The Seasonal Allergy Strategy Part 2

As you might imagine, the preventive approach is the most important. The old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is fitting because it’s much easier to prevent seasonal allergies than to treat them. And, of course, it’s preferable not to experience symptoms in the first place.

Once you have a strong hay fever reaction, treating it with herbs is still possible, and some supplements can help. However, you’ll need frequent, large doses to keep symptoms under control once they’ve set in. At that point, it typically becomes a matter of staying ahead of the symptoms with supplements. Clearing the root cause during an acute reaction is unlikely without altogether avoiding the allergen.

Many people don’t have the bandwidth or patience for constant large doses of supplements—they want their itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, and postnasal drip to go away immediately. In those cases, it’s often easier to reach for an over-the-counter drug like Claritin. Unfortunately, medications like Claritin don’t fully relieve the symptoms for many people anyway.

So what can we do? What options do we have?

The approach outlined here focuses on reducing inflammation, a benefit that extends beyond the management of allergies. You’ll need to observe your lifestyle, identify factors that contribute to an inflammatory response or immunological reaction, and then work to mitigate or stabilize those factors. This way, when spring and summer arrive and you want to tiptoe through the tulips, you won’t start itching and sneezing.

These guidelines should help you feel better overall, as they support controlling the inflammatory process, one of the major contributors to allergies, as discussed in Part One. (If you haven’t read Part One yet, you’ll want to check it out before continuing.)

The Preventative Approach

1. Eliminate As Many Immunological Triggers As Possible

The preventive approach begins by stepping back and examining your lifestyle and dietary habits. Start with an assessment to identify potential triggers for inflammation—and, consequently, an immunological response—in your daily life. Look closely at your diet to screen for possible food allergens or intolerances, and eliminate as many as possible to reduce the load on your inflammatory/immunological tolerance (the “bucket” I talked about in Part 1).

Tools to Screen For Food Allergens

The Three-Day Diet Diary

The Three-Day Diet Diary is simple: any time you put something in your mouth, you write it down. It’s an easy way to get an accurate picture of what you’re actually eating. You might assume you know which foods are causing symptoms, but once you track them carefully, you might be surprised. This exercise helps you identify potential culprits rather than relying on guesswork.

The foods most commonly linked to allergy and intolerance are gluten, dairy, corn, soy, and eggs. Of course, you might react to other foods, such as eggplant, shellfish, nuts, seeds, or other foods. I’ve worked with clients where eliminating the big five wasn’t enough, and we had to dig deeper. In one case involving a client with atopic dermatitis, we ultimately pinpointed sunflower seeds. They had switched to sunflower butter as a cheaper alternative to almond butter. Once we removed it, their symptoms significantly improved. This is why writing down your foods can be a supremely useful tool.

The Elimination Diet

If you’re experiencing symptoms, follow an elimination diet for six to eight weeks. All major foods that commonly provoke immunological reactions should be eliminated during this time.

It’s worth noting that many foods people react to are the ones humans have altered the most through selective breeding, genetic modification, or the use of hormones and antibiotics. This list includes wheat, gluten-containing grains, corn, soy, dairy, and eggs.

Remove all of these, plus anything else you suspect you may be intolerant to. After the elimination period (which must be a 100% elimination, no cheating!), reintroduce foods one at a time for three to four days at a time, carefully noting any signs or symptoms. It’s important to stay completely clear of the eliminated foods for six to eight weeks and reintroduce them one at a time. Otherwise, it becomes impossible to tell which food is responsible for which symptoms.

The Food Intolerance Triangle

I learned the Food Intolerance Triangle from Paul Bergner. It’s a simple but powerful concept: if someone experiences symptoms in three categories—digestive, musculoskeletal, and mood/energy/cognitive—it often indicates food intolerance.

Digestive symptoms include gas, bloating, stomach heaviness, constipation, diarrhea, or literally any digestive symptom. Musculoskeletal symptoms include joint pain, muscle aches, skin conditions, and headaches. Mood, energy, and cognitive symptoms include fatigue, irritability, frustration, anxiety, depression, brain fog, and difficulty concentrating.

If you—or your clients—present with even mild symptoms across these three categories, it’s worth investigating food intolerance. For example, suppose someone mentions feeling stiff, experiencing occasional headaches, having frequent gas, and feeling tired most days, even if these symptoms seem vague or mild. In that case, it’s a real pattern that deserves attention.

Pet Triggers

Pets can be a sensitive subject, as many consider their pets family and treat them like children. It’s common for pets to sleep in their owners’ beds and accompany them everywhere. However, from an allergy standpoint, constant close contact with pets can make managing symptoms difficult.

Fortunately, there are ways to navigate this. One simple but effective step is to keep animals off the furniture, especially the bed. Sleeping with pets in bed is one of the most significant issues for people with dander sensitivities. 

Other helpful strategies include encouraging pets to spend more time outdoors and thoroughly cleaning the house to reduce hair and dander buildup. Limiting direct contact with pet hair can significantly reduce the likelihood of allergic reactions.

Inflammatory Foods 

Heavily processed foods are pro-inflammatory and offer little real nourishment. Sugar can also trigger inflammatory pathways. Foods high in omega-6 fatty acids, deep-fried foods, and heavily processed or hydrogenated oils are major culprits. They disrupt the balance of omega-3 fatty acids, pushing the body toward a chronic inflammatory state.

Give yourself an oil change!

In my family, we’re farmers—country bumpkins, as my friends like to say. We eat plenty of animal fats, but we render our own from our sheep, and we get butter from the dairy cow. It’s grass-fed and rich in healthy omega-3s. Many people believe lard is unhealthy because of decades of anti-saturated fat messaging. But lard is a natural fat, so grass-fed, organic animal fats can be excellent choices—whether duck fat, tallow, lard, or others. Grass-fed butter, ghee, olive oil, and avocado oil are also excellent from an immunological and inflammatory perspective.

Whenever possible, limit or avoid highly processed oils, seed oils, and any products that require heavy chemical processing to extract.

2. Decrease Your Inflammatory Load

Keep Your Home Clean.

Maintaining a clean house can reduce your inflammatory load. We just discussed pet triggers, and cleaning to remove pet hair and dander will help. 

In my family, we’re fans of keeping a clean refrigerator. When you load your fridge with food or when it starts to run low, cleaning your fridge is a great practice. It can get damp and a bit gross in there, and that’s where your food is stored, so it’s essential to keep it clean.

Consider also whether mold and mildew may be present in the bathroom or other moist areas, and address those situations accordingly. Dusting and vacuuming can help remove excess dust and pollen from your home. However, if you’re sensitive, ensure your vacuum has a good filter, such as a HEPA filter. Additionally, consider wearing a mask or using a damp cloth when dusting to reduce airborne dust particles.

Supplements to Lower Inflammation: 

• Omega-3 fatty acids, especially fish oil
• Vitamin D
• Antioxidants

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential in your diet, and fish oil is the most beneficial. If you’re vegan or vegetarian and prefer not to consume fish oil, I encourage you to consider making an exception in this case. You can substitute algae oils. However, they tend to be more expensive, and their effectiveness is unclear. Unfortunately, Flax, Borage, and Hemp seed oil are not good substitutes for fish oil. I recommend consuming at least 1,000 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids per day. 

Vitamin D is essential for numerous physiological processes, including maintaining a healthy immune system. It’s best to ensure your vitamin D levels are not just at the baseline of 30–50 but within the optimal range of 50–75. Vitamin D deficiency is widespread, so consider getting your levels tested. Alternatively, you can start by taking 3,000-5,000 IU of vitamin D daily with food, then schedule a test when you can. 

Antioxidants are another important factor in decreasing your inflammatory load. Increase your antioxidant status by consuming dark, leafy vegetables and deeply colored berries. Eat at least one generous serving of dark, leafy greens in each meal daily. Examples are kale, chard, broccoli, mustard greens, and collard greens. Ideally, you would eat a pile of greens in every meal. However, if you can prioritize this at least once a day, that would be fantastic.

Eat berries; the darker, the better. Currants are excellent, and black currants are amazing. They’re tart but delicious. Blueberries are also excellent, as are goji berries.

Berries have seasonal availability, which is a factor to consider. We grow a lot of berries—raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and we end up freezing them because we grow more than we can eat. So we freeze them and have them year-round. 

From an herbal standpoint, some berries are rich in antioxidants that are also medicinal. Amla (Phyllanthus emblica), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), and Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) are good examples. Schisandra is also an immunoregulator, immuno-amphoteric, and adaptogen. Rosehips are also fantastic. 

3. Herbs to Stabilize Your Immune System

Generally, you can benefit from two categories of herbs to support your immune system: immunoregulators and immune amphoterics. Immunoregulating herbs are the main category to prioritize. These herbs help regulate your immune system, which generally means tamping down excess inflammation and calming an overactive immune response. Many herbs in this category help stabilize mast cells, which decrease their degranulation and, consequently, the histamine response, thereby aiding in alleviating allergies. That said, stabilizing mast cells doesn’t happen overnight, hence it’s best to use these types of herbs preventatively to get your immune system in balance before allergy season. 

Immune-Regulating Herbs:

• Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
• Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) 
• Red Root Sage / Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza)
• Baikal Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis)
• Amla (Phyllanthus emblica) 
• Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)

Immune amphoterics in the form of medicinal mushrooms are another important category. In autoimmune patterns, you can see that certain aspects of the immune system can be excessive while others are deficient, or it cycles between the two. Sometimes, people experience a pattern of immune excess, followed by a period of immune deficiency. The immune amphoterics are excellent in these cases, and medicinal mushrooms are particularly effective.

Medicinal Mushroom Immune Amphoterics: 

• Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris, sinensis) 
• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)
• Maitake (Grifola frondosa)
• Shitake (Lentinula edodes)
• Polypores such as Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) 

The other category of herbs that often helps the immune system is also primarily used in managing stress response: adaptogens. 

4. Practice Stress Management

Stress management is huge. It is essential to optimize sleep and rest through lifestyle adjustments and the use of nervines. If you’re constantly stressed, you’ll be prone to inflammation. 

It’s important to get rejuvenative sleep and wake feeling well-rested. Managing stress during the day with nervines helps keep you calm and balanced, ultimately aiding in a more restful sleep. 

Individuals under prolonged stress and exhibiting a degree of HPA axis dysregulation can benefit from adaptogens. There is some overlap between regulating your immune system, managing stress, and using adaptogens. Some adaptogens are also fantastic immune amphoterics. These are good remedies to consider if you experience chronic stress, HPA dysregulation, and a need for immunoregulation. Remember, as stress levels increase, immunity tends to decrease. Stress and immunity are closely linked, and inflammation is intricately tied to this relationship.

Stress-Reducing Adaptogens / Immune Amphoterics: 

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
• Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng)
• Tulsi / Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)
• Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris, sinensis)
• Shilajit (Asphaltum), a mineral pitch used in Ayurveda
• Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) – There is some debate about whether Licorice is adaptogenic; nonetheless, it’s an excellent immune amphoteric. 

5. Restore Your Gut 

Gut permeability is closely tied to immune issues. In conjunction with an elimination diet, reducing inflammation and restoring gut health can be beneficial in preventing allergies. Therefore, gastrointestinal trophorestoratives or vulnerary herbs can help heal the gut lining, improve intestinal epithelial membrane function, reduce intestinal inflammation, and support optimal digestive health.

Gut-Repairing Herbs: 

• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• Plantain (Plantago major or lanceolata)
• Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
• Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis)
• Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
• Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) 
• Turmeric (Curcuma longa) 

Whew! This has been a substantial amount of information. So, to simplify a bit, if you’re just getting started, here’s a quick recap and what I suggest for a preventive approach:

1. Eliminate immunological triggers
2. Reduce inflammatory load
3. Stabilize the immune system
4. Reduce stress levels
5. Restore the gut

• Try a couple of things on this list to get started. Write down how it’s going so you get a clear sense of what actually makes a difference. 
• If you want to go all in, do them all—again, take notes.
• Be sure to research each of the herbs listed above and select the ones that are specifically appropriate for you or the person you’re working with. They are all very different remedies and should be selected strategically and with precision.
• The key is to start ahead of time. If you typically experience allergies in May and June, start your protocol in January or February, preferably even earlier. Give your body at least three to four months to stabilize. Following these protocols for one week and expecting your allergies to disappear and never return is a recipe for disappointment. These protocols take time. It takes time for your inflammatory load to decrease and for your epithelial membranes and gut to heal. It takes time for your immune system to stabilize. It also takes time to manage stress and get your sleep on track. 

The Acute Approach

But of course, life happens, we’re not always on top of our preventative protocols, and find ourselves out in a field of grass, with the wind blowing… blowing pollen right into our face, which proceeds to swell, itch, and leak mucus all over the place. Thus, having an acute approach to seasonal allergies is important to understand so we know what to work with. 

Seasonal allergies, such as allergic rhinitis (also known as hay fever), typically involve symptoms in the upper respiratory tract. Common hay fever symptoms include sneezing, itchy and red eyes, an itchy nose, and sinus congestion. There can be a strange combination of sinus congestion and a runny nose, accompanied by thin, watery mucus. A sore throat can result from postnasal drip. It’s a rather uncomfortable situation to be sure. 

This is a great example of the damp/relaxation tissue state from an energetic perspective. It’s easy to see that it’s damp—your nose is dripping down your face or throat. Your eyes are watering. You can see the dampness, but the reason everything is damp is because the tissues themselves are overly relaxed; the mucosal membranes have become overly lax, causing the hypersecretion of thin, watery mucus leaking out of the body (or down the throat).

This is partially due to histamine, which causes vasodilation. Histamine opens, dilates, and relaxes everything. There can be leakiness, while at the same time, bronchoconstriction can occur, which is more commonly seen in asthmatic-type allergies.

Increased bronchosecretion can often be accompanied by excess mucus secretions by the bronchioles alongside smooth muscle constriction. So we end up with dampness with tension, and asthma. In such instances, we can use bronchodilators and pungent, warming, aromatic herbs to dilate and relax the smooth muscles and clear excess mucus, such as:

• Lobelia (Lobelia inflata)
• Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)

Here’s a little background on hay fever: There is inflammation and irritation, and the damp, relaxed tissue state causes a lot of discomfort. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this would be considered a wind-damp pattern. We just discussed the dampness and how that happens, and with wind, we might see bronchoconstriction, as well as the tingly sensations. 

Wind tends to create tension or constriction of tissues and itchiness. Itchy eyes and the itchy, tingly sensation in your nose and the back of your throat are associated with wind. It’s also coming from the outside. Allergies like this tend to come and go, depending on your location, but it’s an example of the outside affecting the inside. This is a common theme with wind patterns.  

Let’s go over some primary herbal categories to consider for this pattern.

1. Astringe and Dry the Mucosa, Drain Dampness

The first therapeutic strategy for these symptoms is to astringe and dry the mucosa and drain the dampness. You also want to tighten and tonify the mucosal membranes and astringe the laxity. This will dry the fluids and tighten the mucosal membrane, preventing profuse leakage.

You should select herbs that are not only astringent, drying to the mucosa, and draining to dampness, but also those with a specific affinity for the upper respiratory tract. 

That’s a relatively small group of herbs that will accomplish this. Numerous herbs have an effect on the lower respiratory tract, including the throat, lungs, and bronchioles. But we don’t have as many options for the nasal passages and sinuses.

Astringent Herbs for the Upper Respiratory Tract:

• Bayberry (Myrica cerifera)
• Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). People think of Goldenseal as an herbal antibiotic, but it’s better thought of as a mucus membrane tonic.
• Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica)
• Stone Root (Collinsonia canadensis)
• Sage (Salvia officinalis)
• Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis). Most people think Eyebright is for the eyes, but it’s really for the sinuses—it’s an upper respiratory herb. It’s essential to use a fresh tincture, which is not always readily available. Eyebright is becoming a difficult herb to acquire in the realm of herbal commerce.
• Red Root (Ceanothus americanus)

2. Clear Dampness, Stimulate Stagnation

The second therapeutic strategy involves clearing dampness and stimulating stagnation. The astringents will dry some of the dampness and tighten the lax mucosa. However, other categories of herbs can help drain dampness and stimulate stagnation. This will help alleviate puffiness and swelling. 

There are a couple of herbs that, interestingly, are diuretics (which drain dampness) but are also commonly used to treat upper respiratory tract allergies:

• Nettle leaf (Urtica dioica) 
• Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) 

I also really like pungent stimulants to move stagnation and clear mucus. These are hot, spicy, pungent herbs with a respiratory affinity:

• Gumweed (Grindelia robusta or squarrosa) 
• Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) 
• Wasabi (Wasabia japonica) 
• Cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum) 
• Osha (Ligusticum grayi)
• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
• Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
• Spikenard (Aralia racemosa)
• Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum)
• Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)

If you’re in a pinch, find a grocery store that sells wasabi or horseradish and purchase some. This can help you clear the upper respiratory tract.

Many aromatic mints in your spice cabinet can be quite nice, but Thyme and Oregano are especially useful. Rosemary and Spikenard can be helpful here, too. I’ve used Yerba Santa quite frequently in this way. It grew all over our property in southern Oregon, so I became quite familiar with this plant. 

Steam is readily available, and it warms and disperses stagnation. You can simply breathe in the steam from your tea. You could also create a steam tent and add a couple of drops of the essential oils of these plants to your tent. Alternatively, you can use a sauna, steam bath, or simply take a hot shower, allowing the steam from the shower and bathroom to fill the space. Add a few drops of essential oil to the shower for an added benefit.

Herbal Teas for Steaming:

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

Eucalyptus essential oil (Eucalyptus globulus)

I would include here that clearing the sinuses with a neti pot can also be highly effective, as you’re literally rinsing the irritant out of the respiratory system. I like to do warm water with a bit of salt (well dissolved), and to this I add 15 drops of Goldenseal and 15 drops of Yerba Mansa tinctures. These help to astringe leaky mucosa and cleanse the local area. This is an especially useful pairing for people with chronic sinusitis or infection. 

3. Stabilize Mast Cells

Another effective approach is stabilizing mast cells. The best time to do this is as part of your preventive approach strategy. However, let’s say you don’t realize you have a problem until acute symptoms sneak up on you. You can also work on stabilizing mast cells at that point, acutely. 

It is important to note that in order to achieve the desired results, you must take large quantities of these flavonoids:

• 500 mg Quercetin
• 1000 mg Vitamin C flavonoid complex (use as much as you can without inducing loose stool. Taking the liposomal version can help prevent this)
• 500 mg Bromelain enzyme

You can use this combination to prepare for exposure, for example, if you’ll be spending time outside in the spring or plan to mow the lawn. To do this, load up in advance, and then, if symptoms arise, take more to support the situation. 

You can add some herbs that will assist in the stabilization of mast cells:

• Freeze-dried Nettle leaf (Urtica dioica) – six capsules every 20-30 minutes until symptoms start to subside. Then, maintenance doses of 2-3 capsules can be taken every two hours or so.
• Hibiscus tea (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is cooling and helps to stabilize mast cells. It’s also rather tasty and pleasant on a hot day.
• Plantain (Plantago major) can help stabilize mast cells. This is why it’s often recommended for people experiencing an acute allergic reaction. This is also one reason a plantain poultice is so effective for stings and insect bites that cause swelling. I’d recommend 5 ml every 20-30 minutes. 
• Dan Shen/Red Root Sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza) 
• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum). In the Pacific Northwest, we have Ganoderma oregonense, commonly called Oregon Reishi. I’m unsure whether it has the same mast cell-stabilizing properties as the Chinese Reishi.

You can do these things if you find yourself in an acute moment of itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, and the general discomfort seasonal allergies can bring. Astringe the mucosa, stimulate and disperse stagnation, drain dampness, and stabilize mast cells.

This post contains numerous remedies, and I encourage you to study them in-depth, understand their purpose, and determine whether they’re appropriate for you. I don’t recommend combining all of these herbs in a bottle and using them together. That would be very unlikely to work well. If you or any of your clients suffer from allergies, it’s important to study these remedies and determine what is best for the individual receiving treatment. 

Hopefully, this guide will serve you well in helping yourself and assisting clients and loved ones to enjoy springtime. Please share this information with anyone who needs it.

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