a 3 minute read – By Dr. Christopher Lepisto
This morning, I woke up to cold grey skies and impending rain. It has that feel of lingering winter that explains why my colleagues in the high country always seek to come down to the desert for warmth. The forecast looks like it will continue through tonight and coupled with the recent spells of rain in the Grand Valley and coming sun, we’re going to see a magnifying bloom effect. While I am grateful for the greening this brings, I feel for people that will be hard hit. The valley traps all airborne contaminants and it stacks the effect into the old, unwelcome pattern of sneezing, itchy/watering eyes, nasal running or congestion, and fatigue.
Getting ahead of seasonal allergies means that you know your patterns and you know how to use natural, preventative therapies to stay sane. Following the naturopathic principle of The Therapeutic Order, it starts with plenty of clean hydration and practicing the basics of good nutrition. Consider limiting sugar, caffeine and alcohol to give the liver less to process. If you are particularly reactive, it can be quite helpful to identify allergenic foods via blood testing that I provide, and limit them accordingly as that reduces the total load on the body. Local raw honey is always a good idea and sometimes consuming bee pollen is helpful. But more than any other treatment I have seen, there is one therapy that is a game-changer.
Sinus rinses. Why would this be so helpful? When you use normal saline (the same salinity at the ocean, blood or tears), it soothes and cleans the mucus membranes, tightening the tissue and removing dust, pollen, smoke particles, mold and dander. Because your body is making mucus to clean those passages, you are removing the overall burden by rinsing. I have one patient who does this FOUR TIMES A DAY. I thought it might be too much, but he describes it as a life-saver.
While COVID-19 made quercetin and N-Acetyl-Cysteine famous, it has had a much longer track record to help relieve seasonal symptoms, along with nettles, Vitamin C, bromelain, and more. As a patient, you have access to highly effective formulas that also help the body deal with the heavy exposure this time of year.
If you’re noticing the first itch of seasonal allergies, don’t wait! Call my office today at 970.250.4104 to schedule an appointment, or take advantage of a 15-min complimentary conversation, to see if we’ll be a good fit. I’ll help you get ahead of your allergies and feel better, naturally.
Dr. Lepisto
