If you have a seasonal allergy, you know how difficult it can be to complete even the simplest tasks once the air becomes filled with pollen and other allergens. While there are a number of different treatment options for your condition, there are also a number of steps you can take to strengthen your immune system so that the symptoms of your allergies will be less severe.
Meditate Regularly
When we’re under a great deal of stress, our bodies react a few different ways. Our blood pressure rises and our bodies become flooded with hormones that cause our metabolic system to slow down. To help your body cope with the effects of stress, your immune system has to work overtime. As such, it isn’t as effective at doing other things like fighting off viral infection or dealing with a sudden infusion of allergens. A number of studies have found that by meditating, you’ll lower your stress level, which will also have the effect of optimizing your immune system.
Lead a Healthy and Active Lifestyle
Another way to keep your immune system strong is to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. This means maintaining a properly portioned diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and lean protein and low in saturated fats, refined grain and sugar. It also means making sure you get regular exercise, including both jogging and resistance training. Doing so will keep your body mass index nominal, your blood pressure balanced and your respiration strong. It will also ensure that your immune system is not overtaxed by ailments like hypertension, obesity or type II diabetes.
Control Your Surroundings
While making sure your office and living spaces are free of allergens won’t improve your immune system, it can lessen the impact allergy season has in your day-to-day activities. Keep your windows shut and use an air conditioner to cool your home. Make sure to wash all of your bedding in hot water weekly. It’s also a good idea to thoroughly vacuum and dust the areas of your home and office that you spend the most time in. And after you return home from work, take a shower to dislodge all the pollen that has landed on your skin and hair while you were out.
Get Plenty of Sleep
One of the quickest ways to compromise your immune system is to regularly deprive yourself of sleep. If you’re making a habit out of staying up late at night or are experiencing problems getting and staying asleep, it’s a good chance that your immune system is not performing at its peak. In addition to making you more susceptible to cold or flu viruses, sleep deprivation also weakens your body’s ability to handle and recover from an allergy attack. That’s why it’s of the utmost importance that you get at least eight hours sleep a night.
While employing the measures stated above will help optimize your immune system, they are not substitutes for an effective course of treatment. If you have trouble controlling your allegories, contact us today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Shukla. He has the expertise to prescribe a treatment that will help mitigate the effect allergies have on your life.
