Ask a Nutritionist: What can I do about seasonal allergies?

By Nonie DeLong, ROHP, CNP

Dear Readers,

Spring in Canada has finally sprung!  But that also means that pollen season is upon us and many Canadians are reaching for their go-to allergy meds – often without knowing the long-term effects of these over-the-counter and prescription treatments. In my practice there has been a sharp uptick in clients with seasonal reactivity. It’s estimated that in North America: ~26 per cent adults, ~19 per cent children are impacted by seasonal allergies, affecting up to 100 million people annually. Canada.ca indicates that “nearly 50 per cent of children suffer from hay fever” in Canada. PubMed Central (PMC) suggests that children have a 30 per cent to 50 per centchance of developing hay fever if one parent has it, and a 60 per cent to 80 per cent chance if both parents do.

Today, I want to explore the impacts of inhaled corticosteroids, bronchodilators, antihistamines, and decongestants on the body – especially with repeated or chronic use – and some holistic personal and communal interventions that are incredibly effective alternatives.

Inhaled Corticosteroids (e.g., Fluticasone/Flonase, Budesonide/Rhinocort)

The short-term effects of these medications include nasal irritation, dryness,and nosebleeds, with sore throat, and hoarseness and sometimes oral thrush.

The long-term effects include:

• Suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
• Possible reduction in growth velocity in children
• Bone mineral loss (especially in high doses or long-term use)
• Cataracts or glaucoma with prolonged nasal or inhaled use
• Immune suppression, increasing susceptibility to infections
• Alopecia/ premature hair thinning
• Gut microbiome disruption (can cause yeast infections, nail fungus, thrush, athlete’s foot, candida, jock itch, UTI’s)
• Steroid related weight gain
• Increased intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”, which creates food intolerances/ allergies, autoimmune conditions, and a host of digestive woes)
• Potential systemic absorption problems leading to fatigue, mood changes, or skin rashes and thinning
• Depletion of Ca, Mg, K, Zn, Vits C, D, B6, B1, Folate

⚠️ Note: Though inhaled steroids are considered safer than oral, they are not entirely free of systemic effects, especially when used daily over months or years.

 Bronchodilators (e.g., Salbutamol/Ventolin, Formoterol, Salmeterol)

The short-term effects of these medications include shakiness or tremors, increased heart rate or palpitations, headaches, anxiety and restlessness.

The long-term effects include:

• Beta-2 receptor downregulation (i.e., reduced effectiveness over time)
• Cardiac strain with overuse (especially in older adults)
• Potential masking of worsening airway inflammation
• Rebound bronchospasm or asthma exacerbation if overused
• Masking of underlying inflammation
• Depletion of Mg, Ca, K, Zn, vitamins B6, C

Many bronchodilators help in the moment — but over time, they can quietly rob the body of nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and vitamin B6. These are the very nutrients we need to calm the immune system and keep airways relaxed.

Antihistamines (e.g., Cetirizine/Reactine, Loratadine/Claritin, Diphenhydramine/Benadryl)

The short-term effects of antihistamines include dry mouth, dry eyes, drowsiness or brain fog, headaches, dizziness, and constipation or urinary retention.

The long-term effects include:

• Cognitive decline risk (especially with long-term diphenhydramine use in older adults)
• Dementia risk linked with anticholinergic load
• Tolerance—may reduce effectiveness over time
• Drug interactions (esp. with other CNS depressants or alcohol)
• Depletion of Ca, Fe, Zn, Cr, melatonin, vitamins B6, B9, C, acetylcholine

Antihistamines might dry up the sneezing, but they can also dry out the digestive tract and deplete nutrients your body needs to soothe the passages and actually heal the allergic response.

Decongestants (e.g., Pseudoephedrine, Oxymetazoline, Phenylephrine)

The short-term effects of decongestants include elevated blood pressure and heart rate, insomnia, nervousness, irritability, rebound congestion (after only 3-5 days of use), meaning congestion can become worse than without the medication and harder to treat.

The long-term effects include:

• Chronic rhinitis medicamentosa (persistent nasal congestion due to overuse)
• Risk of dependency (especially nasal sprays like Otrivin)
• Cardiovascular strain (not recommended for people with hypertension)
• Increased risk of anxiety or restlessness
• Some decongestants interfere with the absorption of nutrients and some cause increased excretion
• Depletion of Mg, K, Zn, vitamins B1, B5, B6, B12, C, D, as well as CoQ10

Decongestants may unstuff your nose, but they can quietly stress your system, burn through magnesium and B vitamins, and leave you more reactive over time. They are restricted in some countries because of misuse and potential side effects.

What this means for you

While we want these medications to provide real relief, especially in acute situations, they may come at a cost if used frequently or indefinitely. And all too often people don’t understand the health impacts of prolonged use. As a practitioner, I encourage a whole-body, functional nutrition approach – addressing gut health, toxin and histamine overload, inflammation, and immune modulation through lifestyle, diet, and targeted nutraceuticals, herbals, homeopathics.

For a free download on the natural supplements and herbs to help the body overcome seasonal allergies – including quercetin, nettles, vitamin C, and mast cell stabilizing herbs and homeopathics, visit my online blog at askthenutritionist.substack.com

To understand the actions we can take to reduce allergies naturally, it’s important to understand how we become sensitive to pollen in the first place.

Reduce your toxic load

Toxic load refers to the level of toxins in the body. There is a point at which the body has too many toxins to be able to manage an irritant without manifesting symptoms. While reducing pollen may not be possible immediately, reducing some of the other toxins in our bodies and environments is. That can reduce or stop our reaction to the pollen. Some of theseĺ steps include:

• Get fresh air: Use air diffusers with 100% pure essential oils and air purifiers rather than using chemical sprays and plug-ins. Opt for unscented products for home and body when possible. Scented products contain phthalates, which are increasingly linked to endocrine disruption, allergies in children, and increased sensitivity to allergens.
• Eat real food: Swap processed foods for whole ingredient, nutrient dense meals and snacks. Opt for organic where possible and limit sugar and refined vegetable oils.
• Drink pure water: Pure water is a natural antihistamine. I’ve seen increased water intake stop seasonal allergies. Replace all sugary drinks with pure water infused by fruit or herbs and homemade soda water or kombucha if you want an effervescent treat. Remove or severely limit alcohol and caffeine during allergy season. Both dehydrate the body and increase allergy sensitivity.
• Add unrefined sea salt to the diet. It helps with hydration and provides micro minerals we need. Also consider adding an unsweetened electrolyte supplement during allergy season.
• Compost and grow a garden: composting improves the soil biome, which in turn informs our body’s immune system. Playing with soil with our hands and walking in soil with our feet actually nourishes our body, strengthens our immunity, and resets our nervous system. Whether it’s veggies or flowers, both nourish us in different ways.
• Stop botanical sexism: Say what? Favoring male-clone ornamental trees raises pollen overload. Female flowers and female trees produce fruit and seeds. Male flowers and trees produce pollen. Neighbourhoods can easily reduce the pollen in the air by planting female species to counteract the pollen. The bonus, of course, is free fruit. This attracts beneficial pollinators and birds, which have so many good impacts on our health. Some suggestions for zone 3 and up (Canada hardy) are:
  • Apple, especially heritage or crabapples
  • Pear
  • Plum
  • Sour Cherry
  • Saskatoon Berry (Serviceberry)
  • Elderberry
  • Nannyberry
  • Hazelnut
  • Mountain Ash
  • Highbush Cranberry

If you worry you don’t have a yard to plant them in, that’s really not a problem! Many people have turned to guerilla gardening to reclaim urban spaces that don’t nourish human (or other species’) health. Native understory plants like wild strawberries and yarrow naturalize and protect soil and go largely unnoticed. Female trees are rarely flagged as weeds. Get inspired!  For some inspo I recommend:

These TED talks:

• https://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerrilla_gardener_in_south_central_la?language=en
• https://www.ted.com/talks/brenda_dyck_the_guerrilla_garden_manifesto_taking_back_your_green_spaces
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmEUdWLt-QU

These tracks:

All the Trees are Hers by Canada’s own, Hawksley Workman

Children Play with Earth by Arrested Development

These seasonal Canadian foods:

• Fiddleheads
• Smelts
• Lobster
• Rhubarb
• Dandelion tea (aerial parts)
• Lilac tea (dried flowers)

And, if you’re wondering where I’ve been, hop on over to my blog (askthenutritionist.substack.com) where I’m working on uploading photos of the food forest and holistic retreat I’ve been working on!

As always, if you have a nutrition or supplement/ herb related question send it to me at nonienutritionista@gmail.com or visit https://www.hope-health.ca/ 

Namaste!

Nonie Nutritionista

Nonie DeLong is a registered orthomolecular health practitioner, licensed nutritionist in both Canada and the U.S., and student of the Ontario College of Homeopathy.  

Photo credit: © Alter_photo via Canva.com