Good Lifestyle

If you have difficulties with seasonal allergies, you know how much they can be - highty, aquatic eyes, headaches, sneezing and sore throat, allergies can wreak havoc on you for month. And they probably ran to the pharmacy for relief. But many people looking for more natural relief allergies can be intrigued on local honey. One of the most popular remedies at home during the allergy season is to buy and consume local honey to help relieve symptoms.

But despite the popularity of the cure, is it true that local honey can mitigate the symptoms of seasonal allergy?

The local honey has unique health benefits.

"Research suggests that honey chemicals can actually play a role in the removal of genes that make us more likely to histamine, the chemical of our body that causes itchy, sneezing and a flowing nose", declaredWilliam Reisacher, MD, Allergist and Director of Allergy Services at Newyork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine.

Honey has also been studied asantitissif And oneanti-inflammatory, This is not a surprise that this has been taken into account for allergy relief.

RELATED: Your guide on theanti-inflammatory regime This heals your intestine, slows the signs of aging and helps you lose weight.

How the theory about eating local honey started.

"The theory started because the local and unprocessed honey (aka honey raw) was known to contain local pollen," saysLakiiea Wright, MD, Allergologist at the Women's Hospital in Boston and Medical Director at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Gross honey is more likely to contain local pollen because it is not treated. During the treatment [which occurs in pasteurized versions, buys honey stores], the pollen is removed from honey."

When it comes to eating local honey for allergies, the idea is that you will ingest local pollen and that you should possibly be less affected. This allergy treatment method is called desensitization of allergens.

"The concept of desensitization of allergens is based on the exposure of your body to small allergen doses to desensitize your allergy cells," says Dr. Wright. In the case of local honey, you will theoretically ingest honey containing pollen in small quantities regularly to minimize the symptoms of seasonal allergy.

"With regular exhibition to an allergen, your allergy cells become desensitized and are less likely to pull symptoms and cause symptoms. Allergic immunotherapy (also known as a shot) is based on this concept of desensitization", explains Dr. Wright.

So, is local honey consumption a treatment for your allergies?

"Unfortunately, [eating local honey] does not help allergies, because pollen that collect are usually flowers, which are not as powerful and do not cause your immune system as other pollen (trees, herbs and bad Herbs) that because "classic" seasonal allergy symptoms, "says Wright.

Not only are the pollen flowers are less powerful than the other pollens, but the quantity of pollen presented to local honey is not sufficient to play a role in desensitizing allergens. "Eating honey is ineffective because it contains only small amounts of pollen," adds Dr. Wright.

What is worse is that eating local honey is not just ineffective as an allergy cure, but it could actually aggravate your symptoms.

"In some cases, local raw honey consumption can contribute to allergic symptoms because if you are highly sensitized, ingest pollen in small quantities can cause local symptoms such as a itching mouth," says Dr. Wright. "In rare cases, you can potentially have a more severe reaction such as anaphylaxis because raw honey can contain bees' pieces, and if you have an allergy to bees, you could have a reaction."

The local honey is not the only food that can aggravate the symptoms of seasonal allergy. Due to a condition called oral allergy syndrome (OAS), also known as pollen fruit syndrome (PFS), some foods can cause an allergic reaction or aggravate existing symptoms in those with pollen allergies. We put together aList of oral allergy syndrome foods To help you identify foods in addition to honey could aggravate your allergy symptoms.

How to effectively manage allergy symptoms:

Of course, if you are looking for treatment methods that work for your allergies, there are many proven methods.

"The best strategies for allergy struggle are taking steps to limit your exposure to things that you are allergic to and taking appropriate medications to maintain control symptoms," says Dr. Reisacher.

If you are not sure of the best allergy medications for you, your doctor can provide allergy testing for the appropriate share.

"I highly recommend talking to your health care provider on betting tested to find out what you are allergic," Wright said. "There is an available allergy blood test, which can evaluate you for common environmental allergens, including pollen (trees, herbs, weeds), mites, animal scraps and mussels."

Here are some ideas to minimize your exposure to pollen, according to Dr. Wright:

• Keep your windows (house and car) closed
• Delete clothes after coming outdoors
• Wearing sunglasses outside
• Try to minimize outdoor activities at dawn and dusk, when pollen numbers are highest
• Talk to your health care provider on the taking of drugs on the counter-to-counter, including antihistamines (for example, cetirizine, fexofenadine or laora) and / or nasal steroid

If your symptoms are not well controlled despite the above strategies, discuss with your health care provider if you are a candidate for allergen immunotherapy (also called partial shots).