Can Your Seasonal Allergies Be Related to Your Gut?

Think about it; how many people do you know with seasonal allergies? Hey, maybe you’re one of them. According to the CDC, around 12 million physician office visits are due to allergic rhinitis. That’s in one year. However, recent studies are claiming that an unhealthy gut might be responsible for your seasonal allergies. We know the gut connects to everything in our bodies, so we’re not surprised to see this making headlines.

The Link Between Your Gut and Allergies

Over 50 million people suffer from allergies every year, giving seasonal allergies the title of the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the US. Well, it seems a team of researchers found the cure for your allergies, but not in the pharmacy – in your gut.

The study monitored close to 2,000 participants with seasonal allergies. After looking at fecal microbiota, researchers noticed that participants with seasonal pollen allergies had low bacteria diversity, increased Bacteroidales, and reduced Clostridiales, all key to maintaining proper gut health.

Is It Your Gut?

However, not everyone’s allergies will be a result of poor gut health. So how do you know if it’s your gut? First, listen to your gut, it’s always sending you messages and alerting you when something is wrong. Then, rule out having a leaky gut.

Signs of Leaky Gut

Leaky gut is intestinal permeability. Someone with this condition has a damaged small intestine lining, which means undigested food particles, toxic chemicals, and bacteria can leak through your intestine walls and reach the bloodstream.

When this happens, your body responds with an inflammatory response to defend itself, which is why we then have headaches, migraines, and yes, allergies. Watch out for these signs of leaky gut:

• Chronic constipation or diarrhea
• Poor immune system
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Headaches, memory loss, regular brain fog
• Fatigue
• Skin issues
• Joint pain
• Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues

Treat Your Gut to Heal Your Seasonal Allergies

Forget about reaching for the medicine cabinet every time your seasonal allergies hit you with no mercy. If the culprit lies in your gut, then taking care of it should be your first course of action.

Rule out food allergies: Try eliminating foods such as dairy, eggs, or grains to see if your symptoms improve and rule out food allergies.

Adopt a new diet: Make sure you’re following a gut-health oriented diet that’s rich in anti-inflammatory foods.

Start adding probiotics: If you’re not doing this already, get your set of prebiotics and probiotics to control the bacteria in your intestines and maintain balance.

Manage your stress: If you have chronic stress, you’re fueling inflammation in your digestive tract. This is why we feel constipated when we’re under a lot of stress. Make sure to control your stress levels.

Watch your hormones: Yes, your gut also controls your hormones. Check with your doctor to make sure your hormones are balanced.

A Note from GR8NESS

Allergies can be a pain in the neck. Don’t settle for anti-allergen medications and other over-the-counter solutions. They’re just a band-aid on the issue. Talk to your doctor and see if your gut health might be the reason your allergies keep haunting you year after year. Maybe consider an at-home gut health test to get started.