It’s hard to believe summer is almost over. And, as August rolls into September, late Summer allergies are cropping up in greater and greater numbers and finding natural relief for you and your pets may be much needed right now. Many of you are struggling, experiencing from mildly annoying to downright debilitating symptoms. This is another common health issue we share with our pets that we can tackle together.
There are specific allergens that cause discomfort and distress when they trigger the production of an overabundance of histamines in the body. Understanding what the allergens are and how to manage them naturally can help you and your animals breathe easier and enjoy the season.
Let’s unpack which allergens are big this time to year, for us and for our animals.
Common Allergies in August and September
For People
- Ragweed Pollen: Ragweed is the most common culprit of late summer and early fall allergies. A single ragweed plant can produce billions of pollen grains, which can travel great distances. I’m hearing people tell me it’s like they can’t get away from this trigger and it’s impacting their lives in a major way.
- Mold Spores: Damp leaves and soil, as well as the harvest season, can increase mold spore levels in the air. If you’re particularly sensitive to mold spores, this can be extremely uncomfortable and impact your entire body.
- Dust Mites: As people close up their homes for the cooler weather or do deep cleaning, dust mite exposure can increase.
- Grass Pollen: Some grasses, like Bermuda and Johnson grass, continue to pollinate into late summer.
For Our Pets
- Pollen: Just like humans, pets can be allergic to pollen from plants like ragweed, grasses, and trees.
- Mold Spores: Pets that spend a lot of time outdoors can be exposed to mold spores, and can be affected by mold in the home, just like us.
- Dust Mites: Indoor allergens like dust mites can also affect pets, especially as they start to spend more time indoors.
- Fleas: Late summer can be a peak time for flea allergies in pets, leading to itchy and irritated skin and possibly infested homes.
What symptoms can we expect if we’re having a reaction to environmental allergens?
In People, some of the obvious…
- Sneezing
- Runny or stopped up nose
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Coughing
- Fatigue
- Sinus pressure
- Headache
In our pets…
- Excessive scratching or licking of paws, belly, arms and legs
- Red, inflamed skin/hives
- Hair loss
- Ear infections
- Watery eyes
- Sneezing
What are our options to not only relieve symptoms in us and our animals, but also to stimulate our bodies to balance and calm those histamine storms? Finding that homeostasis will result in you and your pet’s symptoms disappearing.
Natural relief options for you…
- Nasal Irrigation: Using a saline nasal spray or neti pot can help clear pollen and other allergens from nasal passages. this is such an effective tool to have in the home because the saline flush is also very healing to inflamed passageways and the salt is an antiseptic.
- Local Honey: Consuming local honey may help build immunity to local pollen. Farmer’s markets are a great place to source this.
- Quercetin: This natural supplement found in fruits and vegetables acts as a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory. You can get a Quercetin with Nettles formulation by Designs for Health, which is very nice or phytosomal quercetin, a more bioavailable form, so your body is better able to use it.
- Homeopathy: remedies like Allium cepa and Arsenicum are often helpful for allergies. Gravitate more toward Allium cepa if you feel better in the open air and Arsenicum album if you crave warmth. Apis mellifica is a good choice if you have hives associated with runny nose and itching. Choosing Natrum Mur is good with a runny nose with sneezing and difficulty breathing. In skin allergies, Natrum Mur is ideal with excessive itching that gets worse in a warm room and better in the open air. Also, a craving for salt is usually experienced in people who might resonate with Natrum Mur. Nux Vomica symptoms will be someone who is more irritable and impatient and chillier than normal. Headaches are not uncommon during allergy season and the pain experienced is often of a pressing nature. The eyelids may burn and itch a bit. It’s common to have a copious, watery nasal discharge during the day and a dry stuffed nose at night. Pulsatilla is particularly helpful for complaints which often occur in patients of a mild, yielding, or good-natured disposition; also in those who by their sickness, or naturally, are very easily tearful and weepy. Their emotional state is completely contrary to the state one would find in someone needing Nux vomica. A Pulsatilla patient is worse from warmth and from being in a warm room. The headaches of this remedy are often worse in the evening, chiefly in the forehead, around the eyes, and in temples, with pains that are heavy, bursting and throbbing. The headaches can also be worse from mental exertion and stooping. There may be burning and itching in the eyes that leads to rubbing and scratching.
- HEPA Filters: Installing HEPA filters in your home can reduce indoor allergens.
- Essential Oils: Oils like eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender can help open airways and reduce congestion. Use a diffuser or inhale directly.
- Shower and Change Clothes: After spending time outdoors, shower and change clothes to remove pollen.
For Our Pets
- Wipe Downs: Regular wiping down of your pet’s belly, legs and paws with a gentle, natural wipe is a great way to keep possible allergens at bay. One of my favorite brands is Pure and Natural Pet and they make a nice grooming wipe that will also help with allergens.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Supplements like fish oil can help reduce inflammation and improve skin health. However, not all fish all is the same. If you can feed your dog or cat fresh fatty fish like sardines, mackeral, anchovies, even those from BPA free and phthalate free tins packed in water with no seasoning or extra salt, those are a great source of omega 3’s. This can be 5% of your pet’s meal. Having sufficient amounts of omega 3’s is a great help when it comes to keep allergies at bay.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Diluted apple cider vinegar can be used as a rinse to help soothe itchy skin. Dilute 50%/50% with filtered water.
- Regular Grooming: Brushing your pet frequently can help remove allergens from their coat. Remember to wash the brush so you’re not reapplying those allergens next time you brush.
- Clean Bedding: Wash your pet’s bedding regularly to reduce dust mites and other indoor allergens.
- Pre/Probiotics: Adding pre/probiotics to your pet’s diet can support their immune system and overall health. Eighty percent of the immune system resides in the gut, so doing everything we can to balance it and keep it balanced is key. Making sure your probiotic has prebiotics in it is important, because prebiotics will provide the natural foods for the bacterial strains so they can grow and propagate, which is what we want. A diverse, healthy gut microbiome garden means a healthy pet. I love MuttGut and KittyGut because of their proprietary formulation that works in making pets feel better and their conditions improve.
- Boost Their Immune System: serving fresh food is a key way to alleviate allergy symptoms and often make them go away, altogether. Fresh food gives them all of the vitamins and minerals their bodies need to regulate and heal. Oftentimes, kibble-fed dogs and cats develop allergies that weren’t previously there because the high carb content isn’t nutritious for them and spikes their insulin levels regularly.
- Homeopathy: Like us, homeopathy can be very helpful for pets suffering from allergies, too. You would follow the same symptom pictures for both people and pets in choosing the best remedy for that animal.
While some of us may not want to see summer end, none of us want to suffer with late summer allergies. Knowing what’s in your area at what times of the year allows you to prepare in advance with the natural remedies needed to keep yourselves and your pets comfortable and happy. Summer allergies shouldn’t have to mean going inside to hide from nature. It’s a time to enjoy the outdoors. With so may natural solutions, there is something for everyone to bring relief.
For questions or a deeper, individualized look, please reach out to me at jody@teichewellness.com.
For those interested in some of the products I’ve mentioned:
