Top Labs To Run On Your Patients With Seasonal Allergies

Blooming trees, flowering buds, and pollinating plants are usually a pleasant sight for many people. Still, this can be a bothersome time for the millions of individuals who experience seasonal allergies. In fact, in 2021, 81 million people were reported to have seasonal allergies. It can make these individuals feel uncomfortable during this time as it brings on symptoms that can last throughout the allergy season. However, there are strategies that may help these individuals manage their allergies. Functional labs can be valuable tools that provide insights into common triggers and underlying factors that might contribute to symptoms. Regular lab testing can enable practitioners to customize approaches to help manage seasonal allergies effectively for their patients.

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What Are Seasonal Allergies?

An allergy is an immune reaction that is overactive to an external substance that triggers a non-typical hypersensitive reaction in the body. These substances are generally harmless antigens and don't cause reactions in most people. However, people with allergies will react to these antigens. Seasonal allergies are a type of allergy that usually occurs when plants pollinate, and the body's immune system has a hypersensitive reaction to something in the environment. This reaction commonly happens during spring, summer, or fall time. Seasonal allergies are also called allergic rhinitis or hay fever.

What Causes Seasonal Allergies? 

Seasonal allergies occur due to a histamine response. The histamine response can be activated by environmental triggers such as pollen and mold. The pollens or molds may stimulate your immune system to release histamine, which can lead to symptoms. The timing and severity of these allergy symptoms can vary. These allergies depend on region, climate, time of year, and types of pollen. Seasonal allergies may begin with tree pollination in the spring, then grass pollination, followed by ragweed in the summer and fall. Rainy seasons can also cause more plants to grow at a rapid rate, along with mold, potentially bringing on more allergies. Typical seasonal allergy triggers include ragweed, mold, trees, grass, burning bush, sagebrush, and other plants and pollens.

Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Seasonal allergies can manifest as varying symptoms, usually affecting the respiratory system along with the ears and eyes. These can range from mild to more noticeable reactions and rarely cause anaphylaxis, a serious issue. The most common symptoms include: 

• Congested nasal passages
• Runny nose
• Throat discomfort due to post-nasal drip
• Sneezing bouts
• Coughing spells
• Irritated and scratchy eyes
• Eyes that are watery, swollen, and red
• Appearance of hives
• Development of skin rashes
• Onset of headaches

What Are The Benefits of Regular Lab Testing For Individuals With Seasonal Allergies?

Regular lab testing for individuals with seasonal allergies can be beneficial to help manage the associated symptoms and improve their quality of life during this time. Testing can help identify specific triggers so individualized approaches can be considered. Retesting may allow for accurate monitoring of those reactions and levels so that proper adjustments can be made to optimize management strategies, and preventative measures can be put in place to help reduce exposure to these allergens. Regular testing should be part of a comprehensive care approach to help these individuals manage their allergy symptoms in the long term.

Top Labs To Run Bi-Annually For Individuals With Seasonal Allergies

Here are some of the most common labs considered for individuals experiencing seasonal allergies:

Histamine Assessment

The Advanced Intestinal Barrier profile measures DAO and histamine levels. Low DAO levels may indicate that the individual has difficulty breaking down histamine. This test also checks gut health and markers of intestinal permeability that can affect DAO levels and how the body handles histamine. The test provides a histamine-to-DAO ratio to help doctors understand the balance between histamine and DAO. This test can be helpful for individuals with seasonal allergies as it measures histamine levels and whether the body can manage histamine responses. It helps to track histamine levels, and management strategies can be adjusted based on results.

GI Effects Comprehensive Profile

Underlying digestive issues such as IBS, dysbiosis, and IBD may play a role in regulating histamine levels and breaking down histamine. Excess histamine levels may contribute to allergy symptoms. Therefore, this comprehensive stool test might be considered for individuals with seasonal allergies. The GI Effects test analyzes gut health and indicates underlying gut conditions that may impact histamine levels. Results from this test can help practitioners create management strategies to address digestive health for better histamine regulation in individuals with seasonal allergies.

Allergens Panel

This environmental allergy panel allows practitioners to identify potential triggers of seasonal allergies for their patients. This test measures 46 of the most common allergens, such as molds, weeds, trees, and grasses associated with environmental allergies. The outcomes of this panel provide insight into preventative measures to help reduce exposure to these allergens. If an individual is considering immunotherapy as a management approach, utilizing this test can help assess the effects of this approach and other management strategies as it measures the IgE response and levels.

Additional Labs to Consider 

Conventionally, a skin prick test is commonly performed to analyze allergic reactions in individuals. This test will test for 50 substances, including pollen. It also tests for dust mites and dander and is typically done on the forearm.

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Summary

Seasonal allergies can be a challenging time for the millions of people who experience symptoms. It can bring on symptoms of sneezing, congestion, runny nose, and many other irritating symptoms for these individuals. Fortunately, practitioners have tools that may help provide relief for their patients during this time. Regular lab testing using functional medicine labs is one of those tools that can guide management strategies to help manage individuals' symptoms effectively. The results of these labs can provide direction on personalized approaches to help reduce the impact of seasonal allergies for individuals, allowing them to enjoy this time of year instead of detest it.