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Misty Fry
14/Oct/2019
allergiesfall allergiesnutrition

How Sugar Affects Allergies: Surviving Halloween

If you are a chronic allergy sufferer, you may manage your allergies effectively because it is a part of your daily routine — but you may experience more symptoms from the food you eat. Whether you manage allergy symptoms year-round or occasionally, you may encounter additional symptoms despite your attempts to manage allergies with medication or immunology treatments such as shots or sublingual drops. With Halloween approaching sweet treats are apart of the fun, however, the sugar that you consume can also be a culprit to your allergy problems.

This does not mean you are allergic to sugar, but there is a correlation with peak allergy season and certain foods like ones that contain high levels of sugar.

Inflammation

When sugar enters the body, it causes inflammation no matter if you have allergies or not. This inflammation may not be something immediately noticed however, if allergies are a concern — it is your allergic reaction to the environment that will be worse. For example, mold, ragweed, and even dust cause allergic reactions — but when allergens increase, this can send your immune system responses into a heightened state when combined with an increase in inflammatory foods that contain sugar.

Children & Sugar

When you have a child who has environmental allergies, it is essential to keep in mind the impacts of eating those Halloween treats. You may notice that your child feels worse after eating sugary snacks — fatigue and they may struggle to focus in class or on other tasks.  Refined sugar will pull double duty on stuffy noses and raise blood sugar levels. Even an increase in blood sugar levels causes additional inflammation and limits the body’s ability to fight off the allergens.

Reducing Symptoms

If you and your children plan to enjoy Halloween trick-or-treating, then there are some ways to reduce the impacts of the increased sugar and environmental allergic reactions.

Make sure you or your child take any prescription medication as recommended by your doctor.

If you are not on a prescription, then you should consider an over-the-counter medication a week before Halloween festivities begin. Be mindful of the side effects such as drowsiness, excitability, or dry mouth.

  • Drink plenty of water.
  • Be mindful of other foods you eat the week before Halloween. Reduce any other sugary foods and snacks prior to trick or treating.

After Halloween

  • Limit the number of candy/sugary snacks in one sitting.
  • If it is your child, then limit his or her treats to after a meal.
  • If you or your child have just come in from the outdoors and notice that allergies have flared, avoid sugar altogether.

If you notice that your child’s allergy symptoms increase during times like fall and spring and more so when they eat certain foods, make an appointment to visit with our staff and discuss testing and treatment options. If you suspect food allergies, there are tests that you and your child can have completed by the doctor. Stay healthy and safe this Halloween.

 

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Misty Fry
02/Sep/2019
allergiesfall allergies

Top 5 Foods to Avoid if You Are Allergic to Ragweed

Allergies can be debilitating.  Sneezing, watery eyes, congestion, headaches are just a few symptoms.  For some, allergies create fatigue from the reactions and lack of sleep associated with the symptoms.  Certain foods can make symptoms worse.  A great way to reduce the symptoms along with medical treatment and antihistamines is through nutrition.

Ragweed

Ragweed has many species, and the pollen can be found 400 miles out to sea.  It thrives in rural areas and can be at its peak in urban areas between 10 in the morning to 3 p.m.  Because ragweed species are common within the United States, makes it difficult to avoid.  It can lay dormant for years until the right climate presents itself.  Places that are worse with ragweed are parts of Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

The symptoms associated with ragweed are like hay fever.  Itchy and watery eyes.  Sneezing, nasal congestion and may have coughing.  Those with asthma may suffer an asthmatic response, or it can become worse along with severe sinus pressure and infections.  Some may even experience ear pain if the excess fluid has built up in the ear canal.

There are ways to keep your allergy symptoms at bay.  Your doctor can assist you with immunotherapy and antihistamines.   In addition, there are ways you help them at home, reduce interaction with the pollen, and avoid foods that you should not consume during ragweed season.

Foods to Avoid

  • Banana

  • Cantaloupe

  • Cucumber

  • Honeydew

  • Watermelon

  • White potato

  • Zucchini

  • Sunflower seeds

Oral Allergy Syndrome

Oral Allergy syndrome or OAS is a reaction that occurs when your body interacts with pollen similar to the pollen of certain foods.  For example, if you are allergic to ragweed and eat a banana during the height of ragweed season you may notice some uncomfortable symptoms.  It is uncommon for young children to exhibit symptoms. Typically it affects teens and young adults.

  • Itchy mouth;
  • Scratchy throat;
  • Lips, mouth and throat swelling.

Exposure

If you eat any foods that stimulate OAS and are having a reaction, take an antihistamine immediately and stop eating the food until you consult with your doctor.  Drink plenty of water and make an appointment.

Management

Not all individuals allergic to ragweed or other environmental allergies will have these reactions when eating these foods. However, if you have these reactions, it is best to avoid them or peel and cook the foods for meals that cause OAS.  This can limit or stop the reactions with proper food handling.

If you just have the symptoms of ear pain, congestion, and headaches, then antihistamines will help if taken two weeks before ragweed begins.  Administer hydrogen peroxide and warm rags to the inflamed ear (s).  Neti pots can help clear out excess mucus in the nasal cavity.  A saline solution for your nose for a quick way to clear your nose can help in between neti pot uses.

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Misty Fry
26/Aug/2019
allergiesfall allergies

Everything You Need to Know About Ragweed

In mid to late summer, common pollen travels through the air, resulting in many people suffering from an allergic reaction that can spark hay fever.  This pesky pollen is ragweed.  There are seventeen species of ragweed in the United States, and nearly all states have ragweed.

Ragweed Season

The season begins in mid- to late July and can go as long as November with the peaks in September.  The allergy you may feel is your body’s response to the pollen that is released into the air, and one plant can release billions of pollen and has been found several miles into the atmosphere and even out to sea.

Symptoms

The symptoms are mainly uniform, with the exception to those who have a high allergy to it that causes asthma reactions.

  • Headaches
  • Sneezing
  • Congestion
  • Watery Eyes

To determine if you have an allergy to ragweed, you will need to consult an allergist for a skin test.  Depending on your medical history and the severity of symptoms, your doctor may recommend being tested for all allergies to rule out any other allergies you may have.

Things You Can Do at Home

If you have allergies, it is best to avoid the peak times when the pollen is at its peak such as staying indoors in the mornings until after 10 a.m., and in the evenings after 6 p.m.  Leave windows and doors closed, and do not dry your clothes outdoors.  Shower after you come in, wash your bedding frequently and even wipe your pet down after coming back inside. If you have a severe allergy to ragweed and have to be outside, wear a mask.

Nutrition

Vitamin C is always a go-to for illness and even allergies.  Your body goes to hard work fighting the foreign bodies in your system, such as pollen.  Several reactions occur, and one of those reactions is that your immune system is taxed and needs all the support it can help.  Allergies cause inflammation in the body such as a stuffy nose; however, you will have more inflammation in your body that you do not notice.  If you are not taking any Vitamin C, make sure you begin a multi-vitamin and ask your doctor about taking an additional Vitamin C supplement during times your immune system may work harder.

Your food options can help you, too.  Greens such as bell peppers, oranges, grapefruit, jalapenos, broccoli all contain high levels of vitamin C.  Just as much as you need to focus on what to eat; it is best to avoid sugary foods and drinks.  Sugar creates additional inflammation in the body.

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Misty Fry
19/Aug/2019
allergiesfall allergiesnutrition

Nutrition for a Victory in Battling Fall Allergies

 

Fall is gorgeous.  The beautiful color of the leaves, milder temperatures, and a great time to get outdoors.  Fall activities such as attending a football game, hiking or taking your family to the park are fun activities toward the end of the year.  If you suffer from allergies, particularly in the fall, enjoying these things is more laborious.

Many people who have year-round allergies are accustomed to the constant battle, but it may be harder for those of you who fight them seasonally.  Fall and spring bring their allergens out, and if you are allergic to ragweed, cedar pollen, and mold, then you know what it feels like.

Nutrition

It seems like an outdated concept when it comes to nutrition.  We hear how diet is essential to our health, but maybe we don’t realize precisely what this means.  The food we eat and the benefits aren’t just limited to vitamins and nutrients.  The food we consume provides a wealth of benefits from vitamins and can reduce inflammation in the body that comes from allergic reactions to our environment.

Battling Fall Allergies

Battling fall allergies require proactive measures, and this means eating right as soon as possible and as much as possible.  Everyone wants to indulge in their favorite sweets; However, keep in mind that doing so during fall can aggravate your allergies more.  If you can opt for fall dishes that include low inflammation alternatives.

  • Sweet potato has beta carotene and fights off allergies.
  • Spinach is a wonderful addition to your meal and keeps allergies at bay.
  • Add a dollop of honey to your green tea. Both are inflammation and allergy fighters.
  • For a sweet treat, add cocoa to your diet with hot cocoa.

In addition to healthy eating is taking your prescribed or over-the-counter medications before the fall pollens begin.  Depending on which part of the county you live in, will start in late July and early August and continue through the first freeze.

Fall Pollen

  • Many environmental allergens can send you into a fit of sneezing with watery eyes. The top three, however, are dust mites, mold, and ragweed.
  • Dust mites live in dark places like ducts, so when the heater comes on, you will stir them up.
  • Mold thrives indoors in basements, appliances, and showers. Outside, it thrives in dark, moist places and on leaves.  So mold allergies will increase when the leaves fall off their branches.
  • Ragweed is a major culprit in moist soils, marsh areas, vacant lots, and near beaches.

Victory

You don’t have to lose the war on allergies.  It is an ongoing battle; However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and keeping abreast of the fluctuations in pollen can help you stay proactive.  Remember, keep up to date on what is in the air, continue your vitamin routine and include extra Vitamin C, and make an appointment with your ear nose and throat doctor to see what else you need if you feel that nothing is working.  The victory is knowledge, and with that will help you along during fall.

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