We all know how essential water is. It’s vital to almost every body function – from suppressing appetite to regulating temperature to aiding digestion. A body well-hydrated with water just works more efficiently. Of course that means that not being well hydrated, more commonly known as being dehydrated, means “your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to carry outs its normal functions.” What we may not know is that drinking water may help fight allergy symptoms.
Dehydration can result in some very serious health problems. One can live much longer without food than water. Other less well known effects of chronic dehydration may include hypertension, asthma, allergies and migraine headaches. So what exactly is the connection between allergies and water? The answer is histamines.Allergies are caused by a histamine reaction in the body. If you suffer from hay fever for instance, your body views pollen as a dangerous invader and over reacts and causes your immune system to produce histamines to fight the irritants. This results in the watery eyes, runny noses and sneezing associated with seasonal allergies. In other words, the annoying symptoms of allergies are actually our bodies fighting off the “invasion” of pollen, or mold or dust.
Histamines also have other functions, including regulating the body’s water supply. A 1995 Dutch study confirmed that dehydration triggers histamine production as a defensive mechanism to preserve water remaining in the body as well as to prevent future loss. When we are dehydrated, histamine production increases and can cause us to have the symptoms of seasonal allergies such as runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes.
Revving up histamine production for lack of water is easily avoided by drinking more. Thirst is one of the last signs of dehydration and since dehydration can cause the brain to become a little confused, we often mistake the “thirsty” signal for a “hungry” signal. So we reach for food instead of water – not what the body really needs. Try a glass of water first. It may also thin nasal mucus which can provide allergy relief. Hot steaming drinks also help – but stick with healthy teas and broths.
Not only are allergies annoying but they can really put a crimp in your lifestyle. Pharmaceuticals loaded with anti-histamines can do a number on you as well; side effects can range from dry mouth to nausea and vomiting.
A 2010 Yale University study even found that people taking antihistamines on a regular basis were heavier than those who did not (they did not conclude that they actually caused weight gain, the study was observational only). Given all the possible side effects of pharmaceutical aids it seems that anything one can do to naturally prevent allergy attacks is prudent. So:
- Drink plenty of water which may help prevent higher histamine production.
- Eat plenty of foods containing natural anti-histamines – they’re good for your general health as well.
- Keep all-natural allergy relief handy – like Allergease.
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