Preventing Pollen Allergies from Sidelining Your Performance

by Melinda Burris Willms

      Allergy season is upon us once again, and those of us who suffer from the wide range of pollen allergies find ourselves faced with an assortment of troublesome symptoms from red, itchy eyes and blurry vision to a persistently scratchy throat and nasal passages that are continually stuffed up or won’t stop running. Sneezing and coughing are common due to irritation of the bronchial passages caused by constant inhalation of the allergens. Severity of these symptoms range from mild to severe, causing sufferers to feel mild discomfort to extreme distress.
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Effects on Performance

Obviously, sports performance can suffer due to athletes feeling poorly and having difficulty concentrating due to the aggravation of allergy symptoms; however, the threat to athletes’ health can be much more severe.  Writing in Sports in Clinics Medicine, doctors Hirsh and Postolache report that due to “the increase in ventilation during exercise, athletes in particular experience significant symptoms of allergy triggered by exposure to aeroallergens. The allergic response causes nasal and conjunctival congestion, tearing, breathing difficulties, pruritus, fatigue, and mood changes, which affect athletic performance.”

Thankfully, there are a wide range of over-the counter and natural remedies available that have proven successful in combating the symptoms of pollen allergies. Just as individual sensitivity to pollen allergy and severity of symptoms vary from person to person, different remedies work with varying degrees of success based on each individual’s root cause of allergic response.

Over-the-counter (OTC) Remedies

The body’s reaction to encountering an allergen is to produce histamines. Medications classified as antihistamines block the body’s production of these histamines, reducing allergy symptoms. Popular OTC antihistamine medications include Benadryl, Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra, Tavist, and others. For congestion, Sudafed is effective and does not require a prescription, but you must purchase it from a pharmacist after showing your driver’s license or state identification and signing a register due to rampant misuse of pseudoephedrine.

Warnings

1. Contraindications with other medications: If you are on any prescribed medications, be sure to check with your physician before taking any new medications, over the counter or otherwise, to avoid any adverse reactions.
2. Many medications recommended for pollen allergies can cause drowsiness. This is a factor you should be aware of when driving and performing certain tasks, and obviously, being under the influence of a medication that causes fatigue and drowsiness will affect your ability to perform on the field.

Natural Remedies

Dr. Josh Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine who has treated professional athletes for years. Dr. Axe began advising athletes in an official capacity with the Wellness Advisory Council and Professional Swim Teams in 2009. He also treated members of the USA Olympic team at the 2012 Games in London.

1. Axe recommends patients take 1 tablespoon of local, raw honey each day. Axe sites a study in a 2011 issue of The International Archives of Allergy and Immunology that states consuming local raw honey in this way helps the “body build a tolerance to the local pollen.”(1) The article noted that this remedy has been in use since ancient times. The study compared patients with birch pollen allergies who took 1 tablespoon of local, raw honey every day for several weeks prior to allergy season with patients who did not; the study found that patients who took a daily dose of local honey “reported a 60 percent lower total symptom score” double the number of days where they experienced no allergy symptoms, “and 70 percent fewer days with severe symptoms.”(2) Patients who relied on traditional medications alone took twice as many antihistamines as the patients who took the local honey on a daily basis.
2. Neti pots are another example of an ancient homeopathic remedy that has prevailed into modern times because it yields positive results without the risk of adverse side effects that accompany contemporary drug therapies. Using distilled, sterile water, a neti pot is used to irrigate the sinuses, clearing the sinus passages of congestion caused by allergies, colds, and other illnesses. (3)

Prevention

Fighting pollen allergies is a prime example of the truism of the age-old adage: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Taking proactive steps to avoid exposure to allergens will keep you from having to experience the aggravating symptoms they cause and save you countless time and energy trying to manage them. Some simple steps you can take to lessen your pollen allergy reactions include:

1. Keep track of the daily pollen forecast and if possible, avoid going out or limit your exposure on days when the pollen count is high. Local weather forecasts often include daily and weekly pollen count trackers. Online pollen forecasts are available for cities around the country at com. The site also offers a downloadable Allergy Alert App for iPhone or Android Smartphones. The app offers up-to-date 5-day forecasts, as well as an allergy diary, which users can utilize to track their symptoms.
2. The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) recommends consulting an allergist to determine exactly what type of pollens and other allergens you are affected by so that you can pursue a precise course of treatment. Working with an allergist to determine exactly what it is that you are allergic to gives you the option of immunotherapy. For those who suffer from the most severe forms of allergies, immunotherapy offers the option of injections to build the body’s resistance to the triggering pollens. Knowing the exact allergen causing your adverse reactions gives the allergist treating you the information necessary to prescribe the best possible medication to manage your symptoms.

The ACAAI also recommends taking hygiene and clothing measures to minimize exposure to allergen irritants:

• Shower, wash your hair, and change your clothes as soon as possible after working out or being outside for any extended time to avoid extended exposure to the irritating pollen particles.
• Wear sunglasses whenever you go outdoors to protect your eyes from pollen particles in the air.
• Wear a hat to minimize the amount of pollen that collects in your hair.

Conclusion

            As we enter allergy season, keep in mind that just as there is no one form of pollen, there is no one method of dealing with pollen allergy. It is always better to avoid a problem than to have to form a plan to deal with it however, so prevention should always be the first line of defense. Unfortunately, you can only avoid so much, particularly when the pollen count is extremely high for an extended period of time. Try the natural remedies outlined above as well as taking medications if necessary. Keep an allergy journal, consult an allergist if necessary, and continue trying different remedies until you find the approach that works best for you. And take heart, allergy season will eventually end.

References

(2018). Pollen.com.

American College of Allergy Asthma, & Immunology (ACAAI). Playing through Pollen: Tips      for Managing Your Allergies.

Axe, Josh. (2018). About Dr. Josh Axe.

Axe, Josh. (2018). 8 Natural Allergy Relief Remedies.

Hirsh, D.K., & Postolache, T.T. (2005). Seasonal Allergy and Seasonal Decrements in Athletic             Performance.

The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI). (2014). Pollen Allergies.

WebMD. (2018). Antihistamines for Allergies.

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