Allergy Protocols

After years of allergy issues including developing MCAS I have a very thorough allergy protocol that I thought others may benefit from. Here are my tips starting with the things I do first finishing with the most extreme protocols approximately. I'm NOT a doctor! Before you follow any of these suggestions talk to your doctor about them. You can print this off and take it in even.

Oral Medications - Claritin is the least sleep inducing medication, but is also the least effective in my experience. Allegra is generally better for food allergies then for environmental allergens. Stahist is only available in my region around KY if I remember correctly, but it and its counterpart Stahist DM which just has a decongestant in it, are the best for environmental allergens in my experience. It is often sold out during the spring in KY because so many people use it and its created by a small company. (A pharmacist told me this.) 

Sinus Rinse with the original Nedipot from Neilmed, then use sinus allergy spray of your choice. I prefer Nasacort. You can add in cromolyn nasal spray if you want. You can also get a prescription for Azelastine Nasal Spray to add in. Do this at least every night before bed and if you want to only do one spray in each nostril do it in the morning as well. Side note on using the nedipot, use distilled water only because your sinus passages absorb things easier then most of your skin. This is especially important for anyone with MCAS where our bodies can become sensitive to irritants like those found in un-distilled water.

Shower before bed and wash your hair or at least get your hair wet to rinse the pollen off of it every night before bed. If you take a nap in middle of the day without rinsing your hair switch out your pillow case. I highly recommend using a pillow protector like these. Most Walmart's and other similar stores carry them. If you don't you should be washing your pillow on a regular basis. Instead of washing your pillow you just wash the protector every time you wash your bedding. I like having one on every pillow I might use. 

Keep your doors and windows closed during your worst allergen season and if you have central air use it. Change your filter regularly. Most places recommend changing the filter every three months, but if its pollen season, or your allergic to dust mites, or your pets, changing it every month can help alleviate a lot of your issues. Running AC or heat regularly will dry the air which helps reduce dust mites. 

Wear a mask when you go outside or any location your might run into a large amount of your allergens. I highly recommend the Live Right Project masks, but I can't find their website anymore so they might have gone out of business. You want a mask that has a pocket for an N-95 filter and fits very snuggly to your face without gapping. That requires contouring and tight fit. The Live Right Project also had a foam nose pad that was contoured, so it kept a very nice seal around your nose. I have yet to find another company like that. Look into ear saver ideas or just tie the ear bands at the back of your head to get that tight fit without damaging the back of your ears. Even just wearing a cloth mask can help prevent some allergens from getting into your mouth and nose, so something is better then nothing.

Side note: if your get itchy ears you can put a little antihistamine cream on a q-tip and put that in your ears. I have asked my ENT about this and she said its fine.

If you have pets you can use a hair dryer on the cool setting to blow them off right before the come into the house. Keep them away from your pillows even if you aren't allergic to them because they will bring environmental allergens with them where ever they go. I happen to be allergic to my dog Evie and she brings in pollen that I'm allergic to. I let her sleep up by my pillow, but during my more elevated allergy times I would give her a "shower" every night. I wouldn't use shampoo, just plain water. The most you should bathe your dog is once a month. I prefer only bathing my dogs four times a year. Once at the beginning of Spring and Fall shedding season and once at the end of Spring and Fall shedding season. All of my dogs have been double coated and thus "shed all year round." When you use this protocol and use not just shampoo but conditioner as well on your dog I have found it releases the hair much better and so that in between shed time actually has very little shed. Here's my whole article on it.

Obviously the cleaner your house the less environmental allergens will be in it. If you can get rid of carpet and just use a limited number of throw rugs around your house that is best. Obviously this is a much bigger task then a lot of people can do. 

If you have a lot of histamine in your body from environmental and/or food allergens, then going on a low histamine diet can help. This is a very difficult, very restrictive diet, so its not to be taken on lightly. It is not recommended for anyone who has disordered eating or any kind of your typical eating disorders. I can say I do fight the good fight against disordered eating including binging and restricting and I have followed the low histamine diet while having food allergies and sensitivities. It is possible, but its extremely taxing. Here is my article on a low histamine diet.