Spring is a time of renewal, when the world around you begins to display every imaginable shade of green. But the magic of the season can be difficult to fully appreciate when spring also means the onset of seasonal allergies.
If you or a loved one suffers every year as spring arrives, Terry L. Franklin, MD, is here to offer some hope.
Functional medicine is a good fit for seasonal allergies. Working with our team, you can explore a variety of tips and techniques to manage seasonal allergies.
It’s not always easy to appreciate your body’s astounding ability to heal itself. Seasonal allergies are a demonstration of your body’s powerful immune response, even as it causes frustration and discomfort.
Your immune system identifies potentially harmful substances and launches a quick reaction intended to prevent infection. This system helps keep you safe and dramatically reduces your risk of serious disease.
But your body can sometimes launch an attack against a substance that is not normally harmful to humans. That’s what allergies are, and seasonal allergies are allergic reactions to substances that are present in higher amounts during the spring. Pollen is a prime example.
The symptoms of seasonal allergies are your body’s way of trying to protect you from harm. Watering eyes are an effort to flush out allergens. A congested or runny nose is a sign of increased mucus that could trap allergens before they invade your body.
Sneezing and coughing is an effort to propel those allergens from your upper respiratory system. While all of these can be uncomfortable and disruptive, they are effective ways to dramatically reduce or eliminate allergens.
At the heart of functional medicine is the drive to seek the root cause of illness, rather than simply treating symptoms as they arise. It’s a highly personalized method of care that places you and your needs at the center of the process.
Functional medicine also embraces a comprehensive approach that is multifaceted. Lab testing is often the starting point, but treatment can encompass lifestyle changes, supplements, nutritional improvements, and more.
Treatment starts with identifying which specific allergens trigger reactions. Finding ways to avoid these triggers while also continuing to enjoy your life is a central area of focus. That said, fully avoiding allergens in the spring isn’t possible, so treatment needs to go beyond avoidance.
Some people find relief through medication that eases allergy symptoms. There is a place for medication in functional medicine; it just isn’t the sole treatment focus.
The same can be said for immunotherapy, an approach that involves exposing your body to small amounts of specific allergens in order to train your immune system to develop a tolerance for those substances.
Functional medicine also emphasizes the role that nutrition plays in seasonal allergies. Dietary choices that reduce systemic inflammation can help by managing the immune response that happens when your body produces histamine in reaction to allergens.
Supplements can also be beneficial. Supporting good nutrition through targeted supplements ensures that your body has everything needed to help manage allergic reactions.
If you’re frustrated after years of trying to combat seasonal allergies with little success, we’d love to meet with you to explain how functional medicine might be able to help. When you come in, you meet with Dr. Franklin to discuss your experience with allergies and begin exploring treatment options.
Schedule your visit at our Monterey, California, office today. We look forward to welcoming you and working with you to provide lasting relief from seasonal allergy symptoms.
