Blooming trees, flowering buds, and pollinating plants is usually a pleasant time for many people. Still, this can be a bothersome time for the millions of seasonal allergy sufferers. In fact, in 2021, 81 million people were diagnosed with seasonal allergies. It can make these patients feel miserable during this time as it brings on symptoms that can last throughout the allergy season. However, there are strategies that can help these patients keep their allergies under control. Functional labs are valuable tools that provide guidance on the common triggers and underlying factors that can exacerbate symptoms. Regular lab testing can enable practitioners to customize protocols to 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 exogenous 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 will be activated by environmental triggers such as pollen and mold. The pollens or molds will stimulate your immune system to release histamine, causing symptoms. The timing and severity of these allergy symptoms will vary. These allergies are dependent 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, 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 low reaction to severe and rarely cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening 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 Patients With Seasonal Allergies?

Regular lab testing for patients with seasonal allergies can be beneficial to reduce the associated symptoms and improve their quality of life during this time. Testing can help determine the specific triggers so individualized treatments can be implemented. Retesting will allow accurate monitoring of those reactions and levels so that proper adjustments can be made to optimize treatment protocols, and preventative measures can be put in place to reduce exposure to these allergies for patients. Regular testing should be part of a comprehensive care approach to help these patient reduce their allergy symptoms in the long term.

Top Labs To Run Bi-Annually On Patients With Seasonal Allergies

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

Histamine Assessment

The Advanced Intestinal Barrier profile measures DAO and histamine levels. Low DAO levels indicate that the patient can't break down histamine well. This test also checks gut health and markers of intestinal permeability that can affect DAO levels and how the body handles histamine. The test gives a histamine-to-DAO ratio to help doctors understand the balance between histamine and DAO. This test is excellent for patients with seasonal allergies as it measures histamine levels and whether the body can break down histamine responses. It helps to track histamine levels, and treatment strategies can be adjusted based on results.

GI Effects Comprehensive Profile

Underlying digestive issues such as IBS, dysbiosis, and IBD all play a role in regulating histamine levels and breaking down histamine. Excess histamine levels may exacerbate allergy symptoms. Therefore, this comprehensive stool test should be regularly run for patients 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 treatment protocols to address digestive health for better histamine regulation in seasonal allergy patients.

Allergens Panel

This environmental allergy panel allows practitioners to pinpoint the exact 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 reduce exposure to these allergens. If a patient is doing immunotherapy as a treatment approach, utilizing this test can help assess the effects of this treatment and other treatment approaches as it measures the IgE response and levels.

Additional Labs to Check 

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 difficult 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 patients. Luckily, practitioners have helpful tools that can provide relief for their patients during this time. Regular lab testing using functional medicine labs is one of those tools that guide treatment strategies to manage patients' symptoms effectively. The results of these labs can provide direction on personalized protocols to reduce the severity of seasonal allergies for patients, allowing them to enjoy this time of year instead of detest it.