Allergies and Your Immune System

For some of us, Spring is our favorite season, but for those who suffer from seasonal allergy symptoms, it can be miserable. Seasonal allergy symptoms during this epidemic can be concerning to us and those around us if not identified properly, as they both are natural immune responses.

According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, 1 in 5 people, or an estimated 50 million Americans, suffer from some type of seasonal allergy.

During this important time and epidemic, it’s important to understand immune disorders. It is also important to understand that most immune disorders result from either an excessive immune response or an autoimmune attack.

Immune disorders include:

  • Allergies and Asthma: allergies are an immune-mediated inflammatory response to generally harmless substances in the environment known as allergens. Our body overreacts to a certain allergen, which in return causes an immune reaction and allergy symptoms. This can result in one or more allergic diseases such as food allergies, asthma, or allergic rhinitis.
  • Immune Deficiency Diseases: this is when our immune system is missing one or more of its components and is weakened, and it reacts too slowly to a threat.
  • Autoimmune Diseases: this form causes your immune system to attack cells and tissues within your own body in response to an unknown trigger. Types of autoimmune diseases include lupus, type 1 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.



Allergies Trick Our Immune System

We know that an allergic reaction begins in our immune system. However, going a bit deeper, an allergen is a substance that essentially “tricks” our immune system by making it think that the allergen is an invader. Our immune system then overreacts to the allergen, which is generally a harmless substance and produces Immunoglobulin E antibodies. These antibodies then travel to cells that release histamine and other chemicals in our body, causing an allergic reaction and will trigger symptoms in our throat, stomach, lungs, ears, and sinuses.

Inflammation and Immune Overdrive

Many attribute the rise in allergies over the years to a parallel increase in inflammation, the root of many diseases. Our body responds in a certain way to an allergen because our immune system is in overdrive. When our body is already combatting high inflammation levels, any allergen will set off an increased reaction. This means when our body’s immune system is overworked and stressed, introducing any outside allergen sends our body into an overactive state.

In theory, if our immune system and inflammation were balanced, our body’s reaction to the allergen would be normal. However, in today’s time, these reactions are exaggerated and lead to unneeded allergic reactions.

Natural Allergy Relief

Peppermint oil, one of the key ingredients used in Respiratory IQ can oftentimes immediately unclog sinuses and offer relief to itchy throats. Peppermint acts as an expectorant and provides relief for allergies, as well as colds, asthma, and bronchitis. It has the ability to discharge phlegm and reduce inflammation- a leading attributor to allergic reactions. This in addition to horseradish root, wild cherry bark, cayenne fruit, echinacea, and many other potent immune-boosting herbs make Respiratory IQ a great supplement for seasonal allergies.

Proteolytic enzymes and anti-inflammatory ingredients such as those found in Infla IQ also help keep inflammation balanced in the body which as we know can be found at the foundation of many allergic reactions.

To learn more or order Respiratory IQ click here as it is a great supplement to have on hand this allergy season and to give our body’s immune system an extra boost.