Flu And Allergy - 4:3:18, 9.39 AM

Eureka Natural Foods

It’s the changing of the seasons and the temperatures around here are all over the place! Blossoming plants and frigid weather mean allergies, colds and flus are happening all at once. Many are experiencing a hacking cough and plugged sinuses. The ever popular Humboldt Hack is making quite the appearance this season as well. So, without further ado… “An allergy is an inappropriate response by the body’s immune system to a substance that is not normally harmful.” (Balch, 2010; p. 177). Allergies are the result of the body’s immune system misidentifying a non-toxic substance as toxic. The results are the varying allergy symptoms that most of us can relate to: nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, itching, shortness of breath, headache, fatigue, hives, and other skin rashes. These are just the seasonal allergy symptoms! On the other hand, almost all people are allergic to mold. Here in Humboldt, I think we can all agree that we are no strangers to mold. (Quick tip: Invest in mold eating houseplants such as English Ivy and Peace Lillies.) Now, if you have symptoms like itchy red eyes, watery discharge from the nose and eyes, sneezing, fatigue, and nervous irritability, you probably have Hay Fever. Hay Fever is an allergy to the pollen trees, grasses, mold or some plants that adversely affects our mucous membranes in the nose, eyes, and air passages. There are 3 ‘Hay Fever Seasons’, which vary climate to climate in the time of the year, but first are the tree pollens; next are tree, grass, and weed pollens; lastly is ragweed season in fall. Hay Fever sufferers can also contract these symptoms from animal hair, feathers, dust, mold spores and even other environmental triggers. Unfortunately, Hay Fever symptoms can perpetuate for weeks on end, especially if the person is particularly sensitive. This season, we had a random warm front, that let all our flowers get ready for spring, and then our groundhog promptly turned around told us 6 more weeks of winter and it did indeed frost again! Now we are experiencing the resurge of colds and flus going around! The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. Though the virus isn’t caused by cold weather, it thrives and multiplies in cold weather, hence why we all tend to ‘catch’ them in winter. Cold symptoms include: head congestion, nasal congestion, sore throat, coughing, headache, sneezing, and watery eyes. Unfortunately, there are over 200 viruses that cause colds! Like a cold, influenza, which we call ‘the flu’, is also a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. The flu, is also highly contagious in comparison to a cold. Influenza causes an acute infection of the in the middle ear, nose, throat, bronchial tubes, and lungs. Common symptoms are close to the common cold and include: cough, fatigue, body aches, headaches, and hot and cold sweats. While colds can continue from 5 to 10 days, flus can go on after 12 days. Fevers are also common in flu as well as nausea and vomiting. Weakness and the inability to move very much or eat at all are other symptoms of the flu. Contracting the flu also makes us more susceptible to ear infections, pneumonia, and serious sinus issues.