Allergy Symptoms and Supplements That Can Help

Statistics suggest that every year over 100 million Americans experience various kinds of allergies, including those to drugs, food, insects, latex, mold, pets, and pollen. It is one of the leading causes of chronic illnesses in the country and commonly affects children. However, adults are not immune from developing allergies. Hormonal shifts, like adolescence or pregnancy, changes in your immune system, environmental changes, or stress can be behind new allergy symptoms. Stressors can fatigue or exhaust your adrenal glands and trigger allergies.

What Are Allergies?

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, an allergy is your body’s immune response to a foreign substance (an allergen) and triggers a reaction from your body's immune response, referred to as hypersensitivity. You can ingest, inhale, touch, or inject this allergen. Typical indoor/outdoor allergy triggers include grass, weeds, tree pollen, mold spores, dust mites, cockroaches, pet dander, and rodent urine. These allergens do not cause sensitivities in most people, but for those who suffer from allergies, their severity may vary from one person to the next.

When you have an allergy flareup, your immune system produces antibodies in response, typically releasing several immune system chemicals, like histamine that trigger inflammation. This response can cause allergy symptoms and inflame your airways, skin, digestive system, or sinuses.

Allergy Symptoms

Based on the allergen that triggers a reaction, allergy symptoms vary. Common allergy symptoms include coughing, hives, itchy eyes, sneezing, rashes, scratchy throat, and runny nose. Other more serious symptoms may include trouble breathing, low blood pressure, and even death. Typically, allergy symptoms last two to three weeks. It tends to stick around for as long as the allergen is present.  However, certain allergies also occur at the same time annually and are typically called “allergy season.” Still, while allergies have no permanent fix, you can manage them with prevention and certain remedies.

• Hay fever/allergic rhinitis can cause symptoms such as sneezing; itching of the nose, eyes, or roof of the mouth; runny, stuffy nose; and watery, red, or swollen eyes (conjunctivitis).
• Food allergy can cause symptoms that include hives; tingling of the mouth; swelling of the lips, tongue, face or throat; or anaphylaxis.
• Insect sting allergies can cause symptoms such as edema (large area of swelling at the sting site); itching or hives all over your body; tightness in the chest; cough, shortness of breath or wheezing; or anaphylaxis.
• Drug allergies can cause symptoms such as facial swelling, hives, rash, itchy skin, or anaphylaxis.
• Atopic dermatitis/eczema can cause symptoms such as skin itchiness, redness, flakiness or peeling.

Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is defined as a common medical emergency and a life-threatening acute hypersensitivity reaction. It's a severe reaction to food and insect stings that can cause you to go into shock.

Signs and symptoms can include a loss of consciousness, a sudden drop in blood pressure, severe shortness of breath, lightheadedness, skin rash, rapid or weak pulse, abdominal pain, or nausea and vomiting. In the case of anaphylaxis, call 911 or seek emergency medical help. Also, if you travel with an epinephrine auto-injector (Auvi-Q, EpiPen, etc.), give yourself a shot immediately.

Risk Factors for Allergies

Some people are more likely to develop allergies than others. Risk factors may include:

• Family history of allergies
• Exposure to environmental pollutants
• Asthma
• Smoking
• Age - it is more common for children to develop allergies

Adrenal Issues: Overlooked Cause of Allergy Symptoms

Adrenal fatigue or adrenal exhaustion is an overlooked possible cause for allergy symptoms.

Your adrenal glands are responsible for managing stress and producing the stress hormone cortisol. Chronic stress causes the adrenal glands to produce an excess of this hormone; over time, the adrenal glands experience fatigue. When you are at the point of adrenal exhaustion, your adrenal glands cannot produce sufficient cortisol necessary to properly defend against stress. Adrenal dysfunction can be the result of emotional stress, poor diet, or chronic inflammation.

According to Frontiers in Immunology, under stress, your brain-gut interactions ("brain-gut axis") are altered, and subsequently, lead to long-lasting harmful consequences, such as decreased intestinal barrier function. Persons may experience gastrointestinal issues, from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to food antigen-related issues. Also, a poor diet can cause gut stress and immune dysregulation, which can cause the body to react, developing allergy-like symptoms. Furthermore, inflammation is your body’s immune system's response to the perceived threat and is necessary for the body to start the healing process. However, prolonged inflammation places added stress on the adrenal glands and can cause allergy symptoms. As such, adrenal stress manifests symptoms that can include allergies.

What An Allergy Flareup Involves

An allergy flare up typically goes through various stages. It begins with:

1. Detecting, which involves an allergen like pollen entering your body where it is identified by specialized cells called antigen-presenting cells (APCs).
2. Signaling involves the examination of the APCs by T cells, which are special white blood cells. The T cells react if they detect a threat in your body, signaling more T cells.
3. Mobilizing involves the helper T cells instructing the B lymphocytes, another white blood cell, to produce antibodies that bind to the allergen fragments.
4. Responding involves mast cells and basophils responding to the release of antibodies, releasing inflammatory substances, like histamines and chemokines, that trigger an allergic response.
5. Allergy symptoms emerge as a result of the immune system response.

How Do Food or Environmental Allergies Present?

Environmental Allergies

Environmental allergies are an immune response to irritants in your surroundings but are generally less serious. They are a response to triggers you are exposed to in your surroundings or inhale at some point during the day. Common causes include dust, mold, pollen, and pet dander. While the symptoms of environmental allergies vary from one person to the next, they can include coughing, fatigue, runny nose, shortness of breath, and sneezing.

Food Allergies

A food allergy occurs when your body’s immune system reacts unusually to specific foods. Symptoms can affect different areas of the body simultaneously. It is typically an IgE response in your immune system. Common symptoms include:

• Itchy sensation inside the mouth, throat, or ears
• Raised itchy red rash
• Swelling of the face, around the eyes, and on the lips, tongue, and roof of the mouth
• Vomiting

Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivity usually stems from an inability to properly digest certain foods due to a lack of specific enzymes or chemicals needed in the digestive process. Symptoms of food sensitivity are generally less severe and more limited to digestive issues such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation.

Common examples include lactose intolerance (difficulty digesting lactose in dairy products) and sensitivity to food additives like MSG or sulfites. Symptoms of food sensitivity can vary in timing, sometimes appearing many hours after eating the problematic food. While not typically as acute or severe as IgE-mediated food allergies, the immunoglobulin responses (IgG and IgA) in food sensitivities can still contribute to chronic symptoms and discomfort, often linked to immune and inflammatory processes. Unlike IgE-mediated reactions, which are immediate and potentially life-threatening, IgG and IgA reactions tend to be more delayed and subtle, influencing chronic conditions more than causing acute episodes.

Can Multiple Allergy Symptoms Cause Adrenal Fatigue?

Allergy symptoms are common in people who suffer from Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS). An overactive inflammatory response and an increase in histamine release are the reasons for allergies presenting in adrenal fatigue. Conforming with the NEM stress response, a lot of the inflammation in your body stems from your gut. Adrenal fatigue typically drains your energy. When your body is low on energy, your digestive system can slow down. When you eat, the food will typically stay in your gut longer. This irritates your stomach and releases inflammatory compounds.

Simultaneously, your adrenals are unable to produce sufficient cortisol, an anti-inflammatory hormone. They work harder and can’t keep up with the demand. The inflammation circuit of the NEM response experiences dysregulation at this point. When you are low on cortisol, inflammation increases. When this happens, your body becomes increasingly sensitive to allergens. As such, food sensitivities, chemical sensitivities, and allergic reactions usually occur more frequently. The cycle of reduced cortisol is vicious, allowing the histamine to inflame the tissues even more. This leads to deepening adrenal fatigue and more serious allergic reactions.

Furthermore, your adrenal glands, also known as the “stress glands,” play an essential role in allergic reactions. The body’s main stress hormone cortisol is an anti-inflammatory compound. Exhausted adrenal glands cannot make adequate levels of cortisol. A shortage of cortisol makes it difficult for your body to counteract the inflammation connected to allergic reactions. This results in a more strong reaction to common allergens, like pollen and mold. People who suffer from allergies, such as seasonal allergies, can have added risk for adrenal fatigue because the adrenal glands must produce additional cortisol to counter inflammation from allergies.

Supplements That May Help Alleviate Allergy Symptoms

Certain supplements may assist in promoting comfort during seasonal changes. Here are some options:

Quercetin

Quercetin is rich in flavonoids and may help support the body's natural defenses. It can interfere with substances that the body produces in response to environmental irritants and supports the body’s management of enzyme activity. It is often recommended to take 600-6000mg of quercetin in divided doses on an empty stomach for best absorption.

Bromelain

Bromelain, an enzyme derived from pineapple, may aid in promoting healing processes and maintaining normal tissue health. It is also utilized to support comfort in various conditions often associated with physical discomfort. The effectiveness of bromelain is measured in GDU units, with a suggested range of 2500-3500 GDUs for optimal activity. A dose of 600-2000mg is typically used for its therapeutic benefits and should be taken on an empty stomach, ideally with quercetin for enhanced absorption.

Allerdim

Allerdim combines quercetin and bromelain, leveraging their properties to support the body’s response to environmental irritants. Quercetin helps maintain stable histamine levels within the bloodstream and supports the natural processes involved in handling irritants. Bromelain enhances the effectiveness and absorption of quercetin, making this combination a popular choice for those seeking extra support during seasonal changes.

Allergy Symptoms: The Takeaway

Allergy symptoms are varied as there are different kinds of allergies. Food and environmental allergies are the two main categories of allergy. Each presents itself differently, with different triggers and symptoms. Preventing and managing allergies is important for overall health. As such, the right supplements can provide both antihistamine and anti-inflammatory effects. Consider making Allerdim your top choice for your allergy symptom relief. Reach out to us at +1 (626) 571-1234 to learn more about possible supplements that could help with your allergies.