation in or around the mouth or throat
• Runny or congested nose
• Nausea
• Anaphylaxis (less common)

Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening whole-body response to an allergen. This is rare, but it’s a peanut allergy symptom that must be taken extremely seriously.

The symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

• Impaired breathing
• Swelling in the throat
• Sudden drop in blood pressure
• Pale skin or blue lips
• Fainting
• Dizziness
• Gastrointestinal issues.

Anaphylaxis must be treated immediately with epinephrine (adrenaline) or it can be fatal.

In spite of increased recognition and understanding of food allergy symptoms, food is the single most common cause of anaphylaxis seen in hospital emergency departments.

It is estimated that about 30,000 food-induced anaphylactic events are seen in U.S. emergency departments each year, 200 of which are fatal. Either peanuts or tree nuts cause more than 80 percent of these reactions.

Related: Fenugreek Seeds for Digestion, Metabolic Syndrome & More

Peanut Allergy Remedies

The only absolute cure for a food allergy is to remove the allergen from your diet completely. However, there are natural allergy relief remedies you can utilize to improve peanut allergy symptoms.

1. Quercetin

Quercetin has been shown to block allergies to certain foods, including peanuts.

A study published in the Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology analyzed the effects of quercetin on rats with peanut sensitivities. Over four weeks, the rats were treated with 50 milligrams of quercetin daily.

The researchers found that “quercetin completely abrogated peanut-induced anaphylactic reactions,” concluding that quercetin could suppress peanut allergy symptoms and work as an alternative treatment for similar food allergies.

2. Oral Immunotherapy

In the last few years, there’s been an increase in studies evaluating oral immunotherapy for peanut allergies.

In 2018, a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that oral immunotherapy in children and adolescents who are highly allergic to peanuts may lower symptom severity during peanut exposure.

This was the third phase of ongoing trials testing the efficacy of oral immunotherapy, which is when patients receive a peanut-derived immunotherapy drug in an escalating dose program.

Here are some highlights from the study:

• 551 participants with peanut allergies, the majority of whom were between the ages of 4 and 17, received a peanut-derived drug called AR101 or placebo in escalating doses for 24 weeks.
• By the end of the trial, 67 percent of participants in the treatment group and 4 percent in the placebo group were able to ingest a dose of 600 milligrams or more of peanut protein without displaying dose-limiting symptoms.
• Those using oral immunotherapy also experienced lower symptom severity during peanut exposure compared to those taking the placebo.
• During what was called the “exit food challenge,” when individuals ingested a dose of 600 milligrams or more of peanut protein at the end of the trial, the maximum severity of symptoms was moderate in 25 percent of the participants in the treatment group and 59 percent of those in the placebo group.

A three-year study very recently published in September of 2019 evaluated the sustained effects of peanut allergy oral immunotherapy.

Here are the highlights of this most recent study:

• 120 participants with a peanut allergy aged 7–55 years were randomly assigned into one of three groups.
• One group involved taking 4,000 milligrams of peanut protein for 104 weeks and then discontinuing use, the next group received 4,000 milligrams of peanut protein for 104 weeks and then ingested 300 milligrams daily for another 52 weeks, and the placebo group received oat flour.
• Researchers found that peanut oral immunotherapy was able to desensitize individuals with peanut allergy and discontinuation or even reduction in daily peanut intake could increase the likelihood of regaining allergy symptoms.
• Over the entire study, the most common adverse events were mild gastrointestinal symptoms, which were seen in 90 of 120 patients, and skin disorders, which were seen in 50 of 120 patients. These adverse reactions decreased over time in all groups.
• Two of the patients in the peanut group had serious adverse events during the 3-year study period.

Studies like these have been so successful that the FDA advisory just recommended a peanut allergy treatment for approval.

The drug, which is called Palforzia, is a type of oral immunotherapy that’s meant to expose patients with peanut allergies to increasing doses of peanut protein in order to build a tolerance over time.

3. Probiotics

As scientists research the critical role of intestinal microbiota in the development of immune tolerance, there is more and more interest in the benefits of probiotics.

Probiotics are able to re-colonize and restore microflora in the intestinal tract.

Several studies have been recently conducted on the role of probiotics in preventing and treating allergic disorders. Some impressive findings include the following studies:

• A 2005 study conducted at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in the U.K. indicates that the management of allergies has been shown with probiotics reducing the incidence of atopic eczema. Probiotic treatment was demonstrated in infants using lactobacillus.
• Recent studies have shown that when probiotics are combined with minuscule amounts of peanut protein, it serves as a natural form of oral immunization and can help to alleviate peanut allergies and sensitivities.
• A 2015 study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology evaluated 62 children between the ages of 1–10 years who received combined therapy involving probiotic supplementation and peanut oral immunotherapy. Of the children in the treatment group, 89.7 percent were desensitized to peanuts and 82 percent achieved unresponsiveness, which means that they had reduced peanut skin prick test responses and peanut-specific IgE levels. Researchers concluded that the combination of probiotics and very small amounts of peanut protein induced immune changes that modulated the child’s peanut-specific immune response, making them more tolerant to peanuts.
• In 2017, a follow-up study published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health was conducted to assess the long-term outcomes of the children who originally underwent probiotic and peanut oral immunotherapy treatment 2–4 years prior. Sixty-seven percent of the children in the original treatment group were still eating peanuts. Four of the 24 children in the treatment group reported allergic reactions to peanuts since stopping treatment, but none had anaphylaxis. Researchers of this follow-up study concluded that this form of treatment provides “long-lasting clinical benefit and persistent suppression of the allergic immune response to peanuts.”

4. Bromelain

Bromelain has been traditionally used as a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling agent.

A 2013 study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine tested the efficacy of bromelain against atopic conditions such as asthma, food allergies and dermatitis.

Researchers found that bromelain inhibited allergic airway disease and the data provided additional insight into bromelain’s anti-inflammatory and antiallergic properties.

These bromelain health benefits may help people with allergies to reduce peanut allergy symptoms and the results of an overactive immune system.

5. Supplement with a Multivitamin

Research has shown that children with multiple food allergies are at a higher risk of poor growth and a deficient vitamin and mineral intake.

Studies indicate that children with food allergies are commonly deficient in vitamin D, copper, zinc and selenium.

For children with allergies, a 3 to 7 day food diary can point out the possibility of vitamin deficiencies.

Making sure that children with food allergies receive the micronutrients they need will help to boost their immune system and regulate their immunological response to allergens.

6. Introduce Peanuts Earlier

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine included 640 infants (at least 4 months old but less than 11 months old) with severe eczema, egg allergy or both who were randomly selected to consume or avoid peanuts until 60 months of age.

What researchers found was “the early introduction of peanuts significantly decreased the frequency of the development of peanut allergy among children at high risk for this allergy and modulated immune responses to peanuts.”

This study suggests that you may be able to reduce the risk of your child developing a peanut allergy simply by introducing peanuts to them at a very young age; however, such a step needs to be done with extreme caution, usually within the supervision of a doctor.

In early 2017, health experts, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, released clinical guidelines to aid in the introduction of peanut-containing foods to infants at an earlier age. The guidelines contain three different suggestions based on the infant’s risk:

1. Infants at high risk (infants who have eczema, an egg allergy or both), should have peanut-containing foods as early as four to six months of age. Be sure to check with your infant’s healthcare provider first as he or she may perform an allergy blood test or recommend a specialist based on your child’s health and medical history. The doctor may recommend that these foods be introduced under supervision or not at all.
2. Infants with mild to moderate eczema should have peanut-containing foods around six months. This may vary depending on your family’s dietary preferences. Once again, it is important to tell your healthcare provider about your intention to introduce peanut-containing foods as supervision may still be suggested.
3. Infants with no eczema or food allergies can be introduced peanut-containing foods freely.

Regardless of the infant’s risk, all infants should start other solid foods before they are introduced to peanut-containing foods. You should also never give infants whole peanuts as they may choke. Instead, try peanut powder or paste in small amounts.

Related: Is Peanut Oil Good or Bad for Health? Separating Fact vs. Fiction

Precautions

Peanuts may be present less obvious foods because they came in contact with peanuts during the manufacturing process. That’s why it’s so important to look for labels that guarantee the product was made in a peanut-free facility.

People with peanut allergies need to avoid all products that contain even trace amounts of peanuts, and that may be true for some of these peanut alternatives (like almond and sunflower seed butter), so read the labels carefully.

Any form of peanut oral immunotherapy should only be done under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

Babies should not be given peanut oil or any food containing peanut butter unless advised by his pediatrician.

Final Thoughts

• Approximately 1 percent to 2 percent (or more) of the U.S. population has a peanut allergy — about 3 million people — a percentage that continues to rise.
• In the past two decades, the prevalence of peanut allergies has more than quadrupled, up from 0.4 percent of the U.S. population in 1997 to 1.4 percent in 2008 to more than 2 percent in 2010.
• It’s most prevalent among children under 3 years old, and the risk of developing a peanut allergy increases to 7 percent for a sibling of a child with a peanut allergy.
• Peanuts are among the “big eight” food allergies, along with eggs, fish, milk, tree nuts, shellfish, soya and wheat.
• Peanut allergy symptoms include itchy skin, itchy throat, runny nose, nausea and anaphylaxis (in rare cases).
• Several recent studies indicate that there’s strong evidence that peanut allergies can be reduced by introducing infants to peanuts early on, and that oral immunotherapy with peanut protein helps to reduce symptom severity after peanut exposure.
• Peanuts and peanut butter can be harmful if they aren’t organic.
• Foods such as almonds, almond butter, sunflower seed butter and tahini serve as good peanut and peanut butter alternatives.

The post 6 Natural Ways to Reduce the Peanut Allergy appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Lactose intolerance is not the same as a milk allergy and is more of a discomfort than a real over-reaction by the immune system, according to the FDA. Many people with lactose intolerance can even have small amounts of the offending foods/drinks without having symptoms.

What sort of signs of lactose intolerance may indicate that you have this common problem? Lactose intolerance symptoms typically include bloating, gas, diarrhea and other GI issues. Fortunately, by following a lactose intolerance diet and treatment plan, it’s possible to reduce (and in some cases even eliminate) the symptoms of lactose intolerance.

What Is Lactose Intolerance?

The definition of lactose intolerance, according to The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, is “a condition in which you have digestive symptoms — such as bloating, diarrhea and gas — after you consume foods or drinks that contain lactose.”

Lactose is a sugar that is found in milk and dairy products. In order to digest this sugar properly, the small intestine must produce adequate amounts of the enzyme called lactase.

Lactose is found in:

• Milk
• Lactose
• Whey
• Curds
• Milk by-products
• Dry milk solids
• Non-fat dry milk powder

Lactase is responsible for breaking down the lactose into glucose and galactose, so the body can absorb it. When the body’s ability to make lactase diminishes, the result is lactose intolerance.

It is important to note that not all dairy products cause these unpleasant symptoms of lactose intolerance. In fact, yogurt or kefir with live active cultures typically do not produce these symptoms, as the active cultures help to break down lactose prior to consumption. Also, the longer the food is fermented, the less the lactose content will be, as the healthy probiotics survive by eating the lactose sugar.

Lactose Intolerance Causes

What triggers lactose intolerance? As described above, lactose intolerance is caused by the body’s inability to effectively digest lactose due to malabsorption or low levels of lactase produced in the digestive tract. This seems to occur for several main reasons:

1. Genetics/Family History

While it has been documented only rarely, the inability to produce lactase can sometimes be congenital. Researchers believe there are genetic links to lactose intolerance causing symptoms to appear during the teenage years. However, just because you made it through your teen years without affliction doesn’t mean you are immune for life. Lactose intolerance is not very common in children under two years of age, although it’s still possible.

In addition, lactose intolerance seems to run in families, and certain ethnic groups have greater occurrences of lactose intolerance than others. Native Americans, Hispanics, Asians and those from African descent often experience intolerance more often than those of European descent.

2. Aging

As we age lactase production decreases, leading to intolerance in individuals who otherwise never had overt signs of lactose intolerance.

3. Illness and Stress

In some cases, lactose intolerance can also result from surgery, injury, illness and even certain treatments. Common conditions that can contribute include gastroenteritis, IBS, Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease and other conditions of the digestive tract, including candida overgrowth and leaky gut. Even cases of the flu can cause intolerance (however, often the symptoms will fade over time). Additionally, taking medications including some antibiotics for extended periods of time may disrupt gut health and contribute to lactose intolerance.

Diagnosis

How do doctors test for lactose intolerance? To test for lactose intolerance in patients who are experiencing symptoms like bloating and diarrhea, doctors rely on a number of different tests, including:

• A hydrogen breath test, since undigested lactose causes you to have high levels of hydrogen in your breath
• Reactions to an elimination diet, in which you stop eating and drinking milk and milk products to test the effects.
• A test using a stethoscope to listen to sounds within your abdomen
• Discussion of symptoms, family history, medical history and eating habits
• A physical exam to check for any underlying health problems that may be the real cause of symptoms

Keep in mind that a number of other conditions aside from lactose intolerance can cause similar symptoms. These include: irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease or SIBO (small bowel bacterial overgrowth). This is why doctors must rule out these causes before confirming a diagnosis of lactose intolerance.

Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance

What are symptoms of being lactose intolerant? The most common symptoms of lactose intolerance include:

• Diarrhea
• Gas
• Stomach bloating/swelling in the abdomen
• Stomach pain/cramping
• Nausea, vomiting
• Headaches or migraines
• Acne

When do lactose intolerance symptoms start? These warning signs of lactose intolerance can arise anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours after the consumption of dairy products and can range from mild to severe. Most immediate reactions are caused by the body not having the enzymes to digest the lactose sugar, which causes the intestines to contract.

If you have had an ongoing intolerance, you might also experience issues besides digestive upset, such as more extreme headaches, migraines or bloating that can occur over the course of up to two days from these undigested particles entering your body, especially if you have leaky gut syndrome.

Can you become lactose intolerant all of a sudden? This is more common among older adults, but usually lactose intolerance is obvious from an earlier age.

How long do lactose intolerance symptoms last? The severity of lactose intolerance symptoms depends upon personal tolerations and the amount consumed. If you’re intolerant and continue consuming lactose without making any other changes, your symptoms will likely persist.

Lactose Intolerance Treatment & Diet

There is currently no permanent cure for lactose intolerance because no treatment can increase the amount of lactase your small intestine makes. However, there are steps to take to manage symptoms and avoid complications. One major concern for people who have lactose intolerance is they may not get enough of the essential nutrients found in milk products, including calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and vitamin K, for example.

While it’s an option to take dietary supplements called lactase products that help digest lactose, this will not solve the underlying problem and may not be a good long-term solution.

What foods should you avoid if you are lactose intolerant? Do you necessarily need to give up all dairy?

Depending on the severity of your intolerance, it may be necessary to take a break from dairy while you heal; however, by following a healthy lactose intolerance diet, it may not have to be a permanent sacrifice.

Some people with severe lactose intolerance will need to avoid having most or all dairy products. Others can tolerate certain kinds without experiencing a flare-up of lactose intolerance symptoms. For example, some research suggests that many people with lactose intolerance can have up to 12 grams of lactose, the amount in about 1 cup of milk, without triggering any strong symptoms. Some experts also believe that one key to consuming dairy products while eating a lactose intolerance diet is to choose raw and unpasteurized products made from raw cow, goat and sheep milk.

A study published in the Journal of the Dietetic Association indicates that consuming kefir improves lactose digestion and tolerance. Participants in the study perceived a reduction in the severity of gas by 54 to 71 percent. While kefir is a dairy product, the fermentation process breaks down the naturally occurring lactose, making it easier for the body to digest and absorb it. The result is that the majority of individuals with lactose intolerance can still enjoy some types of dairy, while reaping the health benefits.

If you need to avoid all lactose, keep a careful eye out for dairy derivatives that hide in common foods — including bread, pastries, crackers, cereals, soups, processed meats, protein bars and candy. Look at ingredient labels and avoid these foods as much as necessary to control your symptoms:

• Milk
• Cream
• Butter
• Evaporated milk
• Condensed milk
• Dried milk
• Powdered milk
• Milk solids
• Margarine
• Cheese
• Whey
• Curds

There is no FDA definition for the terms “lactose-free” or “lactose-reduced.” Even products advertised as “non-dairy” could contain trace amounts of dairy products that can lead to the disrupting symptoms of lactose intolerance. Additionally, healthy natural foods that you have eaten for years may be at the root of your lactose intolerance. When transitioning to a lactose intolerance diet, it is important to carefully read the labels of all processed foods to ensure dairy products aren’t lurking.

Ideally, the best dairy products to consume if you have lactose intolerance are the types made from raw cow or goat’s milk that have been fermented for a minimum of 24 hours.

• Raw milk myths continue to cause controversy; however, many of the claims of illness are greatly exaggerated. It is estimated that raw milk is responsible for less than 50 cases of food-borne illnesses each year, while nearly 10 million Americans regularly consume raw milk.
• Raw milk benefits include immune system support, healthy skin, hair and nails, increased bone density, weight loss, muscle development and neurological support.
• Raw milk is beneficial because the pasteurization process dramatically reduces essential nutrients, including vitamins A, C, E and B as well as minerals such as iron, zinc and, of course, calcium. The natural enzymes that help our bodies digest dairy products are destroyed while the protein and immunoglobulin’s are damaged.

Here are additional steps to take to help manage lactose intolerance:

1. Use Organic Fermented Dairy

Fermented dairy improves the digestibility of the lactose, fats and protein in dairy, but also helps to spur healthy digestion of other foods. While the idea of drinking fermented dairy may be off-putting to some, high-quality, organic kefir is slightly tangy, creamy and ultimately satisfying.

It is similar to yogurt, just thinner and drinkable. Probiotic foods are rich in vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids. Kefir contains high levels of thiamin, B12, folate and the secret bone-builder, vitamin K.

Vitamin K2 specifically helps calcium to metabolize, creating stronger bones, which is essential to people on a lactose intolerance diet. Organic fermented dairy also helps to increase magnesium levels. Magnesium deficiency is common in people with digestive tract disorders, including celiac and Crohn’s disease and IBS … as well as lactose intolerance.

You may choose to eliminate all dairy products for a time to help reduce symptoms and help your body heal, but ideally you can begin to swap out regular dairy for fermented dairy, which can help to restore the health of the digestive tract and has enzymes that will actually aid in digestion.

2. Try Goat Milk

For many people, goat milk may be easier on the digestive system than cow milk. Goat milk is high in fatty acids, and it is more easily absorbed and assimilated in the body. The actual fat particles in goat milk are smaller and contain lower concentrations of lactose.

It takes significantly shorter time to digest goat milk products than it does cow milk products. And yet, goat milk is richer in calcium, phosphorus, iodine, potassium, biotin and pantothenic acid. In addition, its casein levels are reduced, making it friendly to those with casein sensitivity.

3. Take Digestive Enzymes That Contain Lactase

Lactase is the enzyme that is lacking in the digestive tract for individuals suffering from lactose intolerance. According to a study published in the Alternative Medicine Review, digestive enzyme supplementation can aid in the breakdown of fats, carbs and proteins, assisting in efficient digestive function

Taking specially formulated digestive supplements provide a safe treatment for digestive malabsorption disorders, including lactose intolerance.

Take a digestive enzyme at the beginning of each meal, to ensure that foods are fully digested. This also helps to decrease the probability that partially digested foods including proteins, fats and carbohydrates will sit in the gut.

4. Supplement with Probiotics

This is an essential part of a lactose intolerance diet. The live or active cultures in yogurt, kefir, fermented vegetables and supplements help to maintain a healthy digestive tract. Increasing healthy bacteria in your gut may help to spur greater lactase production, or at the very least, aid in digestion.

By adding probiotic supplements and probiotic-rich foods to your diet, you can change the balance in the gut, leading to greater nutrient absorption. Managing lactose intolerance with yogurt and probiotics is possible, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology.

However, probiotic supplements can do significantly more for overall health and wellness than just gut health. In fact, according to a study published in Science Daily lead by Dr. Collin Hill from the University of College Cork in Ireland, probiotics may be used in the future to help control disease, without relying on antibiotics.

It is important to look for a supplement that contain probiotics plus prebiotics derived from heat resistant soil-based organisms.

5. Incorporate Calcium-Rich Foods

While calcium is often considered a powerful mineral in the fight against osteoporosis, it is much more vital to our health than just our bones. In fact, calcium-rich foods help promote heart health and manage body weight. Calcium rich foods, which everyone should incorporate in their lactose intolerance diet include raw milk, yogurt, kefir, dark greens like cooked kale, raw cheese, sardines and broccoli.

6. Add Foods Rich in Vitamin K

As mentioned above, vitamin K plays a major role in calcium absorption and bone health, but its benefits do not end there. It also helps promote brain functioning and improve insulin sensitivity. This fat-soluble vitamin is stored in the liver, and proper levels can be disrupted by antibiotic use, certain prescription cholesterol medications and IBS and leaky gut. Many people who are lactose intolerant are also vitamin K deficient, so it is important to make sure you are getting enough in your daily food routine.

Foods rich in vitamin K to add to your lactose intolerance diet include green leafy vegetables, scallions, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cucumbers and dried basil. In addition, fermented, organic dairy is also rich with this essential vitamin.

7. Add Bone Broth to Your Diet

Central to helping restore the gut is bone broth. This simple and tasty broth helps the body overcome food intolerances, sensitivities and even allergies, while improving joint health, boosting the immune system and reducing cellulite.

Long simmering of grass-fed beef bones or organic free-range chicken transforms the calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur and other minerals, making them easier to absorb. In addition, the natural collagen and gelatin found in the bones help to support the GI tract.  Aim to consume 8 ounces to 12 ounces each day.

8. Jumpstart Your Gut Health with the GAPS Diet

The GAPS diet plan was designed by Dr. Campbell to help reduce inflammation, treat autoimmune diseases, support healthy neurological function and minimize digestive disorders. If you have experienced the symptoms of lactose intolerance for months, or years, you can jumpstart your transition by following this eating plan.

The foods consumed include many of those mentioned above, like raw fermented dairy, fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals, healthy nuts and beans, wild fish, grass-fed beef and free-range chicken.

9. Add Non-Dairy, Probiotic-Rich Foods to Your Diet

Probiotic-rich foods increase the overall health of the digestive system and can help ease common digestive upset symptoms (including poor nutrient absorption), strengthen the immune system, support weight loss and increase energy due to more vitamin B12 in the body.

Sauerkraut and kimchi are both made from fermented cabbage and other vegetables that are nutrient rich, and rich with enzymes that help digest foods. Probiotic drinks, including kvass and kombucha, are rich with healthy bacteria, which help with liver detoxification, along with coconut kefir.

Coconut kefir is easy to make at home with the same types of kefir grains used in dairy kefirs and is rich with the healthy bacteria found in organic fermented dairy products.

10. Use Coconut Oil for Cooking

Coconut oil is one of the most amazing foods on the planet, and is easily converted to energy in the body. In addition, it helps to improve digestion, burn fat, kill bad bacteria and fungus and regulate candida in the body. Coconut oil can be used for high-heat cooking, it can replace dairy in coffee and tea and it is easy to bake with. It helps to fight inflammation throughout the body, boost the immune system and even prevent bone loss. For individuals that are limiting their traditional dairy intake, coconut oil should be included in their diet.

11. Substitute Ghee for Butter

Ghee has been used for thousands of years to improve digestion function, reduce inflammation, support weight loss, strengthen bones and so much more. But the most important factor for individuals with lactose intolerance — ghee contains only trace amounts of lactose that most aren’t likely to react to. The long simmering process and skimming of the butter removes most lactose and casein, so individuals with sensitivity or allergies to dairy products should try ghee. In addition, when created from milk from grass-fed cows, levels of conjugated linoleic acid or CLA, are double or triple that of traditional grain-fed cows.

Ghee is versatile and can be used for everything from high-heat cooking to “buttering” toast. Like coconut oil, ghee is part of my healing foods diet.

Final Thoughts

• Lactose intolerance is a condition in which you have digestive symptoms — such as bloating, diarrhea and gas — after you consume foods or drinks that contain lactose, including milk and dairy products.
• Symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, gas, stomach pains, diarrhea and sometimes other issues like headaches. They usually start within about 30 minutes to two hours after consuming lactose.
• Lactose intolerance is caused by factors including genetics, aging, eating a diet that contributes to leaky gut, illnesses and stress
• Lactose intolerance treatment typically involves following an elimination diet to avoid dairy and addressing underlying causes. It’s important to read labels carefully and look out for all types of dairy milk, lactose, whey, curds, milk by-products, dry milk solids and non-fat dry milk powders.

The post 7 Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance (Plus, 11 Tips to Manage) appeared first on Dr. Axe.

On top of this, gluten is now used to help make many highly processed chemical additives that are found in packaged foods of all kinds. Coupled with the fact that manufacturing can lead to cross-contamination, this means trace amounts of gluten often wind up in food products that are seemingly gluten-free — like salad dressings, condiments, deli meats and candy. This makes a gluten-free diet more challenging than it might initially seem.

In the U.S., it’s estimated that grain flours (especially wheat products containing gluten), vegetable oils and added sugar now make up about 70 percent of the total calories most people consume each day! (2) Clearly, that is not an ideal way of eating, but even if you are consuming a healthy whole foods based diet, are you still struggling with signs of gluten intolerance? You might end up being surprised by how some common unwanted healthy symptoms could be linked to that piece of toast you ate at breakfast this morning.

What Is Gluten Intolerance?

Gluten intolerance is different than celiac disease, which is the disorder that’s diagnosed when someone has a true allergy to gluten. Celiac is actually believed to be a rare disease, affecting about 1 percent or less of adults. Some research suggests that for every person diagnosed with celiac disease, another six patients go undiagnosed despite having celiac-related damage to the gut. (3)

Symptoms of celiac disease or a true gluten allergy include malnutrition, stunted growth, cancer, severe neurological and psychiatric illness and even death. However, even when someone tests negative for celiac disease, there’s still a chance he or she can have a gluten intolerance, which poses many risks of its own.

For many decades in the Western medical field, the mainstream view of gluten intolerance was that you either have it, or you don’t. In other words, you either test positive for celiac disease and have a gluten allergy, or you test negative and, therefore, should have no reason to avoid gluten-containing foods. However, today, ongoing research studies along with anecdotal evidence (people’s actual experiences) show that gluten intolerance symptoms aren’t so “black and white” after all.

We now know that gluten intolerance symptoms fall along a spectrum and having a sensitivity to gluten isn’t necessarily all-or-nothing. That means that it’s possible to have gluten intolerance symptoms without having celiac disease. A new term called non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) has been given to this type of condition. (4)

People with NCGS fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum: They don’t have celiac disease, yet they feel noticeably better when they avoid gluten. The extent to which this is true depends on the exact person, since different people can react negatively to gluten to different degrees. In people with gluten intolerance or NCGS, researchers have found that certain factors usually apply, including:

• Test negative for celiac disease (using two types of criteria, histopathology and immunoglobulin E, also called IgE) despite having similar symptoms
• Report experiencing both gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal symptoms (for example, leaky gut syndrome, bloating and brain fog)
• Experience improvements in these gluten sensitivity symptoms when on a gluten-free diet

Gluten Intolerance Symptoms

Damage done by gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease and NCGS, goes beyond just the gastrointestinal tract. Recent research over the past several decades suggests that gluten intolerance symptoms show up in almost every system within the body: the central nervous system (including the brain), endocrine system, cardiovascular system (including the health of the heart and blood vessels), reproductive system and skeletal system.

Because gluten intolerance can lead to autoimmune reactions and increased inflammation levels (the root of most diseases), it’s associated with numerous diseases. But the problem is that many people fail to attribute these symptoms to an undiagnosed food sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity symptoms also get ignored and they persist as no dietary changes are made by the person unknowingly suffering with a gluten sensitivity. What are the first signs of gluten intolerance? It’s time to take a look at this gluten intolerance symptoms checklist.

Symptoms of gluten intolerance or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) are widespread and can include:

1. Digestive and IBS symptoms, including abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, constipation or diarrhea
2. “Brain fog,” difficulty concentrating and trouble remembering information
3. Frequent headaches
4. Mood-related changes, including anxiety and increased depression symptoms (5)
5. Ongoing low energy levels and chronic fatigue syndrome
6. Muscle and joint pains
7. Numbness and tingling in the arms and legs
8. Reproductive problems and infertility (6)
9. Skin issues, including dermatitis, eczema, rosacea and skin rashes (also called a “gluten rash” or “gluten intolerance rash”)
10. Nutrient deficiencies, including anemia (iron deficiency)

Gluten intolerance has also been associated with a higher risk for learning disabilities, including autism and ADHD. (7) Additionally, there may be higher risk for neurological and psychiatric diseases, including dementia and Alzheimer’s. (8, 9)

How is gluten capable of causing so many different problems? Despite what most people think, gluten intolerance (and celiac disease) is more than just a digestive problem. That’s because research suggests that non-celiac gluten sensitivity can result in significant changes to the gut microbiome with an increase in pathogenic microbes. This is a big problem considering that our overall health depends heavily on the health of our gut. (9)

Gluten intolerance can affect almost every cell, tissue and system in the body since the bacteria that populate the gut help control everything from nutrient absorption and hormone production to metabolic function and cognitive processes.

Causes

There are multiple factors that can make people more likely to experience gluten intolerance symptoms: their overall diet and nutrient density, damage to the gut flora, immune status, genetic factors, and hormonal balance can all play a part.

The exact way that gluten causes varied symptoms in many people has to do with its effects on the digestive tract and gut first and foremost. Gluten is considered an “antinutrient” and is therefore hard to digest for nearly all people, whether they have a gluten intolerance or not.

Antinutrients are certain substances naturally present in plant foods, including grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Plants contain antinutrients as a built-in defense mechanism; they have a biological imperative to survive and reproduce just like humans and animals do. Because plants can’t defend themselves from predators by escaping, they evolved to protect their species by carrying antinutrient “toxins” (which in some cases can actually be beneficial to humans when they have the ability to fight off infections, bacteria or pathogens in the body).

Gluten is one type of antinutrient found in grains that has the following effects when eaten by humans: (10)

• It may interfere with normal digestion and can cause bloating, gas, constipation and diarrhea due to its effect on bacteria living in the gut.
• It can produce damage to the lining of the gut, causing “leaky gut syndrome” and autoimmune reactions in some cases.
• It binds to certain amino acids (proteins), essential vitamins and minerals, making them unabsorbable.

Leaky gut syndrome is tied to gluten intolerance, which is a disorder that develops when tiny openings form in the gut lining and then large proteins and gut microbes leak across the gut barrier. Molecules that are usually kept within the gut are then able to enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body, where they can provoke a chronic, low-grade inflammatory response.

In a clinical trial published in 2016, researchers discovered that certain people with high levels of two specific inflammatory proteins in their blood had markers of non-celiac gluten sensitivity although they did not test positive for celiac disease. These individuals were sensitive to wheat (not necessarily just gluten) because of specific physiological factors that improved when they eliminated gluten from their diets. (11)

An entirely different approach to what causes gluten intolerance symptoms lies in unraveling the complex idea of FODMAPs. Thought to be a potential key to healing IBS, understanding FODMAPs (which stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) may play a major role in reducing symptoms of gluten intolerance.

Another clinical trial, this one published in 2018, discovered that some people who self-reported having NCGS actually didn’t react to gluten strongly but did react negatively to fructans, which are present in high-FODMAP foods. (12)

Natural Treatment for Symptoms

1. Try an Elimination Diet

Doctors are sometimes hesitant to attribute a patient’s symptoms to gluten intolerance when they can be caused by other disorders, so sometimes the patient needs to take matters into her own hands. Following an elimination diet is really the best way to test your own personal reaction to gluten. The results of an elimination diet help pinpoint which of your symptoms can be attributed to gluten and let you know whether or not it’s time to go gluten-free.

An elimination diet involves removing gluten from the diet completely for a period of at least 30 days (but preferably longer, such as three months) and then adding it back in. If symptoms improve during the elimination period and then reappear once gluten is eaten again, that’s a clear sign that gluten was contributing to the symptoms. However, it’s very important to test only one variable at a time (gluten) and not several (such as dairy, gluten and sugar) because this can cause you to falsely attribute symptoms.

Because FODMAPs may cause gluten intolerance-like symptoms, you may want to try an elimination diet that involves eliminating high-FODMAP foods from your diet. This may be particularly beneficial if a traditional elimination diet reveals you are not actually sensitive to wheat products.

In addition, you can consume digestive enzymes for gluten intolerance, such as those found in papaya. In fact, researchers from Japan administered a digestive enzyme mixture to patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. They concluded:

2. Follow a Gluten-Free Diet

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, there is no cure for gluten sensitivity, and the only treatment is to follow a gluten-free diet. (13)

Once you do an elimination diet/gluten challenge and can determine if, and how drastically, you are intolerant to eating gluten-containing foods, you’ll know how important it is for you to follow a gluten-free diet. If you have a serious reaction to gluten when you add it back into your diet after the elimination period, you might want to get tested for celiac disease to know whether you need to avoid 100 percent of gluten indefinitely. If you’re sure you don’t have celiac disease, you should still plan to avoid gluten as much as possible in order to prevent gut irritation, further digestive issues and ongoing symptoms.

A gluten-free diet is one without wheat, rye and barley. This means you must avoid most baked products found in stores, flour-containing foods (like pizza or pasta at restaurants), the majority of packaged foods (bread, cereals, pastas, cookies, cakes, etc.) and some types of alcohol, including beer. Check ingredient labels carefully since gluten is hiding in many packaged foods.

If you don’t have celiac disease, it’s likely that occasionally eating gluten-containing foods won’t cause long-term damage or serious health concerns, but you’ll feel better and get more accustomed to a gluten-free diet the longer you stick with it. With gluten out of the picture, focus on including more anti-inflammatory foods in your diet to repair your digestive system and heal any nutrient deficiencies. These include organic animal products, raw dairy products, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and probiotic foods.

When it comes to baking, try some of these naturally gluten-free flour alternatives over wheat flour:

• Brown rice
• Sweet potato
• Quinoa
• Almond flour
• Coconut flour
• Chickpea flour

What if your symptoms don’t improve when you remove all sources of gluten?

Keep in mind that gluten isn’t the only thing that can cause digestive issues. (14) Conventional dairy products, nuts, shellfish and eggs can also cause sensitivities or be a source of food allergies. Again, FODMAPs may also be the real culprit behind your problems. (12)

3. Consider Having Tests Done

Experts typically recommend that you first get tested for a wheat allergy and for celiac disease. Researchers believe that patients who test negative for two main genes that are associated with celiac disease (HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8) are also significantly less likely to have gluten intolerance or NCGS. (15) If celiac disease or gluten intolerance runs in your family, you might want to speak to your doctor about testing for these genes, as well as antibodies that can reveal how active your immune system is.

Remember that celiac disease is an autoimmune disease and will show high levels of certain antibodies (including transglutaminase autoantibodies or autoimmune comorbidities), but this might not be true for people with a gluten intolerance — or the antibody levels could be less severe. (16) Either way, knowing for sure where you stand can be helpful if you’re more susceptible to having reactions to gluten than the average person.

So how do you test for gluten sensitivity? Unfortunately, there is no standard gluten sensitivity test. Some doctors offer saliva, blood or stool testing. Other tests to consider include a zonulin test (also called a lactulose test) and a IgG food allergy test. These types of leaky gut tests can indicate if gluten (or parasites, candida yeast and harmful bacteria) is causing gut permeability. Zonulin controls the size of the openings between your gut lining and your bloodstream, so high levels indicate permeability.

Over time, if the gut lining continues to become permeable, “microvilli” (tiny cellular membranes that line the intestines and absorb nutrients from food) can become damaged, so knowing the severity of your condition can be important for stopping the problem from getting worse.

Gluten Intolerance vs. Celiac vs. Wheat Allergy

People who have a non celiac gluten sensitivity (they’re gluten intolerant) or are wheat intolerant can experience similar symptoms to people who have celiac disease including abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, “foggy brain”, headaches, or rash when they eat offending foods. Celiac disease can also cause more severe symptoms including anemia, osteoporosis, mouth ulcers, nervous system injury, acid reflux, and reduced functioning of the spleen (hyposplenism). (17, 18)

Individuals with celiac disease must avoid gluten, found in wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats. A gluten intolerant person should avoid the same foods, but their potential non celiac gluten sensitivity symptoms are less severe than someone who has celiac disease.

A wheat allergy should not be confused with gluten intolerance or celiac disease. A wheat allergy is a food allergy, which is an overreaction of the immune system to a specific food protein. If someone with a wheat allergy consumes any of the four classes of wheat protein, including gluten, it can trigger an immune system response that causes an allergic reaction. Wheat allergy symptoms can include itching, swelling, difficulty breathing and even anaphylaxis. However, people with a wheat allergy typically don’t experience intestinal damage. (13)

A food allergy, unlike a food intolerance, can potentially be fatal. (19)

Gluten Intolerance vs. IBS vs. Lactose Intolerance

Gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance IBS can all cause similar symptoms like stomach cramps, gas and bloating.

A recent review of research into gluten sensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome published in the journal, Nutrients, concluded that a gluten-free diet can benefit both gluten sensitive patients who report gluten-related symptoms as well as IBS patients who are also gluten or wheat sensitive. The researchers say, “Regardless of the identification of the offending components, the scientific community agrees that the withdrawal of wheat from the diet can significantly improve symptoms in a subset of IBS patients, who can sometimes be diagnosed as NCGS.”Is gluten free good for IBS? It certainly may be, especially for IBS patients who have “gluten sensitive IBS.” (20)

Lactose intolerance symptoms can certainly be similar to symptoms of gluten intolerance or IBS. However, lactose intolerance symptoms are definitely brought on by exposure to one thing: lactose, which is mainly found in dairy products. Common symptoms of lactose intolerance include diarrhea, gas, bloating/swelling in the abdomen, abdominal pain/cramping, nausea, vomiting, headaches or migraines, and acne. These warning signs of lactose intolerance can arise anywhere from 30 minutes to two days after the consumption of dairy products, and can range from mild to severe.

Foods to Avoid

What foods are high in gluten? Whole grains definitely top the list. For decades, there has been a growing emphasis on whole grains in the American diet. We’ve always been told that they are full of fiber, nutrients and should be consumed multiple times every day. There are a few reasons why this is true: Whole grains are cheap to produce, shelf-stable, can easily be shipped and stored and are used to make various processed products that have a big profit margin.

All things considered, the nutrient density for grains is pretty low, especially when you consider the bioavailability of their nutrients. Many of the vitamins or minerals that are present in grains cannot actually be utilized by the body because of the presence of antinutrients, including gluten, described earlier.

While whole grains are a part of some of the healthiest diets in the world (like the Mediterranean diet), they’re also usually balanced by plenty of nutrient-dense foods including healthy fats (like beneficial olive oil), vegetables, protein and fruit. Grains can certainly play their role in a balanced diet, but overall they are somewhat of a suboptimal food source when compared to more nutrient-dense foods like grass-fed animal products, fish, vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts. Therefore, having them less often than other sources of carbohydrates (like starchy veggies or fruit, for example) is a smart idea.

When consumed in moderation by people without gluten intolerance, it’s possible that whole wheat diets can lower inflammation, may reduce all-cause mortality (death), are correlated with less risks for or deaths from heart disease, might lower the risk of diabetes and could support a healthy weight. (21, 22, 23, 24)

Even grains that don’t contain gluten — like corn, oats and rice — do have proteins that are similar in structure to gluten, so even these can cause an immune response in some people. Many people feel better without any gluten, grains or legumes in their diets, but they wouldn’t even know this because they have never experienced an extended period of time without eating these foods. You may want to try a grain-free diet to test this, which involves removing all grains, gluten-free or not.

Wondering what foods to avoid with gluten intolerance? In addition to avoiding the more obvious grain culprits like wheat, rye and barley, there are also some unexpected places gluten can be hiding so check your labels:

• Canned soups
• Beer and malt beverages
• Flavored chips and crackers
• Salad dressings
• Soup mixes
• Store-bought sauces
• Soy Sauce
• Deli/processed meat
• Ground spices
• Certain supplements. Is glutamine gluten-free? Turns out, many glutamine supplements are derived from wheat.

Best Foods to Eat

In general, you’re going to want to look for foods that are labeled as certified gluten-free, as this ensures that a product is free from gluten as well as cross-contamination.

If you’re mostly healthy and do choose to eat grains, try to focus on eating gluten-free grains like rice, gluten-free oats, buckwheat, quinoa and amaranth. It’s also a good idea to properly prepare grains (especially types that contain gluten) by soaking, sprouting and fermenting them. Sprouting grain helps improve nutrient bioavailability, reduces the presence of gluten and other inhibitors, and makes them more digestible. Look for sourdough or sprouted grain breads (like Ezekiel bread),which are better tolerated than ordinary wheat-flour breads.

These are some naturally gluten-free foods that are nutrient-rich and can help you consume a well-rounded diet while avoiding gluten:

• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Brown rice
• Amaranth
• Sorghum
• Teff
• Gluten-free oats
• Millet
• Nut flours (like coconut and almond flour)
• Nuts and seeds
• Fruits and vegetables
• Beans and legumes
• High quality organic meats and poultry
• Wild-caught seafood
• Raw/fermented dairy products like kefir

Healthy Recipes

The good news is that it’s easier than ever before to eat a gluten-free diet these days. There’s an almost endless amount of healthy gluten-free recipes to choose from on a daily basis. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Crustless Spinach Quiche Recipe
• Sweet Potato Hash Browns Recipe
• Tropical Acai Bowl Recipe with Mango and Hemp Seeds
• Moo Shu Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Baked Chile Relleno Casserole Recipe
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Interesting Facts

Some estimates suggest that six to 10 times more people have a form of gluten intolerance than have celiac disease. (25) That means 1 in 10 adults might have some form of NCGS or gluten intolerance. However, that being said, at this time it’s difficult for researchers to estimate the exact prevalence of gluten intolerances and NCGS because there still isn’t a definitive diagnostic test that’s used or consensus over which symptoms must be present. (26)

It’s also hard to diagnose NCGS accurately because many of the symptoms caused by gluten are broad and very similar to symptoms caused by other disorders (like fatigue, body pains and mood changes). As I mentioned earlier, there especially seems to be a big overlap between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms and gluten intolerance. (27)

Many people with IBS feel better when they follow a gluten-free diet. In people with IBS, gluten might cause symptoms to worsen, but it’s also a possibility that other attributes of wheat besides gluten (like amylase-trypsin inhibitors and low-fermentable, poorly absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates) can lead to poor digestion. (28)

Precautions

If you suspect that you may have a gluten intolerance, talk to your doctor about testing options and following an elimination diet. If you decide to follow gluten-free diet, it’s very important that your diet is well-rounded and nutritious.

If you think you’re noticing gluten intolerance symptoms in children, it’s important to know that a gluten-free diet for kids is not advisable unless medically necessary or done under the supervision of a doctor or dietitian, as it can be lacking in important nutrients if not properly planned.

It’s also important to note that rice, a common replacement for grains on a gluten-free diet, can contain arsenic and mercury, heavy metals that are harmful in large quantities. It’s wise to consume a wide variety of gluten-free grains rather than turn to rice as your go-to carb replacement. (29)

Final Thoughts

Although once thought to be little more than myth, science has revealed that gluten intolerance does exist in individuals who do not also have celiac disease.

A person may have this intolerance, medically referred to as non celiac gluten sensitivity, if they do not test positive for celiac disease but still experience gluten intolerance symptoms and notice an improvement when eliminating gluten from their diet.

For some, gluten is the culprit behind symptoms. There is also some evidence that wheat, not just gluten, causes these symptoms in certain individuals. However, it’s possible that conditions like IBS or an intolerance to high-FODMAP foods actually cause these issues.

A natural treatment plan to treat gluten intolerance symptoms includes doing the following:

1. Try an elimination diet
2. Follow a gluten-free diet
3. Consider having tests done

Read Next: How to Overcome Gluten SensitivitySaveSave

The post Gluten Intolerance Symptoms & Treatment Methods appeared first on Dr. Axe.

To alleviate allergy-like symptoms, many people seek natural remedies for allergies — yet some folks continue to experience difficult, even strange, symptoms. Frustrating! Until recently, most health care practitioners just chalked up runny noses, itchy skin and headaches after meals to “food allergies,” but it’s not that simple because IgE allergy-mediated response tests usually come up negative.

Instead, the problem all along could be histamine intolerance. While few clinicians are aware of this health disorder, due to the rising number of patients, I have little doubt it will soon become another “hot topic” within the profession. At the moment, expert opinion suggests at least 1 percent of the population suffers from histamine intolerance, most of whom (80 percent) are middle-aged women. (1)

Like many other conditions, histamine intolerance is only considered relatively rare simply because medical professionals don’t recognize the condition. An untold number of cases are currently undiagnosed, and considering the diversity of symptoms, that particular oversight is entirely understandable!

What Is Histamine Intolerance?

According to the German journal Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, histamine intolerance is “disequilibrium of accumulated histamine and the capacity for histamine degradation.” Essentially, patients don’t develop a sensitivity to histamine — they simply have too much of it. Several factors contribute to the body accumulating high levels of histamine, and most relate to the molecule failing to be broken down and degraded in the normal way.

Although many people associate histamine only with allergic responses, under normal circumstances it’s an essential molecule performing three important functions. Histamine is primarily: (2)

• A neurotransmitter, like a chemical messenger, that passes from one neuron to another in the nervous system.
• A component of stomach acid that helps break down food.
• An inflammatory response mechanism that dilates blood vessels to enable white cells to quickly reach and neutralize invaders.

These roles are vital to life. However, when histamine levels get too high, the end result is serious disruption to quality of life and even death.

There are two main enzymes in the body that degrade histamine. (3) One is N-methyltransferase (HMT), which deals with histamine in the central nervous system (CNS). The other is diamine oxidase (DAO), which is responsible for breaking down histamine ingested in foodstuffs.

The failure of DAO to degrade histamine is, for the most part, responsible for the number of cases of histamine intolerance seen today. (4) DAO’s failure to degrade excess histamine results in a double-whammy: histamine levels rising and unpleasant symptoms.

DAO may be affected for a number of reasons, and the problems relate to both internal and external triggers: (5)

• DAO can be reduced due to gastrointestinal disease.
• Certain medications, both over-the-counter and prescribed, contribute to blocking DAO and preventing production.
• Many normally recommended foods have high histamine levels and contribute to a current dysfunction.
• Some foods have the ability to block DAO.

Other foods compound the problem further because they have the ability to trigger the release of histamine within the body even if they don’t contain it. The more DAO is blocked while histamine production continues and histamine-rich foods are ingested, the worse the reaction for the patient.

Symptoms

When the body reaches abnormally high levels of histamine, beyond the body’s ability to break down such an overload, a broad range of symptoms occur. (6) Many of these symptoms, listed below, are similar to allergic symptoms, so you should check for histamine intolerance when such reactions appear.

• Abdominal cramps
• Abnormal menstrual cycle
• Anxiety
• Breathing problems
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• Difficulty falling asleep/overstimulation
• Digestive disturbances
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Fatigue
• Flushing
• Headaches or migraines
• Acid reflux
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Hypotension (low blood pressure)
• Itching
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Nasal congestion
• Sinus problems
• Sneezing
• Tachycardia (rapid heart rate)
• Temperature dysregulation
• Tissue swelling/inflammation
• Urticaria (hives)

Clearly, the broad range of symptoms can, and does, result in patients being diagnosed with any number of conditions prior to histamine intolerance even being considered. In many cases, the issue of diagnosis is compounded still further because people continue to consume what’s normally considered to be a healthy and nutritious diet, and any lifestyle shortcomings aren’t immediately apparent.

Indeed, for many people, an accurate diagnosis can take a long time, which is a frustrating process for both patient and clinician alike.

Causes

Several apparently unrelated factors can lead to histamine intolerance. These include DAO blocking, GI disorders, bacterial overgrowth and even UV light.

DAO Blocking

As already discussed, DAO blockage results in too little of the enzyme to cope with the amount of histamine either synthesized in the body or ingested through food. Many foods are high in histamine, and if someone has a reduced amount of DAO, then symptoms of intolerance erupt.

Gastrointestinal Disorders

Various gastrointestinal diseases can also result in histamine intolerance: (7)

• Gluten sensitivity
• Leaky gut syndrome
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBS)
• Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

Bacterial Overgrowth

There’s a developing school of thought that histamine intolerance is caused by the overgrowth of bacteria that produce histamine from undigested food. Resulting in overproduction of histamine that can’t be degraded by DAO, this explains why so many people with ongoing allergies often suffer from the GI conditions listed above.

UV Light

Other research indicates UV light may trigger histamine release. A study found that this particular reaction might also be enhanced by some phenothiazine compounds, which occur in prescription medications relating to psychiatric treatments for conditions ranging from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia. Yet, there are numerous over-the-counter and prescribed medications that affect DAO either directly or indirectly. Any patient on medication for the conditions below and suffering from recurring “allergy” symptoms should check for possible histamine intolerance: (8)

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) — aspirin and ibuprofen
• Immune modulators — Enbrel, Plaquenil, Humira
• Antidepressants and antipsychotics — Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, Cymbalta
• Antihistamines — Benadryl, Allegra, Zyrtec
• Antiarrhythmics — Cardizem, Norvasc, propranolol, metoprolol
• H2 histamine blockers — Pepcid, Zantac, Tagamet

What to Do If You Have Histamine Intolerance

When histamine intolerance develops due to an acquired cause — for example, from certain medications — the problem is relatively easy to diagnose and reverse. However, other causes, and the subsequent management of reactions, may not be so simple. Some patients opt for testing DAO levels, but the test isn’t widely available.

Here are four strategies you can follow if you think you suffer from histamine intolerance:

1. Elimination Diet

One of the first steps for many people is to go on an elimination diet. All foods high in histamine are removed from the diet for a period of one to three months to see if symptoms improve. These foods are then gradually reintroduced to monitor reactions.

2. DAO Supplement

Another option many patients find not only acceptable, but also preferable, is simply to raise their DAO levels by taking daily supplements. However, the current product range is, at best, sparse, and this isn’t a cheap option. Still, for many it can improve quality of life without going through the further disruption of food elimination or testing.

You can also take digestive enzymes for histamine intolerance.

3. Low-Protein Diet

Since histamine is made from amino acids and amino acids derive from proteins, it follows that foods high in protein (which take longer to digest) ultimately affect histamine levels. Additionally, histamine levels elevate as food is allowed to age in the gut, which can feed bacteria that can continue to feed the cycle.

4. Low-Histamine Diet

Not only should protein-rich foods be avoided, but also these foods may aggravate histamine intolerance:

• Alcohol and other fermented drinks
• All citrus fruits — oranges, lemons, lime and grapefruit
• Any foods containing artificial coloring or preservatives
• Berries — fresh, frozen or canned
• Chocolate and cocoa
• Dried fruit
• Fermented dairy products, including cheese, yogurt and buttermilk
• Fermented foods, such as pickles, relishes, sauerkraut
• Leftover meat
• Meats that are processed, cured, smoked or fermented
• Mushrooms
• Seafood — shell or fin fish, frozen, fresh, canned, or smoked
• Spinach
• Spices — including curry powder, cayenne, chili, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg
• Tea
• Tomatoes — fresh, canned, pureed or in sauces
• Vinegar and related products — for example, ketchup and mustard
• Yeast

Before we throw out the baby out with the bathwater, however, some consideration must be given to the fact that humans have been consuming such foods for centuries without developing adverse side effects! These foods, many of which are both natural and nutritious, are largely represented both by pickled and fermented or aged foods. These practices, which began before the invention of refrigeration, were usual methods of preservation carried out in most homes.

Low-Histamine Diet Foods

For many, the only alternative is to eliminate not only histamine-rich foods, but also the ones that block DAO together with those that initiate synthesis of histamine. If you go this route, your menu options are quite limited.

• Fresh fish
• Meats and poultry, but only if they’re freshly cooked
• Eggs (although the whites can stimulate histamine release in some people)
• Gluten-free rice and quinoa
• Fresh fruits — apple, cantaloupe, grapes, kiwi, mango, pear, watermelon
• Fresh vegetables, excluding avocado, eggplant, spinach, tomatoes
• Pure peanut butter
• Dairy substitutes — almond, coconut, hemp and rice milks
• Olive oil and coconut oil for cooking
• Leafy herbs
• Herbal teas

The list is pitifully short — yet, there are still acceptable solutions to histamine intolerance. It may take time to resolve the issues for some patients, but once a diagnosis is achieved, the first major obstacle is overcome and natural treatments can starts to address the root causes of histamine intolerance.

The post Does Histamine Intolerance Cause Allergies, Headaches & Bloating? appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Like many Americans, I grew up in the age of oversanitation in a house full of home cleaning products. My mom regularly scrubbed down our kitchen counter with household bleach. The sink was so shiny that it sparkled, and our floors were spotless. She didn’t do this to hurt us; she thought it was keeping us safe. Years later, many of the clients I met in my practice had the same “kill-all-germs” standard for their homes. After all, it’s what they thought would best protect their families.

In reality, there are lots of reasons to forgo store-bought home cleaning products. The latest example? Regular, long-term exposure to spray cleaners increases a woman’s risk of lung damage similar to that of smoking a pack of 20 cigarettes a day.

Home Cleaning Products Study: The Main Takeaways

The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, investigated home cleaning products, including sprays and other cleaners. Although the study didn’t look at products’ impacts on lung cancer risk, it did aim to find out how cleaners damage the lungs and impair function.

In the first-of-its-kind study on home cleaning products, Norwegian researchers turned up some important findings. Here are the key takeaways: (1)

• The study looked at 6,000 women over a 20-year span.
• It investigated the long-term impact of cleaners on respiratory health, including lung function decline and airway obstruction.
• Scientists looked at both people cleaning at home and people who cleaned as a profession.
• The study looked at forced expiratory volume in one second, which is how much air you can blow out of your lungs in a second.
• They also looked at forced vital capacity. That’s how much air you can blow out of your lungs after taking a big, deep breath.
•  Although both of these breathing factors declines naturally with age starting in the mid-20s, the study found regularly using cleaning chemicals accelerated lung decline.
• Cleaning as little as once a week from home over 20-years initiated significant lung damage.
• People cleaning professionally for a job experienced lung damage on par with smoking 20 cigarettes daily for 10 to 20 years.

The researchers hypothesize that cleaning products’ irritating ingredients cause damage through different avenues, including:

• Triggering immune system dysfunction
• Setting off inflammation in mucous membranes
• Damage to the airways on the cell, structural and tissue level

Environmental Working Group’s science review of the study provides some recommendations: (2)

• Save money and your lungs by simply using fewer cleaning products. Store-bought cleaner manufacturers aren’t required to disclose all ingredients, so there’s no way of really knowing what’s in a specific mixture…and how it’ll affect your health in the short- and long-term.
• Avoid spray cleaners when possible. If you must use them, spray onto a cloth first to reduce the number of tiny droplets you breathe in.
• Use microfiber cloths or microfiber cloths and water to do your dusting.

The Dark Side of Home Cleaning Products

The study linking cleaner use to cigarette lung damage should certainly give you pause. But there are dozens and dozens of other peer-reviewed, published studies outlining how harmful cleaning products impact our bodies. Perhaps the scariest part? Cleaner manufacturers don’t have to disclose all of the ingredients in products. And we just don’t know what health effects stem from the way all of these questionable ingredients mix with each other. Here’s what we do know. Let’s take a look at some of the ways toxic cleaning products can damage your body.

Immune System Dysfunction

One animal study published in Science in 2012 demonstrated the harm that can result from living in a too-sterile environment. Researchers observed two groups of mice: the first group was bred with “germ-free” immune systems that lacked gut bacteria; the second group was given normal, healthy exposure to good and bad bacteria. When they were tested, the germ-free mice had much higher levels of inflammation in the colon and lung regions compared to the mice with normal germ exposure (who had healthy immune responses).

The germ-free mice had also developed symptoms similar to ulcerative colitis and asthma. But the good news is, once the germ-free mice were exposed to normal amounts of bacteria two weeks after birth, their immune system response balanced out, and the animals healed from their inflammatory conditions. (3)

Lung-Penetrating Air Pollution

Did you know cleaning your home with household cleaners available in most stores can actually create hazardous air conditions inside of your home? A 2006 study published in the journal Indoor Air found home cleaning products often contain high levels of volatile organic compounds, also known as VOCs.

The study authors noted that these cleaners often harbor glycol ethers, which are regulated toxic air contaminants. Terpenes are other problematic chemicals lurking in cleaners. These can easily react with formaldehyde and ultrafine particles in the air to create lung-damaging ozone. (4)

Limonene and linalool are two synthetic fragrance terpene chemicals often used in citrus-scented products. (5)

Snotty Kids

A Chinese study of nearly 2300 students from 21 different schools found that frequently using cleaning products in the home increased the likelihood of kids having rhinitis, an inflammation of the nose lining, by 29 to 97 percent.

The researchers calculated kids’ “total chemical burden” by adding up the total time of exposure to 14 different home cleaning products. The rhinitis symptoms were worse as total chemical burden increased. (6)

Asthma

It’s well known that people who clean to make a living face an increased risk of developing asthma. But did you know using cleaning sprays at home is also linked to new cases of asthma? A 2010 review study published in the Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology found strong evidence linking not only professional cleaners but also homemakers and healthcare professionals, to work-exacerbated and new-onset asthma. The study author noted that the following products may be particularly relevant to asthma symptoms:

• Spray cleaners
• Chlorine bleach
• Other disinfectants

So what’s triggering these lung ailments? Researchers believe it could be a sensitization effect and/or the irritating features of the ingredients. (7)

Add in the dangers of synthetic scents often used in cleaners, and it’s easy to see how home cleaning products can lead to chest tightness, wheezing and other respiratory ailments. (8)

Dermatitis

If you’re looking for natural rash home remedies, it could be as simple as switching up your cleaning routine.

Unfortunately, contact dermatitis-triggering ingredients are common in cleaners and laundry products. Preservatives like methylisothiazolinone are among the worst offenders. And be careful: This one is often found in cleaning and laundry products marketed as “natural.” (9, 10)

Poisonous Gases & Beyond

It’s not just the cleaning products themselves, but how we often mix them that leads to potentially disastrous health threats. The dangers of bleach range beyond its own initial respiratory threats. One of the biggest dangers? It doesn’t play well with other popular cleaning chemicals. One common mistake is mixing chlorine bleach with a cleaner containing ammonia. (Glass and floor cleaners often contain ammonia.)

This creates chloramine gas. In fact, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia warns that just a few whiffs of this chemical mixture can set off 24 hours of symptoms, including: (11)

• Eye, nose, throat and airway irritation
• Teary eyes
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Coughing
• Chest congestion

Mixing chlorine bleach with an acid-based cleaner also creates chlorine gas, another irritant, but with more serious and longer-lasting effects than chloramine. This is why I suggest you never mix store-bought cleaning products. Think about it. Even mixing white vinegar with bleach could create this hazardous gas, along with acids found in drain openers, oven cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners.

More Toxic Mixtures

The American Lung Association warns that even natural fragrances like citrus can react and create hazardous indoor air quality conditions.

If levels of ozone are high inside of the house, cleaning ingredients, particularly natural and synthetic forms of citrus, can react to create formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen. Toxic microparticles are also created, which can lodge into your lungs.

According to the American Lung Association, ozone can worsen asthma and other lung diseases while fine particles cannot only make asthma worse but also increase heart attack and stroke risk. (12)

Related: Fragrance Sensitivity: Allergy Symptoms, Triggers & Treatment

How to Find & Create Safer Cleaner Products

Since our chemical regulations are outdated and don’t properly protect us from toxic cleaning products, how can we find safer solutions? Here are the top recommendations:

• Most people don’t need industrial disinfectants for home cleaning. Use ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda and castile soap for cleaning purposes. When you do need a more potent cleaner, use germ-killing essential oils, including a thieves oil blend. (Make sure they are safe to use around children and pets.)
• When in doubt, choose unscented products.
• If you do use essential oils, avoid use on days with high ozone. And don’t use air filters in your home that create ozone.
• Avoid antibacterial soap, including the active ingredient triclosan and ingredients used to replace triclosan.
• Don’t always trust “green” or “natural” cleaners. A 2015 study found many contained carcinogens, toxic fragrances and VOCs similarly to regular store-bought cleaners. (13, 14)
• Look at EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning to see how your cleaners rank and to find safer alternatives.

Final Thoughts on Home Cleaning Products & Health Threats

• In 2018, Norwegian researchers released a first-of-its-kind study linking long-term exposure to cleaning products to significant lung damage.
• Cleaning the home as little as just once a week triggered lung decline.
• People who cleaned more regularly (such as people who clean for a living) experienced lung damage on par with smoking 20 cigarettes a day for 10 to 20 years.
• The damage was measured by declining levels of exhalation breath and a weaker one-second expulsion of air from the lungs.
• The damage is believed to occur to the immune system, to the actual airway tract and due to chronic, low-level inflammation triggered by the cleaning products.
• Dozens of other studies link common home cleaning products to asthma, immune system dysfunction, autoimmune diseases, cancer and other ills.
• Dust with a microfiber cloth and water and utilize other natural cleaners like castile soap, white vinegar and baking soda.
• Most households don’t require harsh disinfects to kill all germs. That can actually damage our health in many cases, in my opinion.
• Certain essential oils possess antibacterial and antiviral properties if you do need a more potent natural cleaner. Just be sure you choose oils that are safe to use around kids and pets. And make sure they don’t interact poorly with certain medical conditions.
• If you are going to purchase store-bought cleaners, check EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaners to check out safety scores and choose a better product.

Read Next: The Best Natural Cleaning Products to Limit Your Toxin Exposure

The post Home Cleaning Products Bombshell: Exposure Equivalent to Smoking 20 Cigarettes a Day, Study Says appeared first on Dr. Axe.

If you spend time along rivers or lakes in the southern or northeastern parts of the U.S., be sure to watch out for poison sumac. Poison sumac is considered a much rarer plant compared to poison ivy (but it is more poisonous). So depending on where you live, you probably have much less of a risk of coming into contact with it frequently. Sumac shrubs are bigger and taller than poison ivy and poison oak plants, which grow as winding vines or short shrubs. (1)

A rash caused by poison sumac is due to contact with an oil found in the plant called urushiol. This is the same “poisonous” oil found in poison ivy and oak. It’s believed that about 85 percent of all people are allergic to urushiol. Many people don’t realize that skin rashes caused by poisonous plants are due to an allergic reaction, specifically the type called contact dermatitis. (2)

How long does it take for a poison sumac rash to develop? After you have contact with urushiol, a red rash will typically form on your skin within 24 to 72 hours. The rash can appear anywhere on your body where the plant’s oils have touched, most commonly your hands, feet or legs. If you do develop a poison sumac skin rash, there are certain things you can do to help soothe your skin and reduce itching while you’re healing, including applying a cool compress to the skin, using calamine lotion and applying essential oils.

What Is Poison Sumac?

Poison sumac (species name Toxicodendron vernix) is a toxic plant that causes a skin rash upon contact.  The plant is related to poison ivy and poison oak plants, which is why all three plants can cause similar skin rashes.

What does a poison sumac tree look like?

• Poison sumac trees are small woody shrubs that can grow up to about 9 meters tall (or over 29 feet). They can be found growing in wet or marshy areas, such as all along the east coast of the United States, especially the Northeast or the Deep South. (3)
• Poison sumac thrives only in very wet habitats, so it is usually found growing along rivers, lakes, streams or canals.
• Poison sumac plants have red stems and bright green leaves, sometimes which have a small leaflet (an extra little leaf) growing on the side. Poison sumac leaves grow in clusters of seven to 13 leaves. They usually have one leaf at the end of the branch that sits by itself. Sumac leaves have smooth edges and are not saw-toothed, which distinguishes them from related plants.
• Red stems branch off of the main trunk of the plant. Sumac berries can also grow in bunches near the plant’s main branches. Sumac berries are usually green during the summer and yellow-white during the winter.
• Urushiol can be picked up from touching any and all parts of  poison ivy, poison sumac and poison oak plants.

Poison Sumac Reaction Signs & Symptoms

The most noticeable symptom associated with contacting a poison sumac tree or shrub is developing a red, itchy skin rash. Signs and symptoms of a poison sumac rash can include: (4)

• Developing patches or streaks of red, raised blisters.
• Itchiness and  skin dryness.
• Redness, tingling, heat or swelling of your skin.
• After several days, blisters developing that fill with fluid and can sometimes ooze. These may form scabs as they heal and can sometimes leave behind scarring or discoloration.
• Changes in skin color, such as blisters forming that have a yellow or orange tint.
• Increased sensitivity to the sun, heat or cold.

How long will a poison sumac rash last? Most people will have an active rash for about one to three weeks. Within a week of spotting the first signs of a rash you can expect the rash to “peak” and be at its worst. You might experience redness, swollen skin, itchiness, blistering or scabbing for up to three weeks. The rash itself is not contagious and the rash doesn’t usually spread for more than a week unless you come into contact with urushiol again.

Causes & Risk Factors for Developing a Poison Sumac Rash

Poison sumac rashes are triggered by urushiol oil, which is, unfortunately, a very resilient oil that can remain active for months when it spreads to fabrics or household equipment. The most common way to get a poison sumac rash is to directly touch the plant. A reaction can be triggered within minutes, often without you even realizing it.

What are some of the risk factors for developing a poison sumac rash? These include: (5)

• Spending time outdoors in wet, marshy areas, especially if much of your skin is exposed.
• Working in agriculture and/or forestry.
• Being an “outdoor enthusiast,” such as camping or hiking along trails.
• Having eczema, allergies or sensitive skin (usually fair, easily sunburned and prone to rashes).
• Having family members who are allergic to the plant or who have had reactions in the past.
  Having a history of strong allergies or weakened immune system due to other medical conditions, like autoimmune disorders.

Many different surfaces, materials and tools can harbor urushiol oil long after it has left a poisonous plant. Things around your home that might contain small amounts of urushiol, which is still enough to cause an allergic reaction upon contact, include:

• Gardening equipment, like gloves or shovels or garden hoses
• Cotton clothing, hats, shoes, socks or other clothing
• Pet fur
• Furniture
• Doorknobs
• Sports equipment

Conventional Treatments for Poison Sumac Reactions

If you develop a mild or moderate rash due to poison sumac, then you won’t necessarily need to visit a doctor or seek any specific treatment. However, there are times when you will want to see your doctor for help, such as if the rash becomes very severe, swollen or appears close to your eyes.

Doctors will sometimes prescribe antihistamine medications or even steroids to patients with severe skin rashes in order to control their immune system’s reaction. Certain medications can help control swelling and itching and might make the rash go away a bit quicker. (6) When someone shows signs of being severely allergic to poison sumac then a corticosteroid shot, such as prednisone or triamcinolone, or creams containing hydrocortisone or other antihistamine ingredients, may be prescribed.

Can you get poison sumac more than once? Yes, and even using medications that your doctor might prescribe won’t guarantee that a rash will not return at a later time if you have contact with urushiol again. It’s common to get a rash from poison ivy, oak or sumac more than once. If you know you are highly allergic to urushiol and have a strong reaction, then it’s a good idea to visit your doctor as soon as you suspect a rash is starting to develop in order to keep it from becoming very bad.

5 Natural Ways to Prevent & Treat Poison Sumac 

1. Remove suspicious plants from your home.
2. Cover up exposed skin.
3. Wash your skin ASAP after contact.
4. Disinfect clothes and equipment.
5. Soothe your rash.

1. Watch Your Surroundings & Remove Suspicious Plants From Your Home

There are certain things you can do to help control poisonous plants from growing around your home. You can smother the plants by cutting them close to the ground and then covering them with newspaper or mulch. The dead plants are still poisonous, so be careful when removing them.

If you choose to dig the plants up and throw them out, be sure to cover up all of your skin while doing this and then to thoroughly clean all the equipment you use. Try to remove the plant’s roots as much as possible so they won’t easily grow back. If you know you’re highly allergic to poison sumac or other related plants, then it’s smart to have someone else do the digging, since there’s a good chance that you may be exposed to even a tiny amount of urushiol in the process.

It’s not a good idea to burn poison sumac, ivy or oak plants. That’s because urushiol can remain in the air and travel through smoke, aggravating your eyes, nasal passages and respiratory tract.

I also don’t recommend using herbicides as these products contain dangerous chemicals such as glyphosphate.

2. Cover Up Exposed Skin

The best way to prevent a poison sumac reaction is to keep your skin covered up so you don’t have any direct contact with urushiol. Whenever you’re outside in any area that might have poisonous plants (especially wet marshy areas along bodies of water) such as if you’re camping, gardening or hiking, then try to wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves and closed shoes.

3. Wash Your Skin ASAP After Contact

Urushiol will start to seep into your skin or clothing right away following contact. However, you should have several minutes after contacting urushiol to wash it off of your skin before you have a reaction — assuming that you aren’t very sensitive or allergic. (7) Whenever you suspect that you’ve made contact with urushiol from poison ivy, oak or sumac immediately wash your skin with warm water and soap. Experts recommend that you don’t use a washcloth or towel since it’s possible that some urushiol may linger on the fabric.

There are now commercial washes available that claim to be stronger than ordinary soap when it comes to killing urushiol. They usually contain active ingredients including alcohol, acetone and other chemicals. There isn’t consensus over whether these products really work much better than regular soap. Keep in mind, however, that using these products still won’t guarantee that you are protected from having an allergic reaction.

In most cases using hand soap, laundry detergent and body wash/soap work well enough for most people to remove urushiol. If you are somewhere where water and soap is not available (such as if you’re camping or hiking), then using rubbing alcohol or alcohol wipes can help remove urushiol from your skin.

4. Clean/Disinfect Clothes & Equipment

Poison sumac’s oils can linger on tools and clothing for long periods of time. This means a rash can easily spread even if you aren’t directly touching the plant. If you pick up gloves, shoes or gardening tools that have urushiol on them and haven’t been washed, then you may get a skin reaction or prolong a rash you already have.

Make sure to wash anything right away that may have been exposed to poison sumac, including: gardening gloves, shovels or other gardening equipment, a hose, handles of a wheel barrel or bucket/pail, socks, shoes, hats, etc. You can use some kitchen or bathroom cleaner on door knobs you may have touched, or other surfaces in your home just to be on the safe side.

5. Soothe Your Rash & Then Leave It Alone

It’s tempting to pick or scratch a poison sumac rash, but this can actually make the rash worse and increase your risk of scarring or developing an infection. Try to keep your skin clean, dry and cool. Avoid scratching your skin as much as possible. And consider wearing gloves to bed if you find yourself scratching in your sleep.

Experts usually recommend applying an over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamine product to itchy skin, such as pink calamine lotion. Calamine lotion has a cooling, soothing effect that can distract you from itchiness. It’s safe to use up to four times daily and be left on your skin to dry overnight while you sleep. Most doctors will recommend using calamine lotion until oozing stops and then letting your skin heal so you don’t remove too much moisture. Other similar products you can use are creams or pills that contain the antihistamine ingredients diphenhydramine or hydrocortisone, which are available as creams or tablets.

Some people also find relief from using natural treatments on skin rashes caused by poisonous plants, such as essential oils or even tea leaves. Natural remedies that may help treat a poison sumac rash include:

• Lavender essential oil or oregano essential oil, diluted with coconut oil and applied to the skin to soothe irritation and fight infection.
• Apple cider vinegar, raw honey, baking soda or even brewed/chilled black tea. You can dab a clean cloth into these products and then gently apply to inflamed skin to help reduce irritation. It’s also possible to make a paste out of baking soda that can help to dry up fluid-filled blisters. However, do not apply these ingredients to broken or bleeding areas of the skin.
• Colloidal oatmeal, which helps to dry skin and stop oozing. Other ways to use colloidal oatmeal include buying creams that contain oatmeal extract or soaking in a bath with dissolved colloidal oatmeal.
• Aloe vera, which helps to reduce irritation and may help prevent discoloration and scarring
• Bentonite clay, which can help to dry skin blisters and reduce itching.

If your skin becomes very swollen and uncomfortable, then gently apply a cool compress to your skin, such as a clean cotton cloth that has been soaked in cold water or kept in the refrigerator. Taking a cool bath with baking soda or colloidal oatmeal is another way to reduce irritation and soothe the skin.

Precautions Regarding Poison Sumac

Generally speaking, an allergic reaction to poison sumac is not a very serious problem and doesn’t usually require much treatment. There are times when you should get help right away, though, and even head to the emergency room if you have a severe reaction.

Signs and symptoms of a strong allergic reaction to poison sumac (or poison ivy or oak) include:

• a widespread rash that covers a large portion of the body
• nausea and vomiting
• fever
• feeling faint
• shortness of breath
• extreme soreness and aches
• swollen lymph nodes

It’s best not to wait for these symptoms to pass on their own, but rather to get help and a prescription for medications, if needed.

Poison Sumac Key Points 

• Poison sumac (species name Toxicodendron vernix) is a toxic plant that causes an itchy, red skin rash. An allergic reaction to the plant’s oil called urushiol is the cause for the rash.
• Poison sumac is related to poison ivy and poison oak plants, which is why all three plants can cause similar skin rashes. Poison sumac rashes are much more rare because the plant is not as widespread.
• Poison sumac shrubs and trees usually grow in wet, marshy areas along big or small bodies of water in the Northeast and the southern U.S.
• Poison sumac plants have red stems and bright green leaves. The leaves grow in clusters of seven to 13 leaves. They usually have one leaf at the end of the branch that sits by itself.

5 Natural Ways to Prevent & Treat Poison Sumac

1. Observe your surroundings and remove suspicious plants from your home.
2. Cover up exposed skin
3. Immediately wash skin after contact
4. Disinfect exposed tools and clothes
5. Apply soothing ingredients to your skin such as calamine lotion, colloidal oatmeal, or coconut oil and essential oils.

Read Next: Lyme Disease & Symptoms & Causes to Watch Out For

The post Natural Poison Sumac Prevention & Treatment appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Living with a ragweed allergy can make life absolutely miserable for a good chunk of the year. The worst part? The most intense ragweed allergy symptoms seem to hit right when you should be enjoying the best of what the warmer months have to offer. When you’re dealing with ragweed allergies, poolside relaxation, vacationing by the ocean, hiking by a meadow or mountain and long hours in the garden are often accompanied by seasonal allergy symptoms like a scratchy throat, an itchy feeling on the inside of your ears, itchy, watery, swollen eyes, a runny nose (and the soggy tissues that often ensue).

You’re not alone in this warm-season malady, though. A ragweed allergy, also commonly referred to as “hay fever,” affects about 10 to 20 percent of the American population. And get this: 75 percent of people dealing with seasonal allergies are allergic to ragweed, making it a most dreaded plant in yards and gardens across the country. (Quick brush-up lesson: Seasonal allergies occur when an individual has a heightened sensitivity to a specific type of pollen.) (1)

Back to ragweed: With a capability to grow in all sorts of conditions, ragweed inflicts its allergy agenda in all 50 states. Just one plant is capable of producing about one billion grains of pollen in single season. Research shows just 5 to 20 pollen grains per cubic meter can trigger ragweed allergy symptoms. To put that into perspective, ragweed pollen grain concentrations readily hit 200 during prime allergy season in the midwestern U.S. (2)

Again, most people think of springtime as prime time for allergy season. Sure, there’s no denying people are reaching for allergy drugs that time of year, but if you’re one of the more than 23 million Americans who are allergic to ragweed pollen, chances are you’re starting to feel that subtle itch in the back of your throat as early as mid-July. And a changing climate is only expanding the ragweed allergy season, unfortunately.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, ragweed pollen can be detected as early as mid to late July in certain areas, with most blooming in mid-August. Ragweed pollen levels peak around early September. (3) That’s a long time to be feeling ragweed allergy symptoms, so let’s go on the hunt for some natural allergy relief.

Ragweed Allergy Triggers, Including the One Drink to Always Avoid

Almost one third of people living with a ragweed allergy also experience an allergic response to certain other foods, including cucumbers, melons, zucchini, sunflower seeds, bananas and/or chamomile tea. (4) Even echinacea can trigger a reaction.

That’s because the proteins found in some types of produce are very similar to the proteins found in certain types of pollen. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, these proteins can confuse the immune system and cause an allergic reaction or make existing symptoms worse, which is referred to as cross-reactivity. In the case of pollen and foods, the result of cross-reactivity is called oral allergy syndrome. (5)

That may seem surprising, especially since these things usually fall under the health food category. (Your immune system thinks differently!) Let’s take a closer look at at herbal tea, in particular. Do you ever swap coffee with tea or pour a cup to unwind after a long day? Chamomile tea is a popular option, as it’s full of antioxidants, reduces inflammation and improves digestion.

But for people suffering from ragweed allergies, chamomile tea can be giving you something extra — a slew of symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, headaches and irritated eyes. Chamomile is good for a lot of things, but if you’re living with a ragweed allergy, you should probably avoid this drink.

Because the chamomile plant is part of the same family as ragweed, Asteraceae, cross-reactivity problems are fairly common. Allergists see allergic reactions to chamomile tea because it “cross reacts” with ragweed. The similarities in proteins between chamomile and ragweed are close enough to cause an allergic reaction during allergy season. People with a ragweed allergy are more likely to become itchy, get a runny nose, or even experience hives while drinking this type of herbal tea. (6)

And get this: If you don’t have allergy symptoms already, chamomile tea can actually  set them off. (7) And if you are suffering, the tea can worsen symptoms.

5 Natural Ways to Reduce Ragweed Allergy Symptoms

There are lots of over-the-counter and prescription drug options to treat allergies, but many come with unpleasant side effects. Allergy shots are another option; in 2014, the Food and Drug Administration approved sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) as a potential alternative to allergy shots with fewer side effects. (8)

Still, many people find major seasonal allergy relief by making some other lifestyle changes first. Here are a few changes to start.

1. Drinks

So you’re sniffling and bummed about the whole chamomile tea thing? Not to worry. If you’re jonesing for a cup of something warm, I recommend this turmeric tea. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory – one of the most effective in the world, in fact. It’s also a natural painkiller, which can help alleviate those pesky allergy side effects without over-the-counter or prescription medication.

Hydration-wise, make sure you are drinking at 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to stay adequately hydrated. Dehydration makes allergy symptoms even worse.

2. Food

Aside from avoiding the trigger foods listed above that could make your ragweed allergy symptoms worst (sunflower seeds, chamomile tea, melons, cucumbers, zucchini), opt for a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods, like fresh, organic veggies and high-quality proteins, like wild-caught salmon and grass-fed beef. These are all full of allergy-fighting minerals and vitamins.

3. Digestive Health

Start learning more about leaky gut syndrome and how you can improve your own digestive health. Some of this also involves identifying possible food allergies and food sensitivities. (Try an elimination diet or take a leaky gut test.

4. Household Toxins

It’s certainly important to regularly wash your clothing and sheets during allergy season, just be sure to use plant-based, unscented laundry detergents. Fragrances contain toxic chemicals that can further hamper your immune system. Be sure to avoid fragranced soaps, beauty products, air fresheners and cleaners, too.

Finally, take solace in the fact that while ragweed allergy season is no fun for anyone, it does eventually end, usually around the time of autumn’s first frost.

Ragweed Pollen & Climate Change

It’s important to understand that ragweed allergy season isn’t the same as it was several decades ago, though. In fact, they are becoming more ubiquitous – just check out this image from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

Over the course of 18 years, from 1995 through 2013, 10 out of 11 areas studied had an increase in ragweed pollen season. In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, the season extended by 27 days. That’s nearly an entire extra month of runny noses and sneezing. Minneapolis, Minnesota, experienced a 3-week increase in ragweed allergy season.

Science shows us that climate change is one of the reasons we’re seeing extended allergy seasons and higher pollen counts. With changing climates and temperatures shifts, allergens are able to creep into areas they didn’t previously occupy. As a result, people living in areas where ragweed pollen wasn’t much of a problem before are now finding themselves fighting allergies.

Additionally, because more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere actually nourishes plants, ragweed plants are now growing bigger – and producing more pollen – than ever before (9).

And if you think allergies are mainly in rural areas, think again. Ragweed actually thrives in urban and suburban environments. Temperatures tend to be higher in these places because buildings and pavement heat and then re-radiate it more slowly back than open spaces.

Final Thoughts 

Living with a ragweed allergy, also commonly known as “hay fever,” can be miserable. Often beginning in mid-July and lasting into November in the U.S., ragweed allergy season is actually becoming more intense and longer due to climate change. Symptoms include running nose, itchy, watery, swollen eyes, sneezing, and even allergy-induced asthma.

About 10 to 20 percent of the population has a ragweed allergy; of all seasonal allergy sufferers, 75 percent of them have a ragweed allergy. People with a ragweed allergy can also experience an allergic reaction from a “cross reaction” from certain foods like bananas, melons, sunflower seeds and chamomile and echinacea teas.

Ragweed allergy remedies include turmeric tea and eating anti-inflammatory foods to reduce inflammation.

The post Avoid This One Drink to Help Overcome Your Ragweed Allergy Symptoms appeared first on Dr. Axe.

What Is Poison Oak?

Poison oak rashes are mild to severe skin rashes that develop when the plant’s oily sap, called urushiol, seeps into the skin’s pores and causes an allergic reaction and immune response.

The most common ways for the skin to be exposed to urushiol include directly rubbing or touching the plant (such as when gardening, hiking or walking outdoors), or through indirect contact when holding, touching or wearing any object or fabric that is carrying the oil. Indirect exposure can take place when petting your dog, using garden tools, when wearing shoes or socks that have recently touched the plant, in addition to other ways. (2) In rare cases urushiol can also be inhaled through the nostrils if the plant is burned. However, this is much less likely to occur than contact through the skin.

There are several types of plants that commonly cause allergic reactions and rashes: (3)

• Western poison oak (Toxicodendron diversiloba)
• Eastern poison oak (Toxicodendron pubescens)
• Eastern poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
• Western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)
• Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix)

How to Spot a Poison Oak & Poison Ivy Plant:

In many cases you can identify both poison ivy and poison oak (which look similar) by sight because they grow on branches in a specific pattern in groupings of three leaflets (conjoined leaves). Here are some signs to look for when determining if a plant is poison oak or ivy: (4)

• Many types of plants have a group of three leaves at the top of their branches only. But poison oak and poison ivy have groups of three leaves all the way down the branches as well. In other words, one way to distinguish between poison oak/ivy and other non-harmless plants is to check how the leaves grow up the length of the plant’s branches. If single leaves grow all the way up the branch, then the plant is not poison oak or ivy.
• Poison oak and poison ivy, plus some other plants, also grow leaflets. This means the stems of the three leaves join together on one main stem. This creates what appears to be one bigger leaf. Botanically, each of the three smaller leaves is called a “leaflet.”  If you look at the middle leaflet on a poison oak or ivy plant, its stem is longer than the stem of the two side leaflets.
• The plant’s leaflets are green. They can be anywhere from dull to very bright. They tend to be “reddish in the spring, green in the summer and yellow, orange or red in the fall.”
• Poison oak and poison ivy grow in an alternate leaf pattern. This means that along the plant’s branches no leaf stem is directly across from another leaf them. Instead the stems alternate (one a bit higher than the next).
• The plants have a thick base, which some say looks a bit like celery.
• Sometimes the plants produces tiny, white flowers that hang in clusters. These may or may not be fragrant, and may also produce light green, white or black pitted little “fruits” that are about the size of a green pea.
• You can check if the plant’s leaflets or branches have any tiny black spots where bruising or insects have caused holes to form and the plant’s resin to harden. When resin leaks it appears clear and/or milky, which then turns black and hardens as it dries.
• Finally, pay attention to how the plant positions itself if it’s “climbing” up a tree, fence, trellis, etc. Poison oak and ivy grow almost straight up. But, they typically don’t wrap themselves around (“twine”) trees or other objects.

Signs & Symptoms of a Poison Oak Rash

Urushiol is found in all parts of the plant, including the leaves, stems and roots. It can even survive for a brief period of time after the plant has died. A rash often does not start developing and itching until about 12 to 72 hours after you come into contact with the oil.

After coming into contact with poison oak, it’s estimated that you have up to ten minutes to remove the allergenic oil before it starts to signal the immune system to fire up and cause a reaction. If you are someone who is very sensitive to these “poisonous” plants, you have even less time to remove the oil from your skin — only around 2–3 minutes. Regardless of how allergic to poison oak or ivy you are, the longer you wait to wash the oil off of your skin or remove any contact with objects that have touched the plant, the more oil will be absorbed into your skin and the worse the rash will likely become.

Once you’ve started to experience an allergic reaction due to urushiol exposure, what does a poison oak rash look like? Not everyone will have a reaction to poison oak, ivy or sumac. In other words, contact with the oil does not guarantee a reaction or rash. But for those who do, symptoms usually include:

• A rash that appears red or like red hives/”streaks,” which can develop anywhere on the body (hands, feet, legs, arms, face or even genitals, for example).
• Itchiness or tingling.
• Heat and swelling around the rash.
• In some cases development of small or large blisters, often forming red streaks or lines.
• Sometimes the skin will ooze and a crust will form. This usually happens around blisters and goes away as they heal.
• For some people with a severe rash that forms blisters, a skin infection can possibly develop. Signs of an infection include developing a fever or having pus, pain, swelling and warmth around the site of the rash.

What does a poison oak rash look like compared to one caused by poison ivy or poison sumac?

Before attempting to treat your rash, it’s important to distinguish between different types of common skin rashes. Skin problems like eczema, allergies or dermatitis can all cause redness and itching. Poison oak, ivy and sumac can all cause similar-looking rashes because they all contain urushiol that causes the allergic reaction. If you visit a doctor, they may be able tell the difference between the three based on how your symptoms look. However, treatments for all these rashes is almost always the same. In most cases the rashes from these plants will be “indistinguishable.” (5)

Poison Oak Rash Causes & Risk Factors

• Poison oak causes an allergic reaction when the plant’s resins, specifically the allergic oil called urushiol, comes into contact with the epidermis layer of the skin. This is the protective barrier that is mainly located on the skin’s surface.
• The epidermis is made up of lipids, sweat, water and sebum (formed from triglycerides and cholesterol). Urushiol can easily penetrate the skin’s barrier. Then it begins to cause changes to deeper layers of the skin, including the area surrounding cells (specifically the intercellular matrix) and the follicles (also called the pores).
• Once urushiol comes into contact with the sebaceous glands, especially if the skin is exposed to heat, follicles expand and cause the oil to spread. Cells called Langerhans cells can alert other cells and the immune system that a foreign substance has entered the skin and may be a threat.
• The immune system gets the signal that unwelcome antigens (from the poisonous plant) are passing through the skin. This triggers an inflammatory response that causes a rash, itching, pain and swelling.

The most common risk factors for developing a poison oak rash include:

Are people living in some areas more susceptible to developing a poison oak rash than others? According to experts, “Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac can all be found in most areas of the U.S., except Alaska, Hawaii, and the deserts of the Southwest. In some areas of the country (East, Midwest and South), poison ivy grows as a vine. In the northern and western U.S., and around the Great Lakes, it grows as a shrub. Each poison ivy leaf has three leaflets.”

• Having very sensitive skin. People who commonly develop rashes, have another type of inflammatory skin condition, or who are highly allergic can expect a rash and reaction in less time than those with more resistant skin or who are only mildly allergic.
• Exposure of the resins/oil to a thin part of your skin, such as between your fingers or toes. Thicker skin located on your palms or soles of your feet can sometimes resist or slow down penetration of the allergenic oil. But thinner skin is more permeable and fragile.
• Exposure to a large amount of the oil. The more oil that contacts the skin, the quicker the immune system will be stimulated.
• Not having any barrier between your skin and the plant. Sometimes people purposefully apply a product to their skin before being near these plants (such as a balm). Or they wear gloves to protect themselves. Research shows that these can be very helpful in reducing oil/skin contact and therefore development of rashes.

Conventional Treatments for Poison Oak Rash

First, your doctor will likely review your symptoms to determine if they match what a poison oak rash looks like. It’s possible that another allergy or similar condition is causing your symptoms. So a proper diagnosis is important to know which treatment will work best.

For mild-to-moderate rashes your doctor will likely recommend applying lotion to the affected area to soothe itchiness and dry the skin. Two common lotions are hydrocortisone and calamine lotion. (6) He or she might also suggest taking antihistamine pills to control the allergic reaction and reduce itching.

If a rash becomes very intense or severe — causing lots of itching, swelling and signs of inflammation — the most common treatment will be corticosteroids. These are usually applied topically in a lotion but sometimes given as an injection. Corticosteroids are prescribed medications used to reduce inflammation and therefore to help soothe the itch and other side effects of an immune response. This approach may or may not work to reduce the rash pretty quickly. It depends on how allergic you are. In the case of an infection (this is not common but can affect people with severe allergies), your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

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Prevention + 5 Natural Poison Oak Rash Treatments

1. Prevent a Rash By Protecting Your Skin

If you’re outside and at risk for exposing your skin to any of these poisonous plants, you can take precautions to prevent a reaction by covering your skin well. You can use several types of widely available creams, soaps and lotions to help lower your risk for developing symptoms. They work by forming a protective barrier or by removing the oil if you do come into contact with the plant. One product called Ivy Block, a topical lotion sold at most pharmacies or drugstores that contains the ingredient called bentoquatam, may block absorption of urushiol oil. None of these products guarantee that you will be fully protected, however, especially if you’re very allergic to urushiol.

In addition to applying a barrier to your skin, it’s always a good idea to also use protective gloves before working outside with your hands. Or, cover other parts of your skin if hiking, camping, walking on trails outdoors, etc. Wearing something like gardening gloves can be helpful in most cases. But remember that oil can linger on unwashed gloves or other equipment for weeks! Always wash them thoroughly afterward (ideally right away) with soap and water (or bleach). Regular hand soap, laundry detergent and body wash/soap work well enough for most people. There are also special products now available. If you’re very sensitive to these plants, keep in mind there’s still a risk that some oil will make its way onto your skin through the gloves.

If you suspect that urushiol has made its way onto your skin or clothes, wash your skin immediately along with anything you were wearing or using. You can take immediate steps to lower the odds of a rash spreading by showering in warm water and washing the clothes you were wearing. You can also apply a product called Technu to the skin that works to remove the oil. But, it’s best when used right away (within one to three hours or less of contact).

2. Hands Off! Leave The Rash Alone

If a rash begins to form, or you notice symptoms like tingling, redness and itching, resist the temptation to pick or scratch. This can make the rash even worse and cause scratches or open cuts, which may become infected. Leave the rash alone as much as possible while it heals. Only gently touch the affected area to cleanse it with lukewarm water and mild soap, or when applying ointment or a compress. Do not open up blisters or remove their crusty coating, since this actually helps with the healing process.

3. Cold Compresses & Oatmeal Baths

According to research published in the Western Journal of Medicine, to help reduce swelling and heat, you can try soaking in a lukewarm bath with oatmeal or Epsom salt. (7) Another option is applying a damp towel to your skin. Or you can even use a damp, cold pillowcase that has soaked in some in cold water. (8) Another option is to gently wrap the damp towel around ice.  Then gently press it against inflamed skin for 15–20 minutes at a time. You can apply a compress up to several times a day if needed, ideally about every three to four hours. Taking a cold shower may also help.

4. Apply Ointment or Cream

After gently washing the affected skin, apply calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream/lotion to reduce itchiness and oozing. Read directions for dosage instructions based on the strength of the product. You can apply most of these creams in liberal amounts about 2–4 times daily. And, they are safe in most cases for children too.

5. Apply Essential Oils

Topically applying certain essential oils for allergies may improve healing by lowering inflammation of the skin and preventing an infection from forming. In addition, once the rash begins to crust and heal, moisturizing products like aloe vera, Shea better and coconut oil can further help soothe itchiness. Essential oils to try applying to the rash include: (9)

• tea tree
• chamomile
• geranium
• rose
• helichrysum
• and lavender

To treat the rash, add three drops of your chosen oil (or a combination) to a compress. Apply to the area up to three times daily. It’s best to start with only one application daily in order to test your reaction. If you have sensitive skin, you can mix three drops with a half teaspoon of coconut oil to further dilute it and reduce its strength. You can also make a homemade anti-itch cream using several ingredients like witch hazel, calendula, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil and bentonite clay to dry the skin and facilitate with healing. Bentonite clay is used in many natural creams works to dry up blisters, reduce swelling and possibly help to prevent infections. The other ingredients help protect the skin’s natural moisture barrier and reduce growth of bacteria. Apply a small amount of the anti-itch treatment to your skin until it dries and forms flakes. Then gently rinse with water.

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Precautions When Treating Poison Oak Rash

Although a poison oak, ivy or sumac rash will likely go away on its own within several weeks (or even less), sometimes a severe rash can cause complications. Visit your doctor, or even the emergency room, right away if you notice the following symptoms, which can be a sign of a severe allergic reaction or infection that’s spreading:

• Very swollen eyes or patches on your face.
• Swollen mouth, tongue or difficulty swallowing.
• Trouble breathing normally.
• Your rash has spread to the point of covering most of your body.
• Very swollen, oozing blisters.
• The rash has spread to your genitals and is causing pain.
• Much of your skin itches, or nothing seems to ease the itch.

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Final Thoughts on Poison Oak Rash Symptoms, Causes & Treatments

• Poison oak is a type of “poisonous plant.” It causes an allergic reaction and immune response due to containing the irritating oil called urushiol.
• Symptoms include redness, itching, blisters, redness, tingling and swelling.
• Doctors usually treat poison oak, ivy or sumac skin rashes with antihistamines, topical lotions and sometimes corticosteroids. Natural treatments for poison oak rash include applying anti-itch ointment or lotion, essential oils or a soothing compress.

Read Next: Bee Sting Treatment: 7 Home Remedies

The post Find Poison Oak Rash Relief with These 5 Natural Treatments appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Do you have strange bumps inside your nose? If so, you may have nasal polyps, or nasal polyposis. Nasal polyps are pretty common, noncancerous growths. (1) In fact, up to 4 percent of the U.S. population suffers from nasal polyps. (2)

Conventional treatments usually include steroids, antihistamines and surgery. Luckily there are many natural home remedies for nasal polyps and many treatments to prevent them from coming back.

What Are Nasal Polyps?

Nasal polyps look kind of like peeled grapes or teardrops. They are growths that line your nasal passages, or sinuses. If nasal polyps get too large, or if there is a group of nasal polyps, they may block your nasal passages and make it hard to breathe. They are soft, painless and noncancerous. (3)

Signs & Symptoms of Nasal Polyps

Nasal polyps are usually classified as either antrochoanal polyps or ethmoidal polyps. Antrochoanal polyps originate in the maxillary sinuses and are not as common. Ethmoidal polyps develop from the ethmoidal sinuses. (4) 

When you have nasal polyps, you may feel like you have a head cold. (5) Polyps don’t have any sensation, so you may not even realize you have them!

Nasal polyps symptoms and signs may include the following: (6, 7, 8, 9)

• Stuffy or blocked nose
• Sneezing
• Postnasal drip
• Runny nose
• Facial pain
• Difficulty with sense of smell
• Loss of taste
• Itching around the eyes
• Infections
• Pain in your upper teeth
• Vocal changes
• Sense of pressure over the forehead and face
• Snoring

Nasal polyps may cause complications because they can block airflow and fluid drainage. They are also a result of chronic inflammation. Potential complications include:

• Obstructive sleep apnea: This serious condition causes you to stop and start breathing frequently.
• Asthma flare-ups: Chronic rhinosinusitis may cause asthma flare-ups.
• Sinus infections: Nasal polyps may make you more likely to get sinus infections. They are associated with inflammation of the lining of your nasal passages and sinuses that lasts more than 12 weeks (chronic rhinosinusitis, also known as chronic sinusitis). However, it’s possible — and even somewhat more likely — to have chronic sinusitis without nasal polyps. (10)

Causes & Risk Factors

What causes nasal polyps? Scientists don’t really know what causes nasal polyps. However, there is some evidence that people who develop polyps have a different immune system response than those who don’t get polyps.

Nasal polyps are linked to allergic rhinitis, asthma, aspirin allergy, sinus infections, acute and chronic infections and cystic fibrosis. (11) They can occur at any age, but are most common in younger-to-middle-aged adults. Men over 40 years old are most likely to develop nasal polyps. (12)

Conventional Treatment

If you go to a doctor, he or she will most likely use a nasal endoscope to view the inside of your nose and sinuses. Your doctor may recommend imaging studies to determine the size and location of polyps deeper in your sinuses. These tests are also used to rule out other problems, such as structural problems or other growths. Your doctor may also recommend allergy tests to find out if allergies are causing inflammation. If your child is diagnosed with nasal polyps, the doctor may recommend testing for cystic fibrosis as this is often the reason for nasal polyps in children. The standard cystic fibrosis test is a noninvasive sweat test. (13)

You may be looking for a nasal polyps treatment miracle, but conventional treatment usually starts with a nasal corticosteroid spray. It may also include a prescription to take prednisone by mouth for one week. (14) Nasonex, fluticasone, Beconase AQ, mometasone and beclamethasone are all nasal steroids that may be prescribed to treat nasal polyps. (15) Other medication, such as antihistamines and decongestants, don’t really help nasal polyps. However, your doctor may recommend antihistamines to control allergies, or antibiotics before your start on a steroid prescription if you have an infection. (16)

If nasal polyps are large and nasal sprays don’t help, then your doctor may recommend surgery. Surgery options include polypectomy, or endoscopic sinus surgery, where the surgeon uses an endoscope to see into the sinuses if the polyps are difficult to reach. (17) Patients are given general anesthesia for nasal polyps surgery. Surgery can help, but surgery complications can include bleeding, infection and polyps returning after treatment.

19 Natural Treatments + Healthy Diet & Lifestyle Changes

Fortunately, there are many natural treatments and home remedies to treat and soothe nasal polyps. These include making healthy dietary and lifestyle changes and using essential oils and supplements. Read on for a wide variety of options you can use to find relief.

Essential Oils & Supplements

1. Tea Tree Oil

Known for its antimicrobial properties, tea tree oil can be effective when used in the nasal passages. Do not use tea tree oil internally.

2. Bromelain

You may be surprised to learn that eating the fiber-dense core of a pineapple can supply you with an anti-inflammatory immune system-boosting enzyme. Because of its ability to reduce swelling, bromelain helps reduce symptoms of sinus infections. It also protects against allergies and asthma.

Try adding a pineapple core to your smoothie. Or, take bromelain as a daily supplement (300 FIP units) (600 milligram tablet).

3. Magnesium

Similar to bromelain, magnesium contains anti-inflammatory properties and it also relaxes body tissue, among many important functions. Eat a diet rich in magnesium-dense foods, such as leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes.

You can also try taking a magnesium supplement; the NIH recommends 400–420 milligrams daily for adults 18 years old and older, with RDAs adjusted for age and, in the case of females, for pregnancy and lactation. (20) You can even soak in a warm bath filled with Epsom salt to absorb magnesium directly through your skin.

4. Goldenseal

Drinking a cup of tea made from this herb each day can soothe nasal polyps. Goldenseal has both antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Continuous use of goldenseal should not exceed three weeks and it should not be consumed by pregnant or lactating women.

5. Zinc

What do salmon, cocoa and chickpeas have in common? They’re all great sources of zinc. Essential to bodily function as a trace element, a small amount of zinc is needed each day for the body to function optimally. Zinc is often taken over-the-counter (OTC) to help fight colds, and it may be helpful in treating chronic sinusitis, and by extension, nasal polyps. (21)

Try eating protein-rich foods since they contain the highest amounts of naturally-occurring zinc. Examples include: lamb, chicken, turkey, yogurt, cashews and eggs, among several others. You can also supplement with zinc; teenagers 14 years old and up and adults should take 8–13 milligrams, depending on sex and, for females, whether or not one is pregnant or lactating. (22)

6. Probiotics

Research has shown strong evidence that probiotics can boost the immune system. In fact, a study published in Science Translation Medicine demonstrated that an individual’s microbiome can impact their sinus health. (23)

To boost the probiotics in your system, eat sour and probiotic-rich foods. It’s also important to feed the probiotics in your system with good high-quality, high-fiber foods, such as chia seeds and sweet potatoes. A quick way to boost your probiotic intake is to take a daily probiotic supplement.

7. Turmeric

Many studies have noted that curcumin has profound healing properties, with benefits equal to, or better than, many pharmaceutical medications. What is curcumin? It’s the renowned healing compound found in turmeric, a powerful herb.

Turmeric is useful for treating nasal polyps and sinus infections because it is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory compounds in the world. You can add turmeric to your diet by using it as a cooking spice (it’s commonly used in curries). You can also sprinkle it in a smoothie. Turmeric is also available as a supplement.

8. Cayenne Pepper

Do you enjoy a little spicy heat in your food? If so, be sure to mix cayenne pepper into your recipes because this pepper’s benefits are effective for many health concerns. These little red chili peppers contain vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin E, potassium, beta carotene, manganese and flavonoids, which provide antioxidants. How’s that for eating your multivitamins?

The vitamin A in cayenne pepper helps reduce inflammation, preventing inflamed nasal passages, and it also prevents allergies. The vitamin C and antioxidants help boost the immune system.

Dried or powdered cayenne pepper can be added to meat, pasta, eggs, nuts and vegetables for a spicy kick. It also can be added to sauces and drinks and used as a pickling spice.

9. Apple Cider Vinegar

Known for its many health-supporting properties, apple cider vinegar helps to break up mucus, making it a great remedy for relieving seasonal allergies. It’s filled with vitamins and boosts probiotic action, making it a useful cold remedy as well.

Mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a glass of water and drink three times per day for cold and allergy relief.

Dietary Changes: Eat an Immune System-Boosting Diet

10. Garlic

With its antiviral and antifungal properties, garlic can help relieve the common cold and other infections. Allicin is the key compound found in garlic that gives it its ability to kill micro-organisms.

Garlic can be taken as a supplement, or it can be added to some of your favorite recipes. Try adding a clove of garlic to your favorite chicken or potato dish.

11. Onions

Although they may make you cry, onions are filled with antioxidants that help protect against inflammation, which makes them a great choice if you suffer from asthma or respiratory infections. Onions come in different varieties. Sweet onions may taste the best, but yellow and red onions contain a higher percentage of beneficial compounds, particularly quercetin.

12. Greens and Cabbage Family Vegetables

Eating foods high in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and beta-carotene is crucial to an immune system-boosting diet. A great way to get these nutrients is through eating greens and cabbage family vegetables, such as broccoli. These foods include spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, mango, melon, winter squash and kale. They are great sources of anti-oxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties.

For a delicious immune system health boost, try cooking a recipe that includes greens, garlic and onions, such as my sautéed kale recipe.

13. Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids

How are wild-caught salmon and flaxseed related? They’re both great sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important compounds the body can’t make on its own. Omega-3 foods have many benefits including the ability to boost the immune system and to protect against inflammation. These properties are both key in fighting sinus infections and nasal polyps.

14. Avoid Alcohol

According to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, alcohol may irritate your lungs and sinus problems, including nasal polyps. (24) Research also demonstrates that alcohol can aggravate symptoms in patients with rhinitis. (25)

15. Avoid Food Allergens

Eliminating food allergens from your diet can help prevent nasal polyps. If you have allergies to dairy, wheat, eggs, yeast, soy or gluten, be sure to remove these foods from your diet to lessen inflammation and allergic reactions.

If you suspect you have a food allergy but you’re unsure, you may want to try an elimination diet. This is a short-term eating plan that eliminates certain foods that may be causing allergies or digestive problems and then reintroduces them one at a time to figure out which foods are causing the allergic reaction.

Lifestyle Changes

16. Steam Inhalation or Humidifier

Humidifying the air in your home can help moisten your airway and sinuses. It can also help thin mucus and prevent blockage and inflammation of the breathing passages. (26)

In addition to using a humidifier, you can also try inhaling the steam of boiling water to open and moisten the nasal passages and airway. You can also add a few drops of essential oils to the water for an added therapeutic effect.

An easy way to try steam inhalation is to place hot water in a pan or bowl and set it on a table. Next, pull a chair to the table and sit with your head a few inches over the bowl with a towel draped over your head to create a tent as you breathe deeply. Be careful not to burn yourself.

17. Nasal Irrigation (27)

Nasal irrigation, or flushing your sinuses with warm, salty water, can help to clear nasal congestion, providing relief from colds, allergies and sinus infections. Using a Neti pot is a great way to do this. The Neti pot originated in Ayurvedic medicine. In fact, “Neti” means “nasal cleansing” in Sanskrit. Neti pots are widely available, and can be purchased in stores or online.

18. Hydration

Along with nasal irrigation and steam inhalation, simply drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated moistens your your nasal passages and thins mucus.

19. Deep Breathing Exercises

Not only can you ease stress and lower your blood pressure with deep breathing, but you can also improve COPD symptoms. There are a variety of deep breathing exercises you can try. These exercises can strengthen lung capacity and help keep the breathing passages clear.

Precautions

Nasal polyps and chronic sinusitis symptoms can be similar to other conditions like the common cold. Be sure to see your doctor if your symptoms drag out for more than 10 days. Call 911 or go directly to the emergency room if you have any of these symptoms: (28)

• Serious trouble breathing
• Sudden worsening of your symptoms
• Double vision, reduce vision or limited ability to move your eyes
• Sever swelling around your eyes
• Increasingly severe headache accompanied by high fever or inability to move your head forward

Final Thoughts

• Be sure to eat an immune system-boosting diet.
• Avoid foods that cause inflammation.
• Eat anti-inflammatory foods and supplements.
• Hydrate and use steam inhalation to open and clear your sinuses.
• If you develop serious symptoms, call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately.
• In most cases, nasal polyps aren’t dangerous; they can just cause discomfort and irritation.

Read Next: Top 5 Essential Oils for Allergies

The post Nasal Polyps: 19 Natural Treatments & Lifestyle Changes appeared first on Dr. Axe.

The health effects of climate change may seem like something that future generations will have to handle. The truth is, though, it’s already happening now, fueling everything from allergies and certain cancers to COPD symptom flares.

All of the carbon pollution that comes from things like burning coal and natural gas for electricity, burning gasoline and diesel to power our vehicles and using coal, plus oil and natural gas to heat our homes is taking a toll on not just the planet’s health, but ours, too. Even modern farming practices contribute to warming greenhouse gases in a major way. (1)

So how does this work? After all, when you look up at the sky, it seems infinite. The reality is if you could hop in a car and drive straight up, you’d reach the atmosphere in just a few minutes. And all of that heat-trapping pollution we’re sending up there? It’s dramatic. The energy trapped by man-made global warming pollution is now equivalent to exploding 400,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs per day — 365 days per year. (2, 3)

The record-breaking warming temperatures we’re experiencing are already impacting human health in obvious (and some not-so-obvious) ways. In fact, increasing global temperatures are disrupting the global climate and the earth’s hydrological cycle, leading not only to record high air and sea temperatures, but also to “rain bombs,” “atmospheric rivers” and more extreme flooding, deeper and longer droughts and more frequent and severe storms. (4, 5)

With a warming planet also comes vector-borne diseases and expanding areas where these microbes and diseases multiply and flourish. Mosquitos, ticks and other vectors are experiencing range expansion because warmer weather permits them to move to higher altitudes. This also means a longer breeding season. (And more people dealing with Lyme disease symptoms.) This speeds up incubation times for the pathogens they carry and increases the frequency of “blood meals.” (6)

Health Effects of Climate Change: A Costly Problem

Did I mention it’s becoming super expensive to deal with the health effects of climate change, too? A 2011 study published in the journal Health Affairs looked at how just a few climate events in the U.S. impacted the country’s bottom line. The results make it clear that dealing with climate change isn’t just vital for health, but for economic reasons, too.

In the study, economists looked at six specific climate-related events that took place in the U.S. between 2002 and 2009:

• Nationwide smog in 2002
• A 2006 heat wave in California
• 2003 wildfires in Southern California
• 2009 flooding in North Dakota
• West Nile Virus outbreak in Louisiana in 2002
• Hurricanes in Florida in 2004

The tab? $14 billion, including $6.5 billion for ozone smog pollution. ($6.3 billion of that alone was attributed to 795 premature deaths.) And toxic smog levels are expected to rise unless we drastically reduce coal, oil and natural gas emissions fast. Since climate change increases temperatures, ozone-forming chemical reactions also increase. (7)

Here are just a few of the many ways that atmospheric pollution is causing climate change that impacts your family’s health…

Top & Emerging Health Effects of Climate Change — Breathing & Ticker Trouble

COPD. Johns Hopkins University researchers found people with COPD are more likely to experience a decline in lung function and need rescue medications due to higher outdoor temperatures. Even high indoor temperatures can trigger flares. This is particularly concerning if someone can’t get into an air-conditioned space during a heat wave. According to the study authors, the results highlight important implications for treating COPD symptoms as the climate warms. (8)

Wildfire-Related Wheezing … and Heart Attacks? The American Lung Association points out that climate change fuels heat and drought, a recipe for more wildfires. And those microscopic particles in wildfire smoke trigger everything from coughing and asthma flare-ups to heart attacks and premature death, especially for those with heart and lung diseases.

It’s not just people who live in wildfire-prone regions who are at risk. Wildfires blow smoke hundreds of miles away. For instance, a 2002 forest fire in Quebec, Canada, resulted in up to a 30-fold increase in particle pollution in Baltimore, roughly 1,000 miles downwind. (9)

Lung Infections. The Yale Center for Pulmonary Infection Research and Treatment says while tuberculosis is more of a problem in other parts of the world than in the U.S., it is on the rise here for the first time in 20 years. But non-tuberculosis mycobacteria infection range is expanding as temperatures rise. This type of infection can require months of antibiotic treatment and is impacting more women than men. Warming temperatures are also more accommodating for the growth of bacteria like Legionella, which causes the potentially life-threatening Legionnaires’ disease. (10)

Legionnaire outbreaks in the U.S. increased nearly three-fold between 2000 and 2009, with more notable spikes in outbreaks in the eastern part of the country. Some research suggests that Legionnaire outbreaks are more likely one to two weeks after wet, humid, stormy weather, something more common in parts of the country thanks to climate change. (11)

Potent Pollen & Asthma Outbreaks. It’s not just in your head. Allergies are on the rise: In 2000, there were 8,455 grains of pollen per cubic meter. By 2040, that number is projected to bypass 21,000. And get this, allergy season is lasting longer. One study suggests it’s about three weeks longer in certain parts of the U.S. (12)

Aside from the obvious link between air pollution and breathing trouble, the increase in extreme heat and precipitation in the U.S. is fueling more asthma outbreaks, too. Extreme during summer months now results in a 23 percent increased risk of asthma hospitalizations. The most vulnerable? Children 5 to 17 years old. (13)

More Health Effects of Climate Change — Uncomfortable Occurrences & Vector-Born Disease

Polluting the atmosphere with heat-trapping gases can create more potent plants and creates favorable conditions for certain infections. In fact, Andrew Dobson, PhD, a Princeton ecologist, says “climate change is disrupting natural ecosystems in a way that is making life better for infectious diseases.”

Out-of-Control Poison Ivy. Does it seem like a simple poison ivy rash is worse these days? It’s not in your head. In 1950, the average plant contained about 15 milligrams of toxic oil per plant. Today? That number surpassed 40 milligrams. It’s anticipated to nearly double by 2060. The increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere fuels production of urushiol, the allergenic oil in poison ivy. (14, 15)

Mosquito Mayhem. A warming planet means more vector-borne diseases. As the range and breeding season of mosquitoes expands, we’re seeing more cases of West Nile Virus and even diseases like Zika. Warmer temps also mean faster incubation times for the viruses and increases the frequency of “blood meals.”

Final Thoughts on the Health Effects of Climate Change

• Human practices, including burning oil, natural gas and coal for heating and energy, causes heat-trapping gases to build up in the atmosphere. This pollution can lead to all sorts of health impacts.
• Science tells us that health impacts of climate change include more cases of COPD, depression, Lyme disease, West Nile Virus, lung infections, heat-related deaths and more.
• The health effects of climate change are expensive. Looking at just six specific climate change-related events in the U.S. between 2002 and 2009, the health costs topped $14 billion.
• Stopping and reversing climate change presents both challenges and opportunities, but drastically reducing the oil, gas and coal we burn can reduce the risk of many diseases.

Read Next: Best Houseplants that Remove Pollution

The post Top Health Effects of Climate Change (It’s Impacting Your Body NOW) appeared first on Dr. Axe.

You might already know that common food allergies include peanuts and dairy, but did you know that the incredible edible egg is actually one of the most common food allergies today? Specifically, an allergy to egg-white proteins is most prevalent. (1)

If a child or an adult has an egg allergy, he or she may also have a self-protective instinct to avoid eggs entirely.  However, sometimes that doesn’t happen or sometimes you just don’t realize when you are consuming an egg ingredient unknowingly since there are actually many ingredients used in food products that are not commonly known to be egg-derived.

Egg nutrition is impressive and there are a lot of delicious egg recipes out there so hopefully you’re not allergic, but it’s important to know if you are so that you’re not unknowingly causing yourself ill health. I’m here to tell you some of the best ways to tell if you are allergic to eggs or if you have an egg intolerance. Plus, how to avoid eggs if you need to and the best natural alternatives to eggs.

What Is An Egg Allergy? 

Someone with an egg allergy must have had prior exposure to eggs through diet or vaccination to cause an allergic reaction. What exactly does it mean to have an egg allergy? If you’re allergic to eggs, this means that your body’s immune system mistakenly identifies egg protein as a harmful substance. So when you consume eggs your immune system responds by releasing histamine and other chemicals, which sets off an allergic reaction in your body that can result in visible as well as internal egg allergy symptoms. If you have an egg allergy, you can be allergic to the white, yolk or both.

If you have an egg allergy, then within a brief amount of time after consuming (or even just touching) eggs, you can have the following egg allergy symptoms: (2)

• skin reactions including swelling, a rash, hives or eczema
• wheezing or difficulty breathing
• runny nose
• sneezing
• watery or red eyes
• stomach pain
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• anaphylaxis

Anyone can develop an egg allergy, but some people have a higher chance than others due to specific risk factors. Egg allergies are more common amongst children than adults. According to the American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology (ACAAI), up to 2 percent of kids in the United States have an allergy to eggs. (3)

Children are are also more likely to develop an egg allergy and food allergies in general if they also have skin conditions, specifically eczema. Almost all egg allergies occur in kids who had infantile eczema and the severest reactions are typically observed between six and 15 months of age. (4) Genetics also play a role in increasing the risk of developing a food allergy. If a child has a parent or two parents with a food allergy or seasonal allergies then the child is more inclined to have food allergies also. The good news with childhood egg allergies is that studies show around 70 percent of children outgrow the allergy by time they are 16 years old. (5)

Adults are actually a lot less likely than children to have an egg allergy. It’s very rare for an adult to develop an egg allergy. Sometimes it might just be that a person finally realizes in adulthood that they had an egg allergy since childhood. Clinical egg allergy symptoms pretty much always start when an individual is a child or young adult. For adults, reactions to egg tend to be less intense. Slight nausea or an eczema flare-up might be the only signs of an allergic reaction after consuming an egg or egg-laden product. (6) It’s helpful to know that if you (or your child) find out that you are allergic to chicken eggs, then you may also be allergic to other egg types like duck, goose, quail and turkey.

Egg Allergy vs. Egg Intolerance

If you don’t have an egg allergy, is it possible that you have an egg intolerance? The majority of egg-intolerant people tend to be okay with the egg yolk, but it’s the egg white, or albumen, that their bodies can’t handle. While an egg allergy actually involves a chemical reaction in the body, an egg intolerance typically means that a person cannot properly process and absorb the egg whites (or egg yolks).

Common egg intolerance symptoms include a lot of digestive complaints many people struggle with, like bloating, excessive gas, nausea, stomach pain and stomach cramping. Vomiting and other gastrointestinal issues are also in the realm of possibility. Are there any other possible symptoms? Yes, an egg intolerance can reveal itself in the form of headaches, skin problems, trouble breathing, heartburn, joint pain, irritability and nervousness. (7)

There are some generally helpful ways to know if you have a food allergy or a food intolerance: (8)

Food Allergy

• Usually comes on suddenly
• Small amount of food can trigger it
• Happens every time you eat the food
• Can be life-threatening

Food Intolerance

• Usually comes on gradually
• May only happen when you eat a lot of the food
• May only happen if you eat the food often
• Is not life-threatening

Egg in Vaccines

When you have an egg allergy or egg intolerance, it’s obvious that not consuming eggs or egg-derived ingredients (see next section) will be the main way to help yourself. But did you know that it’s not uncommon for many vaccines to contain egg protein? It’s true!

Do you find it hard to believe that eggs are being used in vaccinations, especially the common flu vaccine? As the CDC website states, “Most flu shots and the nasal spray flu vaccine are manufactured using egg-based technology.“ Why do flu vaccines contain egg protein? Well, according to the CDC, “Most flu vaccines today are produced using an egg-based manufacturing process and thus contain a small amount of egg protein called ovalbumin.” (9)

It’s not just the flu vaccine that contains egg. The yellow fever vaccine, often required for travel to Africa and South Africa, also contains egg protein. (10) According to scientific research, “the measles virus used in the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and single measles vaccine is grown in cultures of fibroblasts from chick embryos, and there have been concerns raised about the possible presence of egg protein in the vaccines and the advisability of administration to individuals who are allergic to eggs.” (11)

The practice of administering the MMR vaccine to children who are allergic to eggs varies by doctor and country, so I highly suggest doing your homework and letting your pediatrician know if you have concerns.

Other Names for Egg Protein

To avoid contact with eggs, it’s also important to know other egg ingredients.

Sometimes egg protein is listed as an ingredient under the following names: (12)

• Albumin or albumen
• Globulin
• Lecithin
• Livetin
• Lysozyme
• Simplesse
• Vitellin
• Other  words starting with “ova” or “ovo,” the prefix for ovum, which is Latin for egg

Egg substitutes are actually often made with egg whites, so watch out for those, too. There are also some non-food items you’ll want to be aware of if you or your child has an egg allergy or egg intolerance. Things like shampoos, makeup, finger paints, and certain medications may contain egg products. As I just mentioned, vaccines are also something that most people don’t realize contain egg, especially the majority of flu vaccines as well as the MMR and yellow fever vaccine. (13)

The following foods also commonly contain eggs:

• Bread
• Cakes
• Ice cream
• Mayonnaise
• Pancakes
• Puddings
• Quiches
• Sauces and spreads

5 Egg Alternatives

If you realize that you have an egg allergy or egg intolerance, you don’t have to throw those recipes that call for eggs out the window. When you need to replace eggs in cooking or baking, there are thankfully many healthy alternatives that will mimic the binding and thickening properties of eggs.

Here are some great egg substitutes to try:

1. Apple Sauce

• Best for: cakes, muffins, quick breads
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup applesauce

Be sure to use unsweetened, unflavored organic applesauce. It’ll act as a binder, keeping cakes and muffins moist.

2. Baking Soda and Vinegar

• Best for: cakes, muffins, quick breads
• 1 egg = 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 tablespoon water

This combo is best used when you want to keep treats, like cakes, fluffy. It’s best in recipes where more than one egg is listed.

3. Banana or Another Fruit Puree

• Best for: cakes, muffins, quick breads
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup mashed banana or other pureed fruit

Bananas and fruit purees, like pumpkin, add loads of moisture to baked goods. Depending on how ripe the banana is or the type of fruit puree used, they might add extra sweetness, too, so you might want to adjust sugar levels accordingly.

4. Chia Seeds and Flaxseeds

• Best for: cakes, muffins, quick breads, yeast breads, cookies, brownies
• 1 egg = 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds (after grinding) and 3 tablespoons water

Use chia seeds or flaxseeds as your egg substitute and get an extra nutritional boost to boot. Grind chia/flax seeds in a coffee grinder, mix with water and let set in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. You’ll wind up with an egg substitute that’s surprisingly similar to an egg in texture. Since flax adds a slightly nutty flavor, it’s great in whole-grain breads, muffins and pancakes; use with caution in cakes.

5.  Powdered Egg Replacer

• Best for: cakes, muffins, quick breads, cookies, brownies, yeast breads
• 1 egg = Half tablespoon powdered egg replacer plus 2 tablespoons water

This egg substitute is made from potato and tapioca starch and you can make it at home. It’s free of eggs, gluten, wheat, casein, dairy, yeas, soy, tree nuts or peanuts, so it’s a great substitute for those who aren’t vegan but still suffer from food allergies.

You can also buy powdered egg replacers, such as Ener-G Egg Replacer. Commercial egg replacers are, however, processed products, so use this only if you feel another egg substitute wouldn’t cut it.Though it’s supposed to be flavor-less, Ener-G can impart a slightly metallic or chalky taste to baked goods. It’s best in cookies or baked goods where there are a decent amount of other ingredients that can “mask” the taste and where fluffiness isn’t a factor.

Final Thoughts

The federal Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) requires that all packaged food products sold in the U.S. that contains egg as an ingredient must list the word “egg” on the label, but you should still always read labels carefully. Also, companies can change their ingredients at anytime, so it’s possible an egg ingredient that wasn’t there previously is now included in a product you’ve been buying for years.

To avoid an allergic reaction to eggs, it’s obviously necessary to steer clear of eggs, but you’ll also want to avoid any products that contain any of the other ingredients I just mentioned. If you’re unsure if a something contains egg or egg protein, you should contact the product’s manufacturer.

If you suspect that you are allergic or intolerant to eggs, testing can help you to know for sure. You may only be allergic to the yolk or white, but it’s typically recommended to avoid eggs entirely even if you’re just allergic to one part of the egg since it’s so hard to truly separate the two 100 percent. Many companies are now creating egg-free products for vegans, which is great news for you if you are allergic or intolerant to eggs. The other good news is that you now have many healthy alternatives to eggs that can be used so you can continue to make your favorite culinary creations.

The post Egg Allergy & Intolerance + 5 Healthy Egg Alternatives appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Despite the risk of severe allergic reactions and even death, there is no current cure for food allergies. The condition can only be managed by allergen avoidance or treatment of food allergy symptoms.

However, fortunately there are natural food allergies treatments and supplements that can help to boost the immune system and enhance the gut microbiota, helping to reduce the development of food allergies and food allergy symptoms. (1)

Food Allergies vs. Food Intolerance: What Is the Difference?

It is estimated that about a quarter of the population will have an adverse reaction to food (of which food allergy is just one type) during their lifetime, especially during infancy and early childhood. (2)

Food allergies consist of an immune system response to a disagreeable food. The body senses that a protein in a particular food may be harmful and triggers an immune system response, producing histamine to protect itself. Histamine causes allergy symptoms such as hives, coughing and wheezing. The body then “remembers” this immunologic reaction — and when the allergen food enters the body again, the histamine response is more easily triggered. The best characterized form of food allergy is mediated by food-specific IgE antibodies.

The diagnosis of food allergies may be problematic because nonallergic food reactions, such as food intolerances, are frequently confused with food allergy symptoms. Food allergies and intolerances are often linked, but there’s a clear difference between the two conditions.

A food intolerance is the body’s digestive system’s response to a disagreeable food. Unlike a food allergy, which produces an immunological mechanism after consuming an allergen, a food intolerance produces a non-immunological reaction. For example, a person may have digestive issues after drinking cow’s milk because she is unable to digest the sugar lactose — this would be called a food intolerance. If she had an immunologic response to the cow’s milk, that would be characterized as a food allergy. (3)

There are several types of food intolerances, with the most common being gluten, A1 casein and lactose. Other examples of food intolerances include food additives like coloring, flavoring, salicylates and preservatives; plus, sulfites that are used in dried fruits, canned goods and wine can trigger an inflammatory reaction.

What Is an Allergic Reaction?

Food allergy symptoms typically appear within a few minutes to two hours after consumption of the allergen. Allergic reactions can include:

• hives
• flushed skin or rash
• tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth
• swelling of the tongue, lip, throat or face
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• abdominal cramps
• coughing or wheezing
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• difficulty breathing
• loss of consciousness

People with a known allergy who begin experiencing symptoms while, or after, eating a food should initiate food allergy treatment immediately, and if symptoms progress, they should go to a nearby emergency room.

Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening form of IgE-mediated food allergy that requires prescription of self-injectable adrenaline. This can lead to constricted airways in the lungs, severe lowering of blood pressure and shock (called anaphylactic shock), and suffocation by swelling of the throat. (4)

When you struggle with an ongoing, unidentified food allergy or sensitivity, your body constantly sends out inflammatory responses that can cause harm in multiple ways. Food sensitivities and allergies are correlated with an increased chance for developing:

• chronic pain
• arthritis
• asthma
• nutrient deficiencies
• mood disorders
• skin conditions
• autoimmune disorders
• cognitive disorders
• learning disabilities
• insomnia
• weight gain
• migraines
• kidney and gallbladder problems

6 Food Allergies Treatments & Natural Remedies

Because food allergies can be severe, plus contribute to other health problems, I strongly encourage you or your loved ones to pursue these natural food allergies treatments.

 1. Avoid All of These Foods

The following foods increase inflammation within the body, weaken the immune system and lead to digestive issues.

Packaged foods — Packaged, ultra-processed foods may contain GMO’s like corn, soy, canola and vegetable oils that cause food allergies and intolerances. They can also contain hidden ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction; that’s why it’s important that people with allergies are taught how to read labels carefully and avoid offending foods.

Sugar — Sugar can cause bad bacterial overgrowth, weaken the immune system and increase food intolerances. Because sugar consumption leads to inflammation, it can exacerbate food allergy symptoms and restrict your body’s ability to tolerate foods normally. (5)

Artificial flavorings — Artificial flavorings can exacerbate food allergies. Experts are convinced that dyes used in packaged foods can cause adverse health impacts in children and possibly adults. There is evidence that cochineal extract (which comes from the scale of insects and is used to dye food red) may cause allergic reactions and asthma.

In fact, Starbucks used to use cochineal extract to dye their strawberry Frappuccino drinks until they transitioned to a pigment found in tomatoes. (6) Food labels do not have to include a flavoring’s chemical name or a complete listing of all flavors present, which is why you sometimes see simply “color added” or “artificial color” on the label.

Gluten — A significant percentage of the general population report problems caused by wheat and/or gluten ingestion, even though they do not have celiac disease or wheat allergy. Research shows that most patients report both gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal symptoms, which improve when they are on a gluten-free diet. (7)

Studies show that gluten is blamed as a trigger of symptoms by 20 to 45 percent of adults who self-report food hypersensitivity. Symptoms associated with a gluten intolerance may lead you to believe that you are allergic to other foods when you really aren’t, which is why I recommend that you avoid eating foods containing gluten. (8)

2. Sidestep These Allergen Triggers

Although any food can provoke a reaction, relatively few foods are responsible for a vast majority of significant food-induced allergic reactions. If you truly want to take advantage of food allergies treatments, please know that over 90 percent of food allergies are caused by the following foods:

Cow’s milk — Allergic reactions to cow’s milk are common in infancy and childhood, with a prevalence of 2 to 7.5 percent. Persistence of a cow’s milk food allergy in adulthood is uncommon; however, it is common for adults to experience non-immunologic reactions (which would be a food intolerance) to cow’s milk and dairy. (9)

Eggs — A recent meta-analysis of the prevalence of food allergy estimated that egg allergy affects 0.5 to 2.5 percent of young children. A protein in egg whites, called ovomucoid, has been shown to be the dominant allergen in eggs. (10)

Wheat — Wheat allergy represents a type of adverse immunologic reaction to proteins contained in wheat and related grains. A food allergy to wheat is more common in children and can be associated with a severe reaction such as anaphylaxis. (11)

Soy — Soy allergy affects approximately 0.4 percent of children, and 50 percent of children will outgrow their allergy by 7 years old. (12)

Peanuts — Peanut allergy affects approximately 1 percent of children and 0.6 percent of adults in the U.S. In highly sensitized people, just trace quantities of peanuts can induce an allergic reaction. (13)

Tree nuts — Tree nut allergy affects about 1 percent of the general population. Nuts that are most commonly responsible for allergic reactions include hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews and almonds. Those that are less frequently associated with allergies include pecans, chestnuts, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, pistachio, coconut, Nangai nuts and acorns. (14)

Shellfish — The prevalence of shellfish allergy is 0,5 to 5 percent. Shellfish allergies include the groups of crustaceans (such as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, woodlice and barnacles) and molluscs (such as squid, octopus and cuttlefish). Shellfish allergy is known to be common and persistent in adults. (15)

Fish — Prevalence rates of finned fish allergy range from 0.2 to 2.29 percent in the general population, but they can reach up to 8 percent among fish processing workers. Fish allergies often develop later in life and because of cross-reactivity among various species of fish, people with fish allergies should avoid all fish species until a species can be proven safe to eat. (16)

The post 6 Food Allergies Treatments and Natural Remedies appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Food allergies are immune-based diseases that have become a serious health concern in the United States. An estimated one-fifth of the population believe that they have adverse reactions to food, but the true prevalence of food allergies ranges between 3 and 4 percent in the general population.

Despite the risk of severe allergic reactions and even death, there is no current treatment for food allergies. The condition can only be managed by allergen avoidance or treatment of food allergy symptoms. Fortunately, there are natural allergy fighters that can help to boost the immune system and enhance the gut microbiota, which helps to reduce the development of food allergies and allergy symptoms. (1)

What Are Food Allergies?

Food allergies consist of an immune system response to a disagreeable food. The body senses that a protein in a particular food may be harmful and triggers an immune system response, producing histamine to protect itself. The body “remembers” this and when this food enters the body again, the histamine response is more easily triggered.

The diagnosis of food allergies may be problematic because nonallergic food reactions, such as food intolerances, are frequently confused with food allergy symptoms. Intolerance derived from an immunological mechanism is referred to as a food allergy, and the non-immunological form is called a food intolerance. Food allergies and intolerances are often linked, but there’s a clear difference between the two conditions.

A food allergy comes from a reaction of the allergen-specific immunoglobulin E antibody that is found in the bloodstream. Non-IgE-mediated food allergies are also possible; this happens when someone is exposed to a food that causes signs and symptoms of an allergy, such as allergic contact dermatitis. A food intolerance is an adverse reaction to foods or food components, but not due to immunologic mechanisms.

For example, a person may have an immunologic response to cow’s milk because of the milk’s protein, or that individual may be intolerant to milk due to an inability to digest the sugar lactose. The inability to digest lactose leads to excess fluid production in the GI tract, resulting in abdominal pain and diarrhea. This condition is termed lactose intolerance because lactose in not an allergen, as the response is not immune-based. (2) Food intolerances are nonspecific and the symptoms often resemble common medically unexplained complaints, such as digestive issues. (3)

IgE-medicated food allergies are the most common and dangerous of adverse food reactions; they cause your immune system to react abnormally when exposed to one or more specific foods. Immediate reactions to IgE-mediated food allergies are caused by an allergen-specific immunoglobulin E antibody that floats around in the bloodstream.

When IgE is working properly, it identifies triggers that could be harmful to the body, such as parasites, and tells the body to release histamine. Histamine causes allergy symptoms such as hives, coughing and wheezing. Sometimes IgE reacts to normal proteins that are found in foods — and when the protein is absorbed during digestion and it enters the bloodstream, the entire body reacts as if the protein is a threat. This is why food allergy symptoms are noticeable in the skin, respiratory system, digestive system and circulatory system.

According to a 2014 comprehensive review published in Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology, the prevalence of food allergies in infancy is increasing and may affect up to 15–20 percent of infants. (4) And researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine suggest that food allergies affect as many as 6 percent of young children and 3–4 percent of adults. (5) The alarming rate of increase calls for a public health approach in the prevention and treatment of food allergy, especially in children.

Researchers suggest that this increase in the prevalence of food allergies may be due to a change in the composition, richness and balance of the microbiota that colonize the human gut during early infancy. The human microbiome plays a vital role in early life immune development and function. Since IgE-mediated food allergies are associated with immune dysregulation and impaired gut integrity, there is substantial interest in the potential link between gut microbiota and food allergies. (6)

Most Common Food Allergies

Although any food can provoke a reaction, relatively few foods are responsible for a vast majority of significant food-induced allergic reactions. Over 90 percent of food allergies are caused by the following foods:

1. Cow’s Milk

Cow’s milk protein allergy affects 2 to 7.5 percent of children; persistence in adulthood is uncommon since a tolerance develops in 51 percent of cases within 2 years of age and 80 percent of cases with 3–4 years. (7) Numerous milk proteins have been implicated in allergic responses and most of these have been shown to contain multiple allergenic epitopes (targets that an individual target binds to). IgE-mediated reactions to cow’s milk are common in infancy and non-IgE-mediated reactions are common in adults.

A 2005 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition suggests that the prevalence of self-diagnosed cow’s milk allergy is 10-fold higher than the clinically proven incidence, suggesting that a sizable population is unnecessarily restricting dairy products (for allergy purposes). (8)

2. Eggs

After cow’s milk, hen’s egg allergy is the second most common food allergy in infants and young children. A recent meta-analysis of  the prevalence of food allergy estimated that egg allergy affects 0.5 to 2.5 percent of young children. Allergy to eggs usually presents itself in the second half of the first year of life, with a median age of presentation of 10 months. Most reactions occur upon a child’s first known exposure to egg, with eczema being the most common symptoms. Five major allergenic proteins from the egg of the domestic chicken have been identified, the most dominant being ovalbumin. (9)

3. Soy

Soy allergy affects approximately 0.4 percent of children. According to a 2010 study conducted at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, 50 percent of children with a soy allergy outgrew their allergy by 7 years old. (10) Prevalence of sensitization after the use of soy-based formulas is around 8.8 percent. Soy formula is commonly used for infants who are allergic to cow’s milk and research suggests that soy allergy occurs in only a small minority of young children with IgE associated cow’s milk allergy. (11)

4. Wheat 

Gluten-related disorders, including wheat allergy, celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, have an estimated global prevalence close to 5 percent. These disorders share similar symptoms, making it difficult to make a clear diagnosis. A wheat allergy represents a type of adverse immunologic reaction to proteins contained in wheat and related grains. IgE antibodies mediate the inflammatory response to several allergenic proteins found in wheat. Wheat allergy affects the skin, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract. Wheat allergy shows greater prevalence in children who commonly outgrow the allergy by school-age. (12)

5. Peanuts 

Peanut allergy tends to present itself early in life and affected individuals generally do not outgrow it. In highly sensitized people, just trace quantities of peanuts can induce an allergic reaction. Research suggests that early exposure to peanuts may reduce the risk of developing a peanut allergy.

According to a 2010 study, peanut allergy affects approximately 1 percent of children and 0.6 percent of adults in the U.S. Peanuts are inexpensive and frequently eaten in unmodified form and as components of many different prepared foods; they cause the largest number of cases of severe anaphylaxis and death in the U.S. (13)

6. Tree Nuts

The prevalence of tree nut allergies continue to increase worldwide, affecting about 1 percent of the general population. These allergies begin most often during childhood, but they can occur at any age. Only about 10 percent of people outgrow tree nut allergies and frequent lifetime reactions caused by accidental ingestion are a serious problem. (14)

Nuts that are most commonly responsible for allergic reactions include hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews and almonds; those that are less frequently associated with allergies include pecans, chestnuts, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, pistachio, coconut, Nangai nuts and acorns. A 2015 systematic review found that walnut and cashew allergies were the most prevalent types of tree nut allergy in the U.S. (15)

7. Fish 

According to a study published in Clinical Reviews of Allergy and Immunology, adverse reactions to fish are not only mediated by the immune system causing allergies, but are often caused by various toxins and parasites, including ciguatera and Anisakis (see my list of fish you should never eat). Allergic reactions to fish can be serious and life threatening, and children usually don’t outgrow this type of food allergy.

A reaction is not restricted to the ingestion of fish, as it can also be caused by handling fish and intaking the cooking vapors. Prevalence rates of self-reported fish allergy range from 0.2 to 2.29 percent in the general population, but can reach up to 8 percent among fish processing workers. (16)

8. Shellfish 

Allergic reactions to shellfish, which comprises the groups of crustaceans (such as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, woodlice and barnacles) and molluscs (such as squid, octopus and cuttlefish), can cause clinical symptoms ranging from mild urticaria (hives) and oral allergy syndrome to life-threatening anaphylactic reactions. Shellfish allergy is known to be common and persistent in adults, and it can cause anaphylaxis in both children and adults; the prevalence of shellfish allergy is 0.5 to 5 percent. Most shellfish-allergic children have sensitivity to dust mite and cockroach allergens as well. (17)

A phenomenon called cross-reactivity may occur when an antibody reacts not only with the original allergen, but also with a similar allergen. Cross-reactivity occurs when a food allergen shares structural or sequence similarity with a different food allergen, which may then trigger an adverse reaction similar to that triggered by the original food allergen. This is common among different shellfish and different tree nuts. (18)

Related: Nanotechnology in Food Science: What You Need to Know

Allergic Reaction Symptoms

Food allergy symptoms can range from mild to severe and, in rare cases, can lead to anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis can impair breathing, cause a dramatic drop in blood pressure and alter your heart rate. It can come on within only minutes of exposure to the trigger food. If a food allergy causes anaphylaxis, it can be fatal and it must be treated with an injection of epinephrine (a synthetic version of adrenaline).

Food allergy symptoms may involve the skin, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system and respiratory tract. Some common symptoms include:

• vomiting
• stomach cramps
• coughing
• wheezing
• shortness of breath
• trouble swallowing
• swelling of the tongue
• inability to talk or breathe
• weak pulse
• dizziness
• pale or blue-colored skin

Most food allergy symptoms occur within two hours of eating the allergen and often they start within minutes. (19)

Exercise-induced food allergy is when the ingestion of a food allergen provokes a reaction during exercise. As you exercise, your body temperature goes up and if you consumed an allergen right before exercising, you may develop hives, become itchy or even feel light-headed. The best way to avoid exercise-induced food allergy is to avoid the food allergen completely for at least 4 to 5 hours before any exercise. (20)

Food Intolerance Test

A systematic approach to diagnosis includes a careful history, followed by laboratory studies, elimination diets and often food challenges to confirm a diagnosis. It’s important to be evaluated and diagnosed by a healthcare professional or allergist. Self-diagnosis of food allergies can lead to unnecessary diet restrictions and inadequate nutrition, especially in children.

Recently, an increasing number of commercial tests for food allergies are marketed to consumers and healthcare practitioners. IgG or food intolerance testing is meant to work as a simple means to identify food sensitivities, food intolerances or food allergies, but researchers believe that this is an unvalidated form of testing. The test checks a person’s blood for immunoglobulin G (IgG), an antibody created by the body to fight a certain allergenic food. Drawn blood is exposed in vitro to a panel of foods and food components. The degree of total IgG antibody binding to each food is measured to determine if any of the foods create an immune response. The degree of sensitivity or allergy is then graded by a classification scale.

The issue with these types of food allergy tests is that unlike IgE antibodies, which are responsible for allergies, IgG antibodies are found in both allergic and non-allergic people. IgG are the normal antibodies made by the body to fight off infections. Researchers believe that the presence of specific IgG to food is actually a marker of exposure and tolerance to the food, and not necessarily a sign of an allergy. Therefore, positive test results for food-specific IgG are to be expected in normal, healthy adults and children. For this reason, the likelihood of false diagnoses is increased and people are left confused by the information provided by the food intolerance test. (21)

Due to the potential misuse of this type of test, there is controversy surrounding testing for food sensitivity, and many researchers believe that these tests are not appropriate for making a diagnosis of food allergy. IgG tests may be additionally anxiety-provoking for parents who elect to purchase food sensitivity tests for a child and then must decide whether to follow the instructions on the test report. (22)

According to research published in Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, the greatest potential risk of these types of tests is that a person with a true IgE-mediated food allergy, who is at a significant risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis, may very well not have elevated levels of specific IgG to their particular allergen and may be inappropriately advised to reintroduce this potentially deadly allergen into into their diet. (23)

Instead of depending on self-diagnosis or unproven tests, see an allergist who will begin by conducting a thorough medical history. An allergist will commonly follow a medical history by a combination of tests that will give him enough information to provide a diagnosis. These tests may include a skin trick test, blood test, oral food challenge and food elimination diet. (24)

6 Ways to Reduce Symptoms of Food Allergies

There is currently no therapies available to prevent or treat food allergies. The management of food allergies consists of avoiding the ingestion of the responsible allergen and knowing what to do if there’s an unintended ingestion. The following natural treatments for food allergies will help you to cope with the food allergy symptoms and make them less severe.

1. GAPS Diet

The GAPS diet is a meal plan that is designed to repair the gut wall, boost the immune system, stop toxic overload and prevent toxins from entering the bloodstream. It is commonly used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The diet focuses on removing foods that are difficult to digest and damaging to gut flora and replacing them with nutrient-dense foods to give the intestinal lining a chance to heal and seal. (25)

Under the GAPS diet, you avoid processed foods, grains, processed sugar, starchy carbs and potatoes, artificial chemicals and preservatives, and conventional meat and dairy. Instead of eating these inflammatory foods, you focus on consuming healing foods like bone broth, non-starchy vegetables, organic wild meats, healthy fats and probiotic-rich foods.

2. Digestive Enzymes

The incomplete digestion of food proteins may be linked to food allergies and can cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Taking digestive enzymes with meals can aid the digestive system in fully breaking down food particles, and it serves as a vital food allergy remedy.

3. Probiotics 

Probiotic supplements boost immune function and reduce the risk of developing food allergies. A 2011 study published in Bioscience of Microbiota, Food and Health evaluated 230 infants with a suspected cow’s milk allergy. The infants were randomly allocated to groups which relieved a mixture of four probiotic strains or placebo for four weeks. The results showed that probiotics may enhance both inflammation and immune defense of the gut. The probiotic treatment further stimulated the maturation of the immune system since the infants given probiotics showed increased resistance to respiratory infections and improved vaccine antibody responses. (26)

4. MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)

Research suggests that MSM supplements may be effective in reducing allergy symptoms. MSM is an organic sulfur-containing compound that is used to improve immune function, lower inflammation and help restore healthy bodily tissue. It can be used to relieve digestive issues and skin conditions that are associated with allergy symptoms. (27)

5. Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 supports adrenal function and can help with control of food allergy symptoms. It is important in maintaining a healthy digestive tract and boosting immune function. (28)

6. L-glutamine 

L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the bloodstream, and it can help to repair leaky gut and boost immune health. Research indicates that leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, is likely to cause various pathologies, including allergies. Compounds such as glutamine have the mechanistic potential to inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress. (29)

Final Thoughts

• Food allergies are immune-based diseases that have become a serious health concern in the U.S.
• Food allergy symptoms consist of an immune system response to a disagreeable food. The body senses that a protein in a particular food may be harmful and triggers an immune system response, producing histamine to protect itself.
• Over 90 percent of food allergies are caused by cow’s milk, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.
• To diagnose a food allergy, it is important to see an allergist who will use a variety of tests and a medical history. Food intolerance or IgG tests are controversial and researchers suggest that they do not produce an accurate diagnosis.
• The only way to cure a food allergy is to avoid the allergen. There are some natural remedies that can help to alleviate the food allergy symptoms, including probiotics, digestive enzymes, vitamin B5 and following the GAPS diet.

 Read Next: Top 5 Essential Oils for Allergies

The post Food Allergy Symptoms + 6 Ways to Reduce Them appeared first on Dr. Axe.

The prevalence of food allergies continue to rise, affecting approximately 5 percent of children under the age of 5 years old and 4 percent of teens and adults. Food allergies have severe effects on daily life because manifestations can affect several bodily systems, and these responses are caused by a particular individual intolerance that’s derived from an immunological mechanism. (1) This leads people to look for food allergy alternatives, but it’s not always easy.

Why? Because eight popular foods are responsible for more than 90 percent of food allergies, and the scary thing is that all food allergies have the potential to induce anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction. The only true treatment for a food allergy is to avoid the allergen altogether, which can be difficult when you’re allergic to commonly consumed foods like milk, eggs and wheat. Luckily, we have so many food allergy alternatives on the market that we can get the same nutritional value from.

What Are the Most Common Food Allergies?

Milk

Cow’s milk protein allergy affects 2 percent to 7.5 percent of children, while persistence in adulthood is uncommon since a tolerance develops in 51 percent of cases within two years and 80 percent of cases within two to three years. A milk allergy is an immunological reaction to one or more milk proteins. To treat the allergy, you have to avoid consuming milk and dairy products altogether. (2)

Eggs

Eggs are a versatile ingredient used in a wide range of manufactured food products, so avoiding eggs can be challenging. For people with an egg allergy, it’s important that they understand the potential for accidental exposure through cross-contamination. This can occur wherever food is being prepared or served, including at restaurants and bakeries. In addition, egg whites and shells are used as clarifying agents and can be found in soup sticks, wine, alcohol-based beverages and coffee drinks. Egg whites are also used as a wash for bread products. (3)

Peanuts

With the prevalence of peanut allergies rising in the United States, peanut products have been banned from many school lunchrooms and children’s parties. In the U.S., approximately 1 percent to 2 percent of the population has a peanut allergy, and the percentage continues to rise.

While the word “nut” is in the name, peanuts are actually legumes because they grow underground, as opposed to tree nuts. For this reason, people can be allergic to peanuts but not tree nuts and vice versa. Peanut allergies tend to be present early in life, and affected individuals generally don’t outgrow them. In highly allergic people, just trace quantities can induce allergic reactions, and in more than 70 percent of children with peanut allergies, symptoms develop at their first known exposure. (4)

Tree Nuts

Tree nuts are some of the most common foods that cause allergic reactions, and nearly all tree nuts have been associated with fatal allergic reactions. People living in the U.S. are commonly allergic to walnuts and cashews but could also have adverse reactions to Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios and more. (5)

Wheat

Wheat is one of the main food allergies, and it can be difficult because wheat is found in many foods, including ketchup, soy sauce and beer. There are even non-food items that contain wheat, such as some cosmetics and bath products.

A wheat allergy is sometimes confused with celiac disease, but these are different conditions. Those who have a wheat allergy experience a reaction that’s caused by antibodies. People with celiac disease react to gluten, a particular protein in wheat, and this causes an abnormal immune system reaction. (6)

Fish and Shellfish

Finned fish allergies and shellfish allergies are different, and someone can be allergic to one type of fish but not the other. Fish allergies often develop early in life, while a shellfish allergy tends to develop later, from adolescence onward. The approximate prevalence of fish and shellfish allergies is 0.5 percent to 5 percent. Strict avoidance of these allergens is the current standard of clinical care for those who are allergic. (7)

Soybeans

In recent years, the impact of soy foods and supplements upon human health has become increasingly controversial. There is conflicting evidence about the health risks and benefits of soybeans. One thing that’s clear is researchers are certain that soy allergies are becoming more common, affecting approximately 0.4 percent of children. It’s generally thought that the majority of children with a soy allergy develop tolerance in early childhood, but more research is needed to be sure of that. (8)

Best 7 Food Allergy Alternatives

1. Coconut Milk

There are a number of commercially produced cow’s milk alternatives made from soy, coconut, rice, potato, oats, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, hemp, flax, sunflower and macadamia nuts. These alternatives are not actually milk but extracts derived from plant sources, such as nuts, seeds and grains. Just as cow’s milk is fortified with nutrients like vitamin D and vitamin A, so are many of these milk alternatives. Some milk alternatives have a similar nutritional profile to that of cow’s milk, but others lack in certain areas.

Aside from the fact that soy allergies are also rising in the United States, I don’t recommend that you use it as a milk alternative because soy can be bad for you. The main issues with soy are that most of it contains phytoestrogens, or estrogen mimickers in the body, and today soy is genetically modified. Genetically modified foods are linked to many health problems because they kill off good bacteria in the gut and damage digestive function. (9)

The best alternative for cow’s milk is coconut milk, a liquid naturally found inside of mature coconuts, stored within coconut “meat.” When you blend and then strain coconut meat, it becomes a thicker, coconut milk-like liquid. Coconut milk is completely free from dairy, lactose, soy, nuts and grains, so it’s a great option for anyone with dairy, soy or nut allergies along with lactose intolerance.

One concern about using coconut milk as a substitute for cow’s milk is the fat content and impact it can have on cholesterol levels. However, a 2013 study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism found that coconut milk actually improves cholesterol levels. After 60 healthy participants ate coconut milk porridge for five days of the week for eight weeks, their LDL levels decreased and HDL levels rose significantly. (10)

Cow’s milk contains more protein and calcium than coconut milk, but you can make up for it with foods. Include calcium-rich foods (like cooked kale, broccoli, watercress and bok choy) in your diet to make sure you get the nutrients you need. The best kind of coconut milk is organic and contains no added sugar, artificial sweeteners and preservatives. Look at the list of ingredients and make sure that it’s 100 percent coconut milk (coconut water is OK too); you want to avoid sugar additives.

2. Egg Substitutes

Eggs are often used as a binding or leavening agent in recipes, but there are some alternatives that can work just as well. The following egg substitutes are recommended by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network as great food allergy alternatives for eggs:

• For binding
  • 2 tablespoons of fruit puree (such as mashed bananas and apple sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of water
• For leavening and binding
  • 1.5 tablespoons of water, 1.5 tablespoons of oil and 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of vinegar
  • 1 packet of gelatin and 2 tablespoons of warm water (mix when ready to use)
  • 1 teaspoon of yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup of water (11)

There is also a potato-based commercial egg substitute from Ener-G Foods on the market. When mixed with water, this egg alternative mimics eggs in baked goods like cookies, muffins and cakes, making it a potentially helpful food allergy alternative.

3. Almond and Sunflower Seed Butter

The easiest and most common peanut butter alternative is almond butter. Almond butter is simply ground almonds, and there are many vital health benefits of almonds nutrition. Almonds are low in saturated fatty acids, rich in unsaturated fatty acids, and contain filling fiber, unique and protective phytosterol antioxidants, vitamins like riboflavin and trace minerals, such as magnesium.

Sunflower seed butter is also a great substitute for peanut butter that contains healthy fats and proteins. Plus, sunflower seed butter is free of tree nuts too, which is another common food allergy, making it a one of the most versatile food allergy alternatives. In fact, research shows that sunflower seed butter is an uncommon allergy. (12)

It provides plenty of protein and is loaded with vitamin E and magnesium. It also contains a good amount of omega-6 fatty acids. Because most people have way too many omega-6s in their diets and not enough omega-3s, don’t go overboard with sunflower seed butter (just have enough to enjoy the taste), and balance out the omegas by consuming omega-3 foods like chia seeds, fish oil, flaxseeds and hemp seeds.

4. Flaxseeds, Chia Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds and Sunflower Seeds

Nuts are a great snack because they’re high in omega-3 fatty acids and help control inflammation, boost brain function and improve cardiovascular health. The best food allergy alternatives for tree nuts are other foods that are high in 0mega-3s — this way you get the just about the same nutritional benefits.

Seeds make for a great snack packed with nutritional value. Try flaxseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Research published in Current Allergy and Asthma Reports suggests that there is an association of peanut allergy with allergies to legumes, tree nuts, seeds, fruits and pollen. (13) Because of this common cross-reactivity, check with your allergist before using seeds as a nut alternative just to be safe.

5. Gluten-Free Flours/Grains

There are many flours that don’t contain wheat and can easily be used as an alternative in baking. Wheat-free and gluten-free flours include coconut flour, almond flour, spelt flour, oat flour and rice flour. Coconut flour is high in fiber and healthy fats. Its easily used by the body for energy and helps support a healthy metabolism while balancing blood sugar levels. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that the glycemic index of coconut flour-supplemented foods decreased with increasing levels of coconut flour, which is probably due to its high dietary fiber content. (14)

Another great option is finely ground almond meal flour, which is packed with L-arginine, magnesium, copper, manganese, calcium and potassium. Almond flour works well in recipes for baked goods, and it even has cholesterol-lowering effects. (15)

There are also food allergy alternatives for wheat pasta and bread. There are brown rice and quinoa pastas on the market today, which have very similar textures and tastes to wheat pasta, especially if you use them with sauce. Gluten-free breads contain a combination of buckwheat, chickpeas, millet, potato, rice and tapioca flour — all safe food allergy alternatives for someone with a wheat allergy.

6. Protein Foods

Eating finned fish and shellfish is beneficial because they’re good sources of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Protein is used in every single cell of the body and is critical for building muscle mass, helping balance hormones naturally and supporting neurological function. If you’re allergic to fish, you can get your daily dose of protein from eggs, raw dairy (like yogurt and kefir), grass-fed meat and organic poultry. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, plant-based protein foods include lentils, black beans and natto.

Although wild-caught fish is an excellent way to consume omega-3 fatty acids, there are a number of other foods that can give you similar health benefits. Walnuts are an excellent source of these healthy fats, as are flaxseeds and chia seeds. Chia seeds, for example, are composed of protein, fats, carbohydrates, high dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. They contain a high amount of antioxidants and support the heart and digestive system. There are plenty of chia seed recipes that provide many of the health benefits that you may be missing because of a fish allergy. (16)

7. Lentils and Quinoa

Soybeans are typically eaten by people who follow vegetarian or vegan diets and use soy as their source of protein or as a meat alternative. Three easy ways to get protein from meat-free foods are consuming legumes (such as lentils), beans and grains (such as quinoa). Lentils are high in protein, rich in nutrients and have a hearty, dense texture. Quinoa is one of the healthiest grains on the market; it’s hardy and nutrient-dense — adding protein, fiber, and a host of vitamins and minerals to your diet. Quinoa recipes are easy to prepare because the grain only takes 15 minutes to prepare, making this a simple way to get plenty of protein without eating soybeans.

Final Thoughts on Food Allergy Alternatives

• Food allergies affect approximately 5 percent of children under the age of 5 years old and 4 percent of teens and adults.
• 90 percent of food allergies are caused by eight foods: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, fish, shellfish and soybeans.
• There are many food allergy alternatives currently available on the market that make it easier for people to avoid their food allergens (which is the only cure for a food allergy).

Read Next: 7 Proven Benefits of Quercetin (#1 is Incredible)

The post The Best 7 Food Allergy Alternatives appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Shellfish allergy can be life-threatening, so it’s important that people are educated about shellfish allergy symptoms, the less obvious foods that may contain shellfish and natural remedies that can help to reduce the body’s immune response.

What Is Shellfish?

“Shellfish” and “seafood” are often used interchangeably and with different meanings. According to research published in Clinical and Translational Allergy, “seafood” is a general term that refers to any edible aquatic animal, whereas “shellfish” refers to those with a shell or shell-like exoskeleton. (2)

There are several known groups and sub-groups of shellfish species. One type of shellfish is crustaceans, which in Latin means “having a crust or shell.” Crustaceans belong to the arthropoda category, which all have hard exoskeletons or shells, segmented bodies and jointed limbs. There are over 50,000 known species of crustaceans; some more well known crustaceans include crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, prawns, woodlice and barnacles.

The mollusca is the largest marine phylum, comprising of about 23 percent of all the named marine organisms. Cephalopod molluscs, such as squid, cuttlefish and octopus, are among the most neurologically advanced mollusca; giant squid are the largest, and gastropods like snails and slugs are by far the most numerous, making up 80 percent of all mollusca. Other molluscs include scallops, clams, mussels and oysters. (3)

Related: What Is a Sea Cucumber & Can You Eat It?

What Exactly Is a Shellfish Allergy?

Allergies to crustacean shellfish are more common and molluscan shellfish allergies are well known, but do not appear to occur as frequently. The major shellfish allergen has been identified as tropomyosin, a muscle protein that is present in different species of shellfish and could be responsible for cross-reactivity. This is why most people who are allergic to one type of shellfish are often allergic to other types as well.

Shellfish is one of the leading causes of food allergies in adults and is a common cause of food-induced anaphylaxis. In the U.S., a survey involving 14,948 individuals revealed that 2 to 3 percent of people believe to have a seafood allergy: 2.2 percent to shellfish and 0.6 percent to fish. From highest to lowest prevalence, shellfish allergy is most common in shrimp, crab, lobster, clam, oyster and mussels. (4)

The growing international trade of seafood has added to the popularity of frequency of consumption of a variety of seafood products across the country. This increased production and consumption has been accompanied by more frequent reports of adverse health problems among consumers and processors of seafood. Research shows that adverse reactions to seafood are often generated by contaminants, but can also be mediated by the immune system and cause allergies. (5)

Related: Does Chitosan Work for Weight Loss or Is It All Hype?

The Most Common Shellfish Allergy Symptoms

Shellfish allergy symptoms are mediated by antibodies that are produced by the immune system against specific allergens. Antibodies trigger the release of chemicals (such as histamines) to attack the protein that’s causing the immune response. Non-immunological reactions to seafood can be triggered by contaminants such as parasites, bacteria, viruses, marine toxins and biogenic amines. Ingredients added during processing and canning of seafood can also cause adverse reactions. All of these substances are able to trigger reactions that are similar to true shellfish allergy symptoms. (6)

Although the degree of shellfish allergy symptoms vary widely, they tend to be more severe than most other food allergens and are unpredictable, sometimes occurring long after a person has consumed the allergen. Symptoms of shellfish allergy can range from mild urticaria to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Most reactions are IgE-mediated and involve the rapid onset of gastrointestinal, cutaneous (affecting the skin) or respiratory issues. Common shellfish allergy symptoms include:

• itchy skin, hives and eczema
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat, ears, fingers or hands
• congestion
• trouble breathing or wheezing
• tingling in the mouth
• abdominal pain
• nausea or vomiting
• diarrhea
• dizziness
• fainting

When an over-release of chemicals puts a person into shock, this is called an anaphylactic reaction. Anaphylaxis can occur suddenly and progress quickly. The early signs of anaphylaxis may be mild, such as a skin rash or a “strange feeling,” but this can lead to more serious issues such as trouble breathing, hives or swelling, tightness of the throat, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness and fainting, a drop in blood pressure, rapid heart beat and even cardiac arrest. People who have had a severe allergic reaction to shellfish are at a greater risk for future reactions, and they should carry a self-injectable epinephrine. (7)

There is a misconception that people with a shellfish allergy are at a greater risk for having an adverse reaction to iodine; however, research suggests that there is to link. Studies also show that having a shellfish allergy does not increase the likelihood of having an iodine allergy or adverse reaction to intravenous contrast. (8)

Related: Imitation Crab Meat May Be Even Worse Than You Think

5 Shellfish Allergy Remedies

The management of a shellfish allergy is strict elimination of shellfish, which in highly allergic people may include avoidance of touching or smelling it, too. Researchers suggest that any person who has experienced an adverse reaction to shellfish in the past should wear a Medic Alert identification and be trained in using an epinephrine auto-injector because future reactions may be more severe. (9)

Like with a peanut allergy, there are ways to boost your immune system and lessen the severity of shellfish allergy symptoms with natural remedies.

1. Probiotics

Probiotic supplements boost immune function and reduce the risk of developing food allergies. Research shows that the presence of probiotic bacteria in the intestinal microbiota is found to correlate with protection against allergic diseases. Clinical improvement, especially in allergic rhinitis and immunoglobulin-sensitized eczema, has been reported in most of the published studies involving probiotics and allergies. (10)

2. Digestive Enzymes

The incomplete digestion of food proteins may be linked to food allergies and can cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Taking digestive enzymes with meals can aid the digestive system in fully breaking down food particles, and it serves as a vital food allergy remedy for people who have gastrointestinal shellfish allergy symptoms.

3. MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)

Research suggests that MSM supplements may be effective in reducing allergy symptoms. MSM is an organic sulfur-containing compound that is used to improve immune function, lower inflammation and help restore healthy bodily tissue. It can be used to relieve gastrointestinal issues and skin conditions that are associated with less severe shellfish allergy symptoms. (11)

4. Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 (or pantothenic acid) may be beneficial for people with allergies and asthma because it supports adrenal function. It is important in controlling nasal congestion, maintaining a healthy digestive tract and boosting immune function. (12)

5. L-glutamine 

L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the bloodstream, and it can help to repair leaky gut and boost immune health, which can be helpful when suffering from food allergies. Research indicates that leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, is likely to cause various pathologies, including allergies. Compounds such as glutamine have the mechanistic potential to inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress. (13)

Allergic? Here Are 6 Shellfish Alternatives

The only way to truly avoid an allergic reaction to shellfish is to avoid eating and coming into contact with shellfish altogether. And be aware that there may be traces of shellfish in products that seem harmless, including some Caesar salad dressings, soaps and cosmetics, sauces (like Worcestershire sauce) and seasonings, vitamins and insecticides.

In a 2007 retrospective study that took place over a five-year period, a total of 530 food reactions were reviewed. Researchers found that 119 reactions (22.4 percent) were considered to be due to hidden allergens and 32 percent of these were anaphylactic reactions. Fish allergens hidden in those foods caused reactions in 35 percent of fish-allergic patients. (14) This proves that people with a shellfish allergy must be vigilant and choose food alternatives that they know to be safe.

When looking for shellfish alternatives, it may be hard to find foods that have the same taste and texture as your favorite shellfish, but there are plenty of foods that offer the same nutritional benefits. For one thing, shellfish can serve as a source of protein, with 3 ounces of shrimp providing about 21 grams of protein, 3 ounces of lobster providing 17 grams, 12 clams providing 17 grams, 12 oysters providing 10 grams, and 6 large scallops providing 27 grams of protein.

Protein, which is used in every single cell of our body, is critical for building muscle mass, supporting neurological function, balancing hormones, aiding digestion and boosting our mood. Protein foods are used to develop, grow and maintain just about every part of the body. If you aren’t able to get your daily dose of protein from shellfish due to an allergy, there are plenty of other options on the table.

Many shellfish also provide a good amount of iron, such as oysters, scallops and clams. (15) Iron plays a critical role in the body and iron-rich foods provide us with energy, boost muscle and brain function, and support a healthy pregnancy.

That being said, bear in mind that shrimp nutrition is not as impressive when you look at farmed shrimp (which is roughly 90 percent of shrimp on offer). Farmed shrimp has a raft of problems, including containing chemicals (some banned!), pesticides and even xenoestrogens.

1. Grass-Fed Beef

A three-ounce portion of grass-fed beef provides 10 percent of your daily allowance of iron and about 60 grams of protein! Beef is also loaded with potassium, B vitamins and magnesium. If you can’t eat shellfish due to an allergy, eating a small portion of beef steak (about the size of your palm) is an excellent way to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients in your diet.

2. Organic Chicken

Organic chicken serves as another lean source of protein and just like shellfish, it’s versatile and can be added to many meals. A 2015 study published in Food and Nutrition Research found that consumption of poultry meat, as part of a vegetable-rich diet, is associated with a risk reduction of developing overweight and obesity, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Also, the collagen in chicken contains chondroitin and glucosamine, two compounds that help rebuild cartilage. (16)

3. Beans

Beans, such as navy beans and black beans, are a great alternative for shellfish because they are high in protein and iron, plus a number of important micronutrients, including potassium, magnesium, folate and zinc. Beans are filling and, like shellfish, they can be added to stews, soups, salads and many other meals. (17)

4. Lentils

Lentils are a favorite among vegetarians and vegans because they are a high-protein food that are rich in nutrients. A 2009 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that consumptions of lentils (and dry beans and peas) can improve diet quality in the U.S. population. Lentils have an array of nutrients and phytonutrients that have been shown to have beneficial health effects, yet consumption levels in the United States are quite low. (18) For people who can’t eat shellfish due to a food allergy, lentils can serve as a great source of protein and other important nutrients, such as folate, manganese, phosphorus, thiamine, potassium, zinc and more.

5. Free-Range Eggs

Eggs are sources of protein, fats and micronutrients that play an important role in basic nutrition. They are easy to cook and provide important nutrients like selenium, riboflavin, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and phosphorus. There are a number of health benefits of eggs, including their ability to improve eye health, prevent metabolic syndrome, reduce heart disease because of the omega-3 fatty acids, aid weight loss, maintain brain health and improve your skin. (19)

6. Chicken Liver

Chicken liver, or even beef and duck liver, is very high in nutrients and can be considered a superfood. It is a rich source of B vitamins, iron and vitamin A. It also provides important minerals like phosphorus and magnesium. (20) It actually outperforms many other health foods like spinach, carrots and apples. If you are trying to get the nutrients you are missing from shellfish somewhere else — look no further. You are getting the protein and iron from shellfish, and much more.

Precautions

Just because a person allergic to shellfish has never had an anaphylactic reaction before, doesn’t mean that is won’t occur in the future. People with severe shellfish allergies should speak to their healthcare providers about receiving a epinephrine incase of an emergency anaphylactic reaction. Also, be aware that a second anaphylactic reaction, known as a biphasic reaction, can occur as long as 12 hours after the initial allergic response.

Final Thoughts

• The popularity of shellfish has been increasing worldwide, but consequently, shellfish constitute the No. 1 cause of food allergies in the American adult.
• The approximate prevalence of shellfish allergy is estimated at 0.5 to 2.5 percent of the general population.
• Symptoms of a seafood allergy range from less severe issues like a runny nose and itchy throat, to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
• Although the only true cure for any food allergy is to eliminate the allergen from your diet completely, there are natural remedies that can help to reduce the severity of food allergy symptoms, like probiotics, digestive enzymes and vitamin B5.
• Shellfish provides protein and iron, among other important nutrients; people with a shellfish allergy can get these nutrients from foods like organic beef and chicken, eggs, beans, lentils and liver.

Read Next: 17 Fish You Should Never Eat + Safer Seafood Options

The post Shellfish Allergy Symptoms, Effective Remedies & Alternatives appeared first on Dr. Axe.