Allergies and Accelerated Ageing
Seasonal allergies sit on a spectrum and range from mildly annoying to seriously debilitating. There is a side to seasonal allergies that often goes unseen. Despite seeming relatively harmless, they can harm our immune system functions. Further, they can make us biologically older and more vulnerable to chronic diseases. As such, I wanted to take the time to talk to you all about allergens and the steps we can take to reduce the lasting impact of these problems.
What causes allergies?
Whilst most allergies used to develop in early childhood, we are starting to see them occur well into adulthood for the first time. Several factors are responsible. These factors include nutritional issues, unmanaged stress, and environmental pollution. Pollutants cause 40% of deaths worldwide in water, air and soil. In the UK alone, around 40,000 deaths occur every year due to this.
Our foods are also potential allergen sources. Unless we opt for organic produce, our foods contain fungicides, pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals designed to kill. (See my list of the “Dirty Dozen & The Clean 15” with the fruits and veggies that are the most polluted and worth buying organic.)
The chemicals we regularly use in our homes, and ourselves also have the potential to harbour a toxic burden. These toxic chemicals are found everywhere, from our cleaning products, cosmetics, deodorants, ‘scented’ tampons, and shampoos to our conditioners and more. Experts estimate that we are exposed to more than 700,000 toxic chemicals daily, excluding those in our foods. All these toxins, whether we breathe, ingest, bathe in them, or put them on our skin, provoke an ‘up-regulation’ of our immune response, putting us into a constant state of red alert. Red-alert causes us to be excessively reactive or sensitive to allergens so that we over-respond to other elements such as pollens, dust and more.
How do allergies age us prematurely?
The ageing process is a product of many factors. These include wear and tear, oxidative stress, psychological stress and inadequate nutrition. These lead to inflammation, which lies at the heart of the allergic response. Although it is a protective and natural response from the body, it can get out of control and become chronic. Precious resources are diverted away from our immune system when an allergen provokes a response, meaning that it can’t perform its function. This malfunction increases the degenerative, and thus ageing, effects of stressors.
Ways to combat seasonal allergies
For tips on preventing Spring Allergies and Hayfever, check out my blog:
Spring Allergies and Hayfever Prevention Tips. As an allergy sufferer myself, I can confidently say that these tips and homoeopathy have drastically helped reduce allergy-induced misery. CMA Registered Practitioners work holistically to prime your immune system to make you less susceptible to allergens. A wide variety of disciplines benefit – including homoeopathy, Ayurveda, nutrition, Traditional Chinese Medicine (including acupuncture, chiropractic) and more. If you wish to source a local Practitioner for treatment options, please visit The CMA website.
If you have any questions regarding holistic allergy treatments, please visit my website or reach out on one of my platforms. I adore hearing from you.
All my love,
Jayney
This is a wonderful article, Jayney. I now better understand how lifestyle choices made early on can evolve into adult onset of allergic responses; this provides us with more reasons to engage in a whole foods plant based lifestyle. Thank you so much.