Today I was walking amongst freshly blossomed magnolias and cherry blossoms on my way to work. This time of year in Vancouver is exceptionally beautiful and the return of spring is always exciting.
Happy springtime, everyone! The sun is up early, the birds are chirping, the wind is blowing, all is blossoming around us, and the farmers markets are about to be bursting with fresh produce!
Dr. Tasreen Albhai N.D.
Naturopathic Medical Director
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Its Allergy season and those that suffer from allergies understand how hard this time of year can be on how we feel. Histamine is usually associated with allergies such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion and skin reactions.
Spring is here in our beautiful city. Along with the sunshine and new blooms, this is also the time many of us start to suffer from our allergy symptoms. Allergies can be exhausting! The itchy eyes, runny nose, cough, brain fog and fatigue can make our daily activities seem more difficult.
The answer is YES, the foods you eat can certainly make your seasonal allergies worse. Many individuals with pollen allergies experience immediate symptoms after eating certain foods. This is known as Oral-Allergy Syndrome and occurs because a plant protein gets mistaken for a pollen protein. Common symptoms of Oral-Allergy Syndrome (OAS) include: itchy and/or swollen lips and may also include the tongue, itchy roof of the mouth, scratchy and tingling throat, and watery, itchy eyes.
Since I was a baby I have experienced bouts of eczema. I remember using hydrocortisone cream almost daily to manage it, and going for allergy tests that always came back negative. I grew up believing that this was the skin I was given, and that was that. No big deal.