The Functional Medicine Approach to Seasonal Allergies – Get to the Root of Your Symptoms
This blog is PART 4 of our 4-part April Allergy Series, where we dive into the causes, symptoms, and natural solutions for seasonal allergies. Be sure to check out the other posts in the series to learn how Functional Medicine can help you breathe easier this season!
As the seasons change and blooms come into full swing, many people begin experiencing the dreaded symptoms of seasonal allergies: itchy eyes, sneezing, congestion, and sinus pressure. While over-the-counter medications might provide temporary relief, they don’t address the root cause of these symptoms.
At Back On Track 2 Wellness in Roseville, CA, we take a different approach. Our Functional Medicine strategy focuses on supporting the body from the inside out, helping reduce inflammation, balance immune function, and minimize histamine load — leading to lasting allergy relief.
In this guide, we’ll share 4 key Functional Medicine strategies to naturally manage your allergy symptoms, with a special focus on histamine management, detoxification, and lifestyle factors that play a critical role in reducing allergy flare-ups.
Why You Need to Act Now on Your Histamine Load
As the weather warms up and flowers bloom, pollen counts rise, leading to a natural increase in histamine production in the body. Histamines are chemicals released by your immune system when it encounters allergens, causing inflammation and allergy symptoms.
When your histamine load is high due to diet, environmental triggers, and stress, it becomes harder for your body to manage seasonal allergies. Taking action now helps lower your histamine load before your im
4 Functional Medicine Steps to Allergy Relief
1. Boost Immune Function with Targeted Supplements
Supporting the immune system is critical for managing allergy symptoms. Certain plant-based compounds and herbs can help modulate the immune response while reducing inflammation and histamine release.
Here are a few key botanicals we like to use:
- Quercetin: A powerful antioxidant that acts as a natural antihistamine by stabilizing mast cells and preventing the release of histamine.
- Butterbur: Known for its ability to reduce nasal congestion and relieve sinus pressure, butterbur is a go-to herb for addressing seasonal allergies.
- Stinging Nettle: This anti-inflammatory herb blocks histamine receptors and helps alleviate sneezing, itching, and other allergy symptoms.
- Turmeric: Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has potent anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce immune overactivity and support respiratory health.
- Ginger: A natural anti-inflammatory and immune modulator that helps relieve sinus congestion and soothe irritated airways.
Incorporating these botanicals can provide systemic support by addressing the root cause of allergy symptoms rather than just masking them.
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2. The Food-as-Medicine Approach: Managing Histamine Through Diet
High-histamine foods can contribute to inflammation and worsen allergy symptoms. If you’re already experiencing allergy flare-ups, consuming these foods can add to your histamine load and make it harder for your body to keep symptoms under control.
Following a low-histamine diet can significantly reduce your histamine burden and ease allergy symptoms.
Top 10 High-Histamine Foods to Limit or Avoid:
🍷 Fermented foods – Sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and other fermented products contain high levels of histamine.
🍋 Citrus fruits – Oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit can trigger histamine release.
🍷 Alcohol – Wine, beer, and champagne are high in histamines and impair the body’s ability to break them down.
🥒 Aged cheeses – Cheese, especially aged varieties, contains high levels of histamine.
🐟 Processed, smoked, or canned fish – These forms of fish often have higher histamine content due to processing.
🍅 Tomatoes and tomato-based products – These contain histamine and can exacerbate allergy symptoms.
🍆 Eggplant – A member of the nightshade family, eggplant is naturally high in histamine.
🍲 Bone broth – While nutrient-dense, bone broth can be high in histamine after long cooking periods.
🥜 Nuts – Walnuts, cashews, and peanuts are known to be histamine-rich.
🍫 Chocolate – Unfortunately, chocolate lovers may need to reduce consumption to lower histamine load.
Histamine DAO: Supporting Your Body’s Natural Enzymes
If you find it challenging to completely avoid high-histamine foods, supplementing with Histamine DAO (diamine oxidase) can be a game-changer. DAO is the enzyme responsible for breaking down histamine in the digestive tract, preventing it from entering the bloodstream and causing allergy symptoms.
By taking DAO supplements when consuming high-histamine foods, you can help break down excess histamines and prevent flare-ups. This approach is especially helpful for individuals who experience food sensitivities that contribute to seasonal allergy symptoms.
3. Detoxification: Clearing Out Toxins to Reduce Histamine Overload
Your body is exposed to toxins daily — through food, air, household products, and even personal care items. These toxins accumulate in the liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system, placing an additional burden on detox pathways.
When these detoxification systems are overwhelmed, the body becomes more reactive to allergens, and histamine levels can skyrocket. Supporting detoxification pathways can lighten the load on the immune system and improve allergy resilience.
How to Support Natural Detoxification:
✅ Increase cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale support liver detox pathways.
✅ Hydrate with lemon water: Lemon water helps flush out toxins and alkalizes the body.
✅ Incorporate fiber-rich foods: Fiber binds to toxins and helps eliminate them through the digestive system.
✅ Consider a 21-day detox: Periodic detox programs can reset the system and reduce inflammation.
Supporting detox pathways reduces the burden on your immune system, helping it respond more effectively to seasonal allergens.
4. Lifestyle Medicine: Reduce Stress and Inflammation
Chronic stress is often an overlooked factor in managing allergies. When stress levels are high, the body releases cortisol, a hormone that, over time, can contribute to immune dysregulation and inflammation. This heightened inflammatory state makes the body more reactive to allergens.
Lifestyle Habits to Reduce Allergy-Related Stress:
💆♀️ Stress Management Techniques: Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and mindfulness can calm the nervous system and lower cortisol levels.
😴 Prioritize Quality Sleep: Sleep is essential for immune function and detoxification. Aim for 7-9 hours of restorative sleep each night.
🏃♂️ Exercise for Detox and Immune Health: Moderate, consistent exercise promotes circulation and supports detox pathways, helping the body manage allergens more effectively.
Balancing hormones, improving sleep quality, and managing stress through lifestyle modifications can have a profound effect on reducing inflammation and enhancing your body’s response to allergens.
Additional Herbal and Nutritional Support for Histamine Balance
In addition to dietary and lifestyle changes, certain herbal and nutritional blends can provide ongoing support to balance histamine levels and enhance immune function. Our Functional Formulas Dispensary offers a wide selection of supplements formulated to:
- Stabilize mast cells and prevent excessive histamine release
- Support healthy inflammation response to reduce allergy-related discomfort
- Promote gut health and strengthen the immune system
Our team is here to help you choose the best herbal extracts and botanicals based on your specific symptoms and health goals. Drop by our dispensary or ask at your next appointment for personalized recommendations.
Ready to Take Control of Your Allergies?
Seasonal allergies don’t have to take over your life. By taking a Functional Medicine approach, you can address the root causes of inflammation, histamine overload, and immune dysregulation — giving your body the support it needs to thrive during allergy season.
At Back on Track 2 Wellness, we specialize in creating personalized allergy management plans that incorporate targeted supplements, nutritional changes, detox protocols, and lifestyle modifications to help you breathe easier. Schedule your consultation today.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Wait — Take Action Now!
With allergy season already in full bloom, now is the time to act! Lowering your histamine load and addressing inflammation early can make a huge difference in how your body responds to allergens.
Stop by our Functional Marketplace supplement dispensary to explore natural allergy relief options or ask for supplement recommendations at your next appointment. We’re here to help you take charge of your health and enjoy a symptom-free season!
Schedule Your Telehealth Consultation
We would love to sit down with you and chat about your experiences and current health complaints.
The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other medical body. We do not aim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. Information is shared for educational purposes only. You must consult your doctor before acting on any content on this website, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
By Dr. Todd W. Bunning
Dr. Todd W. Bunning’s Chiropractic and Functional Medicine services reach far beyond the local Roseville area, with webcam consultations available for patients in any location. With over 21+ years of Private Practice experience, Dr. Todd continues to focus on the individual: science-based methods to address whole-body health factors.
Dr. Todd’s education didn’t stop when he graduated from Life West Chiropractic College in 2003. Today, he’s continuing to receive training and is chipping away on numerous post-graduate degree programs. This unique blend of clinical health investigation and Lifestyle Medicine application helps people of all ages find the underlying factors that result in chronic disease.