Five unexpected things that could be giving you hay fever

Posted on 21 September, 2016

As a Canberra florist who is allergic to flowers, a ‘wanna be’ cat lady who sneezes around cats and a secret vacuum lover who can’t deal with dust, it has become apparent my hay fever shows no mercy on the life I plan to lead.

I sneezed 11 times in a meeting a few weeks ago. When I finished that sneezing episode, I genuinely had to check whether my brain was still firmly placed in my head because it felt like it may have just fallen out after all those sneezes. Heaven forbid if I decide to leave my desk and go for a stroll, the entire population of Canberra’s wattle trees torture my senses and I might as well rub my eyeballs with sandpaper for relief.

Currently, I go outside and see a beautiful spring in everyone’s step, as they get excited at the opportunity to throw their Kathmandu jackets away and actually wear a t-shirt. But that’s not me. No, I’m that weirdo who is counting down the days until next winter so that my poor head and nose can have a cool break from the daily torture that is hay fever.

Nip Wijewickrema and sister Gayana. Photo: Hannah Walmsley

Unwilling to wish away another beautiful Canberra spring, I sat down with Luke Clews from Healthy Skin Solutions to chat about the future of my life and the crazy steps I’ll go to just to have a bit of respite. I was expecting Luke to tell me to continue with 101 antihistamines every day for the rest of my life – but he didn’t. Instead, he gave me some life changing advice that made me think it was time to look at my hay fever in a more holistic fashion.

Healthy Skin Solutions is a holistic clinic that focuses on your overall health to treat skin and allergy problems. Chatting to Luke was a really eye opening experience and it taught me that while I may blame the cats, trees, dust and the air in Canberra – sometimes the causes of my hay fever have more to do with what I’m doing (or not doing).

Here are five unexpected things that could be giving you hay fever, as told by Luke…

Poor gut health

“Like many other health conditions, hayfever will be influenced by the state of your gut,” says Luke. “So we’re thinking about issues caused by inappropriate diet (like high levels of sugar, alcohol, not enough fibre etc), food sensitivities or gut bugs like the one that just rampaged through Canberra last month. There are easy ways to combat this however; by making sure your diet is healthy (lots of vegies and water, not so much of the alcohol and sugar/carbs) and taking a good probiotic, particularly if you have had antibiotics recently. In fact, probiotics have been demonstrated to reduce the severity of hayfever symptoms as well as reducing the likelihood of developing sinusitis.”

Not enough H₂O

“I talk about this so often I feel like I need a tattoo on my forehead reminding people to drink water,” jokes Luke. “In this particular case I’m talking about mucus membranes in your nose becoming dehydrated. These have a much greater likelihood of getting irritated and enflamed, leading to all the fun of sneezing and a nose leaking like a tap to compensate.”

Stress

“Financial pressures, being too busy with work, kids, housework and a social life (otherwise known as Mum Syndrome), lack of sleep and any number of other triggers of stress will commonly worsen hay fever or even trigger an attack,” says Luke. “This is because stress hormones can raise levels of inflammation throughout the body, leading to a more sensitive immune system. Of course, it’s not simply a matter of saying, “Hey, have you thought of relaxing a bit more?” but there are certainly ways to compensate for everyday stresses. The first thing I would recommend would be regular exercise, and this doesn’t necessarily mean hours at the gym. You can usually get a perfectly adequate workout in less than 10 minutes a day.”

Histaminergic foods and drugs

“Because the main cause of the symptoms of hay fever is histamine, it makes sense to limit your intake of foods that will raise levels of this chemical compound in your system,” Luke advises. “Foods that either contain histamine or cause its secretion in the body are definitely best avoided at certain times of the year. Some examples include citrus fruits, tomato, most cured meats, many cheeses, alcohol (red wine is a classic) and sulphite food preservatives. And let’s not forget medications that prevent the body from properly metabolising and breaking down histamine.”

Unexpected environmental triggers

“Yes, dust and pollen, pets and moulds are highly likely to make life miserable, but have you considered cosmetics, cleaning products, vaporised proteins or strong odours? Sometimes it can seem like the world is out to get you, and your immune system can develop sensitivities to a multitude of seemingly harmless substances. To figure out what you are sensitive to requires a basic understanding of common allergens and an eye for detail. This will make it easier for you to avoid your triggers and spend this spring a lot less wild-eyed and sneezy.”

If any of the above problems persist, contact Healthy Skin Solutions for a consultation on 6295 6040 or visit their website at healthyskinsolutions.com.au

About Luke

Luke Clews

Luke Clews originally trained as a Radiation Oncology Medical Physicist, before changing his career path to train under Dr Michael Tirant, a world-renowned pioneer of Complementary Dermatology. He now runs the Healthy Skin Solutions clinic in Kingston, treating a wide variety of common (and uncommon) skin problems including eczema, dermatitis, acne, rosacea, psoriasis and many more.