Allergies cause symptoms such as skin irritation, hair loss, digestive symptoms, sneezing, hives, runny nose and eyes, diarrhea, vomiting, headaches among other symptoms. Allergies are triggered by specific foods, environmental elements such as pollen and dust, molds, chemical pollutants. Pinpointing allergies can take a lot of time, so one way to narrow down the time and find out what is causing them is by doing some allergy blood tests.

In order to improve symptoms of allergies in you and your pet, its important to improve your  and your pet ‘s health first, and which will help the body come back to balance and in turn improve overall health symptoms. Three key things you can do:

1. TAKE A LOOK AT THE DIETARY FACTORS IN ALLERGIES AND CHANGE THE DIET ACCORDINGLY

Foods play a huge role in worsening allergy symptoms, so try to monitor your diet and your pet’s diet. The most common allergens for humans include: milk, wheat, soy, oranges, eggs, corn among others. For pets, try eliminating corn, soy , wheat, beef and yeast . Switch them and yourself to a healthy hypoallergenic diet of rice, lamb, chicken, vegetables, fruits and whole cooked grains, but no wheat.  Reintroduce the foods one at time after a month to see the reaction and if tolerated, you can introduce the food into the diet.

2. IMPROVE DIGESTION

Optimizing your digestive system is a great way to alleviate allergy symptoms. Various supplements are helpful in improving digestion for you and your pet. Simple suggestions to improve the digestive symptom include: having a wholesome diet with lots of fiber, which helps to keep the digestive system running smoothly and clean, eliminating toxins and decreasing allergenic potential. Yogurt or lactobacillus (acidophilus) supplements are great as the acidophilus provides natural antibiotic to ward off any undesired bacteria or parasites and helps to improve immunity too.

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3. CREATE A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT

Various cleaning products and chemicals, mold and dust can cause allergic reactions. Try to use natural household cleaners in and around the house, which are generally just as effective but much more safer to use. Wash out bedding, linens and sheets weekly with gentle laundry detergent as harsh chemicals and perfumes could irritate your pet’s and your skin and the respiratory system.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic in Toronto.