Could seasonal allergies be linked to your hormones?
Seasonal allergies are on the rise in recent years and there are so many factors to look at: genetic predisposition, diet, gut health, sex hormones - the list goes on. If you suffer with chronic allergies and you’re popping anti-histamines daily, perhaps your immune system needs some attention.
How do my allergies relate to my immune system?
You have different types of white blood cells in your body. White blood cells are part of your immune system that fight off foreign invaders. One type of white blood cell called a ‘Mast Cell’, is the type that stores and releases histamine when your body encounters a seasonal allergy.
What is histamine?
Histamine is a component of the allergic response that causes your vessels to become permeable to white blood cells so that your white blood cells can go in and get rid of the allergic substance. When histamine is released this way, it causes inflammation at the site of the allergy. This is why you get sneezy, swollen and weepy or have a runny nose when you encounter an allergy.
If your body cannot get rid of the histamine after it is released, the high amounts of histamine can cause you to be overly symptomatic.
How does your body get rid of histamine?
Your body contains an enzyme called DAO that is responsible for degrading histamine. Some people don’t have adequate levels of the DAO enzyme for numerous reasons.
👉🏼👉🏾👉🏿 One reason is estrogen. High levels of estrogen in the body can trigger the release of more histamine AND can decrease the levels of DAO in the body so that you can’t appropriately degrade histamine. This is why some women notice that their allergies are worse at certain times in their menstrual cycle when estrogen levels are higher.
I’ve only scratched the surface here, but do know that there are things that can be done to help support your body’s allergic response.
If antihistamines aren’t quite cutting it these days, let’s figure out a specific plan that can help you. 🌱 Reach out if you have any questions.
