During allergy season, the great outdoors often takes the blame as pollen and leaf mold bloom into the air. But there may be something lurking within that is heightening your sensitivity to allergens.
You’re probably aware that hay fever symptoms like watering eyes, itchiness, sneezing, fatigue, are a result of your immune system reacting to allergens. The gist of it is, when your immune system perceives a foreign substance as a threat (dust, pollen, dander), it releases histamine as a protective response, resulting in an inflammatory response and the recognizable symptoms that go with it.
Histamine receptors can be found all throughout the body, including in the lymph tissue found in the intestinal tract. This is one mechanism by which digestion and detox plays a role in allergy. The digestive tract harbours our microbiome, the bacterial colonies that work on our behalf to maintain proper GI health. In addition, other immune tissues like the GALT (Gut associated lymphoid tissue) and MALT (…) regulate the interaction between the gut and the immune system. Poor bowel elimination and an excess of processed food, certain medications etc. can impact healthy bacterial colonies and the mucosa lining – affecting the integrity of these lymphoid tissues, immune responses and make you susceptible to dysbiosis, an imbalance in the flora of the gut. Unhealthy levels of yeast and fungi are hallmarks of a dysbiotic microbiome.
Yeast and fungi in the body are not uncommon – we are constantly exposed to them in our environment, including the air we breathe. Often, there are small amounts of both in the body, but given the opportunity, these cells can multiply rapidly resulting in infections that can be seen topically (athlete’s foot, ringworm) and inside the body (candida, vaginal yeast infection).
The disruption from a too-high presence of yeast and/or fungus in the intestinal tract results in the reduced production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines are produced in the healthy state by regulatory T immune cells; when imbalanced and dysregulated, this can lead to the loss of immune tolerance where our own immune system attacks the body’s tissues.
Read more about immune responses and the root cause of allergies: Seasonal Allergy Relief – Treat Your Symptoms and The Root Cause
Reducing and eliminating these conditions can be tricky and almost always involves some kind of treatment. Herbs have a long tradition for treating infections, by assisting the body in “detoxing” from parasites, fungus, and yeast!
Fungafect® combines antifungal and immune enhancing herbs to help fight existing fungal infections and helps defend against reoccurrence.
Fungafect® combines uniquely antifungal herbs that work to effectively disrupt the biofilm of fungi and yeast (think of the “fuzz” you feel on your teeth after skipping brushing – this is a biofilm!). The biofilm facilitates the communication and reproduction of yeast and fungal cells. When the biofilm is disrupted, yeast cells can’t replicate and are thus more easily eliminated.
Herbal Fun fact – unlike many strong, bitter tasting herbs with antimicrobial action, Pau d’Arco has a mild, almost sweetish taste that makes it easy for kids to tolerate.
Fungafect® also provides immune support to help prevent future infections.
Oregano Plus Capsules combines a blend of black seed oil and distilled garlic essential oil – powerful antimicrobials – along with oregano oil, for a potent formula that helps to combat these infections.
Black seed oil is a particularly good anti-inflammatory for mucus membranes and is effective in disrupting fungal biofilms.
How else can you lessen your exposure to yeast and fungus?
Avoid potentially contaminated water both drinking and swimming/washing.
Be aware of risk factors from travel. Fungi and yeast love moist, warm environments!
Wear flip flops in locker rooms and public pool areas.
Wash fresh produce before eating, manure and other soil amendments may remain after harvest.
Wash hands after gardening – especially under fingernails!
Wash hands after handling pets, picking up after pups and changing kitty litter.
Talk to your doctor, ND, or pharmacist about managing vulnerability to yeast and/or fungal infections that may come along with some medical treatments or medications.
