The well-known Swiss naturopath, Alfred Vogel devised a remedy for hayfever combining seven different tropical herbs. This formula can be found in Pollinosan Hayfever Tablets, a non-drowsy remedy which can be used to combat allergies to pollen as well as to animals and dust. Severe, chronic cases of hayfever may be treated in a hospital by suppressing the body’s immune response or desensitisation, using a variety of methods.

It can often be difficult to find an effective treatment for headaches, as it is an individual condition, and often what works for one person will not work for another. To get a better understanding of histamine and the effect it can have on the body, this blog answers some key questions:What is it? This colourful flower is part of the daisy family and is native to North America, though it is also grown across Europe, including in our fields in Switzerland! There are ten species of Echinacea and they are prized for their attractive appearance and their medicinal properties. What is it? Peppermint is grown and harvested across the world to be used in several products, from food to toothpaste. Peppermint is easy to grow at home too, though you may want to keep it in a pot to prevent it from taking over! Hayfever is associated with two other health conditions, eczema and asthma, in what doctors term the ‘atopic triad’. Someone suffering from one of these conditions is more likely to develop one or both of the others. Atopy, or this type of allergic tendency, can also run in families. What is the cause of hayfever? Do you ever feel as though your allergies, whether they are caused by pollen, dander, or something else, leave your concentration waning? Well, fear not, you are not alone! A popular natural hayfever remedy, nettle can be made into a refreshing tea. Find out how to do it yourself below!

The remedies you try for your headache will largely be dependent on the type of headache you are experiencing. For example, a sinus headache may benefit from treatment with a decongestant, such as holding your head over a steaming pot of water, or breathing in peppermint oil. So, what is a helpful solution? Well, vitamin B6, vitamin C and copper are essential cofactors for DAO activity and these are things we can all get in our diets through foods like fish, potatoes, brussels sprouts and shiitake mushrooms. My Self-Care Tip: Get some vitamin C to help allergies In general, pollen counts peak at mid-morning and early evening on dry days. Sunny weather means more pollen and counts are higher on a windless day. However, we can’t control the weather, so steps that you can take to reduce your exposure to pollen include:

Where to buy Pollinosan Hayfever Eye Drops locally

Curcumin (found in turmeric) and ellagic-acid (found in pomegranate) are also anti-inflammatory, as is nettle. The latter can easily be consumed via a natural herbal tea.

These side effects are usually short-lived and if experienced, should go away by themselves without the need of any treatment. However, if they are troubling you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. On top of this, some foods can actually trigger the release of histamine in the body. These include bananas, wheat germ, papaya and walnuts. Food dyes and other additives can also be problematic. What foods are low in histamine? Over the course of two consecutive pollen seasons, a Dutch clinical study accessed the use of Pollinosan in 199 people suffering from dust, animal, pollen and other unknown allergies. The results showed that 56.8% of patients experienced a distinct improvement in their symptoms whilst 31.7% saw a partial improvement in symptoms. 3 It may seem as though there are a lot of histamine-rich foods about but, fortunately, there are actually plenty to choose from that are low in histamine too. Some options are fresh meat and fish, non-citrus fruits, eggs, quinoa, rice, coconut milk, almond milk and fresh vegetables (omitting tomatoes, avocadoes, spinach and aubergine). What else affects histamine levels?To help manage allergy symptoms, it can be helpful to get histamine production under control. There are a few ways you can attempt this. It is not exactly clear what causes people to develop hayfever however, as nearly 70% of our immune cells are situated in the gut, poor digestion could have an impact. Research also suggests that nowadays children are not exposed to as many germs as they would have been in the past meaning their immune systems do not get the opportunity to “toughen up”, if so to speak. As a result of this there may be more chance they will react to harmless substances such as pollen. 2 What is Pollinosan? Where can you find it? Again, peppermint teas are widely available from supermarkets and health food stores. You could also make your own by placing a handful of loosely chopped leaves into a cup of tea and then leaving them to brew for a few minutes. Excess histamine that is sometimes triggered by the presence of allergens can cause several symptoms: