Festival flu can encompass a range of illnesses from simple summer colds to more serious infections like bronchitis. Sometimes, festival flu isn’t caused by a virus or bacteria, but by environment and activity. According to Dr. Cedric “Jamie” Rutland, a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician and spokesperson for the Lung Association, “It’s usually not a specific illness but a combination of lack of sleep, lack of nutrition screaming, shouting and dehydration.”

The symptoms are as you’d expect: coughing, sneezing, nasal congestion, and watery eyes, and can also include more troublesome symptoms like body aches and fever. Not the way one wants to spend their sunny summer days and nights! 

So, how can you prevent “festival flu”? Here are five tips for staying healthy throughout the summer gathering season:

Start with self-care. When it comes to illness, often the best defense is a good offense. Prioritizing your health on the days you aren’t socializing can go a long way toward helping your body mount its best defense against “festival flu” on the days you are. Both lack of sleep and poor nutrition can have a negative impact on your immune function, while exercise is an immune booster! If you have a busy summer ahead, incorporating healthy habits like proper sleep (7-8 hours per night), regular exercise (30 minutes, 3-5 times per week), and a healthy diet with plentiful fruits and veggies can help ensure your body is functioning at its best when you do encounter environments that put your immune system to the test!  

Supplement ahead of time. While maintaining healthy habits can go a long way toward keeping you well, targeted supplementation provides extra, much-needed protection for your respiratory system. And don’t wait until the day-of! Be proactive in making respiratory support part of your daily routine during the summer months and get ahead of the season’s plethora of allergies and irritants. Quercetin and other bioflavonoids, like those found in BreatheClear with NTFactor®, are key ingredients in reducing inflammation and your body’s allergic response. Quercetin helps to open respiratory passages and reduce sinus congestion, while also lowering the body’s response to histamine to reduce the inflammatory cascade that causes so many of our troubling allergy symptoms. The inclusion of the patented NTFactor lipid blend also fights fatigue naturally by targeting its source: your mitochondria! By providing vital lipids to help maintain your mitochondrial membrane, BreatheClear helps your body generate energy more efficiently, so you can enjoy your summer activities to the fullest! 

Drink up! (No, not like that.) It should go without saying that it’s important to stay hydrated if you’re outside in the summer heat, but quenching your thirst at the beer tent or soda stand can actually have a detrimental effect on your hydration. Both alcohol and caffeine can result in dehydration—especially if you’re already sweating in the sun! Stick with water or electrolyte-laden sports drinks to replenish your body. Not only will staying hydrated help prevent overheating, it also keeps your throat and nasal passages from drying out, and helps replenish the mucus you need to trap and clear inhaled irritants and invaders.

Wash your hands. While proper handwashing (lathering up for at least thirty seconds with soap and warm water) isn’t always an option at outdoor events, it’s still important to keep your hands clean. Hand sanitizer should be amongst your festival essentials—many brands even offer small bottles or cases with clips that attach easily onto a purse or belt loop, so it’s always available when you need to de-germ. And remember, not all sanitizers are created equal; make sure your brand of choice is at least 60% alcohol.

Avoid environmental irritants. This can be one of the hardest factors to control, especially at outdoor venues where folks are more likely to smoke and environmental irritants like pollen abound. Try to choose a spot where you can avoid inhaling others’ smoke—and smoking yourself—as much as possible. Smoke can aggravate and dry out delicate respiratory tissue, making you more vulnerable to coughs even if you don’t have existing respiratory concerns. If you suffer from asthma or allergies, breathing in smoke can be even more dangerous.

Keeping these tips in mind should help you avoid the dreaded “festival flu” this summer, but if you do happen to come down with an illness, be sure to take time to rest and recover. Continue to prioritize your rest, hydration, and nutrition while you recuperate, and consult your physician if symptoms don’t improve or last longer than a week. Fight the temptation to resume your summer fun before you’re feeling fully recovered, both for your own sake (your immune system needs a chance to recharge before you expose yourself to another concert or festival) and for the sake of others (after all, someone passed that festival flu to you!).

After a winter of hard exertions, with active vacations and regular workouts at home, my body hit the skids. It happens to me sometimes as the seasons change. As spring progresses, it’s warm some days, beckoning me to run or cycle outside; the added hours of sunlight are energizing, and I hit the weight room or the pool with renewed zeal. The workouts seemingly took their toll—on a recent day I woke up tired, achy and uncharacteristically unmotivated. After all, I tried to reassure myself: “Act your age!” Frustrating as it may seem, a little break for recovery is an essential component of any training regimen—isn’t it?

But why now? It also occurred to me that this is the very time when the trees and flowers are exuberantly blooming, spreading pollen that coats recently car-washed surfaces with a light green powdery film. Could spring allergies have something to do with my power failure?

In fact, research supports the notion that seasonal allergies can do more than cause runny noses, sneezing, wheezing and itchy eyes. Allergy websites feature headlines like:

• Can Allergies Cause Body Aches and Fatigue?—Center for Allergy and Asthma of Georgia
• Do Allergies Cause Body Aches?—Charleston ENT and Allergy
• The Return of Seasonal Aches, Pains and Allergies—Pacific Surgical Center
• Allergies Are an Often-Overlooked Cause of Fatigue, Body Aches, and Pain—A.A.I.M. Group

So this really is a thing!

It’s thought that allergies prompt inflammation, not just in the respiratory tract where the immune system directly encounters foreign antigens in the form of pollen, but also throughout the body. Histamine is a chemical messenger that can enhance sensitivity to pain and local swelling. It’s even thought to be one of the key mediators of DOMS—delayed onset muscle pain, that kicks in 24-48 hours after a hard workout.

An intriguing study examined the relationship between pollen allergies and tendon quality in mice:

“To determine whether the systemic inflammation accompanying these conditions contributes to the onset of tendinopathy, we studied the effect of a systemic inflammation induced by an allergic episode on tendon properties. To this end, we induced an allergic response in mice by exposing them to a timothy grass pollen allergen and subsequently analysed both their flexor and Achilles tendons.”

After the mice received a pollen challenge, the researchers noted a significant decline in the flexibility and strength of their tendons. Their blood showed distinct signs of inflammation.

In the same study, a survey of human allergy sufferers confirmed an association between seasonal allergies and worsening symptoms of shoulder pain, characteristically caused by tendon injury.

The authors conclude:

“Overall, our study demonstrates that the presence of an allergy-induced elevation of circulating inflammatory cytokines and chemokines over a relatively short period of time is sufficient to have a detrimental effect on tendon quality and function . . . Importantly, data analysis from a large health survey study indicated that patients suffering from an allergic condition have a moderately increased risk to develop a tendinopathy.”

A case study entitled “Seasonal Allergy Induced Back Pain: A Report of Two Cases” further supports the allergy-pain link. The authors reference a 1999 paper by epidemiologists Hurwitz and Morgenstern who interviewed a large population between 20 and 39 years of age and found that “patients with a history of allergy were 50% more likely to report suffering from back pain and depression.”

They argue that the back is a sentinel for body-wide inflammation: “The allergic cascade produces inflammatory, pain-producing cytokines and neuropeptides which may exacerbate other chronic conditions.”

Headaches and migraines, too, are susceptible to triggering by seasonal allergies, as are other pain conditions. The Journal of Urology even featured a study that showed a concordance between pollen exposure and chronic pelvic pain flares.

It would stand to reason, then, that fibromyalgia intensity might be influenced by allergies. Indeed, sufferers of this body-wide pain syndrome are more likely to experience seasonal allergic rhinitis, according to a study. While the causes of fibromyalgia remain elusive, there’s strong evidence that mast cells—tiny factories for the release of histamine and other inflammation-signaling molecules—are among the leading causes of neuroinflammation that underlies fibromyalgia.

It’s hard to maintain a cheery mood when you’re achy. But there’s evidence that not only are allergy-related symptoms a bring-down, but that seasonal pollens can directly impact the brain. Pulmonary Advisor warns clinicians that “Seasonal Allergies [Are] Often Accompanied by Mental Health and Sleep Disorders”:

“A growing body of research indicates a significant connection between allergies and mental health, especially among women . . . For at least 75 years, doctors have identified and written about the association between depression and anxiety and allergic rhinitis . . .Many patients suffering with allergies who are also experiencing mood disorders may not be aware that the 2 problems could be connected.”

One study—albeit speculative—even proposes a role for allergy in accelerating progression to Alzheimer’s disease:

“Allergy was also found to increase phosphorylation of tau protein in the brain. The present data support the notion that allergy-dependent chronic peripheral inflammation modifies the brain inflammatory status, and influences phosphorylation of an AD-related protein, indicating that allergy may be yet another factor to be considered for the development and/or progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD.”

With the advent of spring there’s also the stress of adaptation to changes in temperature. Those of us who live in temperate climates like the Northeast undergo winterization for the cold months, and then are whipsawed into acclimating to sweltering temps when spring morphs all-too-rapidly into summer.

It doesn’t help that in springtime there are wild fluctuations in temperature and cloud cover that jolt our bodies. Even sunlight transitions that accelerate in spring and fall challenge our circadian rhythms. The switch to daylight saving time has been shown to worsen that stress, like jet lag.

And, of course, there’s barometric pressure. As evidenced by the prevalence of wild tornadoes in springtime, it’s a season of dramatic shifts in atmospheric pressure. Even if you’ve not yet experienced it, surely you’ve heard from an elderly relative that they could reliably predict the approach of a storm by flare ups in their joint pain. WebMD reports:

“Changes in barometric pressure may make your tendons, muscles, and any scar tissue expand and contract, and that can create pain in joints affected by arthritis. Low temperatures can also make the fluid inside joints thicker, so they feel stiffer.”

If all else fails, blame climate change.

There’s evidence that seasonal allergies are getting worse. A National Wildlife Federation report predicts that increasing global temperatures and CO2 concentrations—which make plants thrive—will produce longer and more intense allergy seasons. Compounding the problem, in efforts to “green” urban environments, cities have been planting the wrong types of trees. NBC Washington reports:

“ . . . city planners and urban landscapers prefer to plant male trees over female trees because they’re easier to maintain. The problem is, that may be making your allergies worse.”

Horticulturalist and author Tom Ogren decries what he terms “botanical sexism”:

“The males produce millions of flowers, and each flower has hundreds of anthers that produce tons of pollen. The female trees produce seeds. They produce no pollen.”

For tips on heading off spring allergies, check out my article “10 tips for surviving allergy season”.

What are free radicals?

Free radicals are highly unstable molecules that cause “oxidative stress,” a process that can trigger cell damage and is thought to contribute to health issues ranging from cardiovascular disease and diabetes, to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and even cataracts. And what’s worse—the negative effects of free radicals seem to increase as we age.

Can we prevent exposure to free radicals? Not entirely. In fact, we are the main source of the free radicals that disrupt our lives! Free radicals are naturally created in the body when we do everyday things like exercise or convert food into energy. Furthermore, environmental factors such as cigarette smoke, air pollution (like all that wildfire smoke), and even sun exposure can create stress that generates additional free radicals.

Thankfully, we have a powerful tool to fight their effects!

How antioxidants protect our cells

With air quality shifting day by day, there’s no better time to increase our consumption of antioxidants—substances that protect our cells from the damage caused by free radicals.

Antioxidants can be natural or man-made. Our bodies have the ability to produce powerful antioxidants such as glutathione, catalase, and many others that fight the stress that generates free radicals. Unfortunately, our ability to create these antioxidants weakens with age, and as it does, the membranes of our bodies—including vital cell and mitochondrial membranes—can suffer damage. Damage to these membranes leads to weakening of the systems that help us produce energy, as well as our immune systems. This helps explain why fatigue is one of the top complaints of patients to their physicians!

You already get some antioxidants from your diet—vitamins E and C, carotenoids (like beta-carotene), lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin. If you have not already, introduce antioxidant-rich foods including berries like goji, blueberries, and strawberries, green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach, and even delicious dark chocolate to your diet!

But for most of us, our diet doesn’t provide us with the optimal amount of antioxidants to protect our bodies from free radical damage—that’s where high-quality supplements that can provide Membrane Lipid Replacement (MLR) come in.

The power of Membrane Lipid Replacement

Where your diet ends, the benefits of MLR continue!

Oxidative stress results in part from the damage that free radicals cause to the health of our mitochondrial membranes. When these membranes are damaged, they are less equipped to utilize oxygen, which can lead to feelings of fatigue. When we are young, the amount of antioxidant benefits produced in our cells exceeds the damage done by the free radicals we produce. That equation naturally changes in adulthood and is accelerated by illness, consumption of unhealthy foods, nicotine, excessive alcohol, and other factors. This is evidenced by the overwhelming complaint of fatigue in doctor’s offices.

Unfortunately, antioxidants alone cannot repair the damage to cell membranes.

For that, you need something more powerful: Membrane Lipid Replacement (MLR). MLR is the use of natural, protected membrane lipid supplements exclusively from plant sources to safely replace damaged, oxidized lipids in cellular membranes in order to restore membrane function, decrease various symptoms and improve health. The only ingredient proven so far to effect MLR is NTFactor®, an ingredient patented and provided by Nutritional Therapeutics, Inc. By itself, it restores energy and undoes the damage to membranes caused by free radicals. When used with other supplements, it improves the benefits of those ingredients.

Clinical studies have demonstrated the advantages of MLR in restoring membrane and organelle function and reducing fatigue, pain and other symptoms in chronic illnesses and aging patients. In animal studies it has shown the ability to reduce free radicals while increasing cell motility and resistance to oxidative damage.

BreatheClear with NTFactor®

BreatheClear with NTFactor® combines the benefits of MLR from NTFactor® Lipids with quercetin, a powerful bioflavonoid (a type of antioxidant found in foods containing vitamin C). In addition to its antioxidant properties, quercetin is an anti-inflammatory and works to open up the nasal and respiratory passages, thereby making it easier to breathe and reduce sinus problems. A must-have in these days where a rogue weather pattern can shift harmful air our way, and a good staple to have on hand for any time the air is full of irritants, whether they be manmade or as common as seasonal pollen.

To give your BreatheClear a boost, combine it with our pure NTFactor® Lipids Powder and provide your body with more of the cell-repairing power of Membrane Lipid Replacement! Right now, we’re offering limited-time savings by bundling these two products together! When you shop the bundle, you can choose either size of Lipids Powder (75g or 150g) and receive a FREE bottle of BreatheClear (a $27.49 value!).

As wildfire season seems to expand every year, there’s no better time to arm yourself with the protective power of BreatheClear combined with NTFactor® Lipids Powder, and breathe freely while supporting your body’s fight against free radicals!

References

For antioxidants:

NIH:    https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants-in-depth

For MLR:

Seidman, MD. NT Factor® Spares the Age-Related loss of Nerve Function, Energy and Genetic damage in animals. (2002). Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, 127, pp.138-143.
Approved and supervised by Henry Ford Hosp. IACUC group
# 9 on bibliography at NTFactor.com/research

Agadjanyan, M., et al. Nutritional supplement (NTFactor) restores mitochondrial function and reduces moderately severe fatigue in aged subjects. J. Chronic Fatigue Syndr. 11(3): 23-36 (2003).
# 12 on bibliography

Here are a few ways to reduce the impact of these troublesome irritants:

Dress for success! If you suffer from hay fever or other pollen allergies, make it a habit to shed your outdoor clothes when you arrive home and put on something fresh for indoor wear. Pollen can cling to clothing, hair, and even skin after we’ve been out and about. Shedding shoes and coats in the garage can go a long way toward keeping ragweed where it belongs: outside!

Suck it up! More time spent indoors as the weather cools can mean more exposure to indoor allergens like dust mites, pet dander, mold, and even tracked-in pollen. Do your part to keep irritating inhalants to a minimum by vacuuming and dusting weekly.

Purify your space! Did you know that indoor air can sometimes be even more polluted than the air outdoors? Keeping your windows and doors shut tight may help keep pollen at bay, but to keep indoor air clean, invest in an air purifier—particularly one with a HEPA filter. A good air purifier with help reduce the amount of dust, dander, pollen, and even mold circulating in your home.

Ditch the leaf pile! They may be fun for kids and dogs to jump in, but lingering piles of leaves in the yard can be a breeding ground for mold during the cool, damp months of autumn. Other common culprits are leaf-clogged rain gutters, unraked lawns, and even compost piles. Be proactive about clearing fallen leaves, and be sure to situate your compost pile away from your home.

Dry out! Bathrooms, basements, and other damp areas can often be breeding grounds for moisture-loving mold and mildew. Investing in a good dehumidifier can help reduce mold growth, and keep your indoor air fresh. Aim to keep indoor humidity between 35 and 50 percent.

Support with supplements! We hear most often about OTC remedies like decongestants and nasal sprays, but you can help bolster your immune system even before symptoms begin with proper supplementation. BreatheClear with NTFactor® contains powerful bioflavonoids, including quercetin, a natural anti-inflammatory proven to help the body manage the histamine response that causes allergy symptoms. Quercetin and other bioflavonoids work to open the nasal and respiratory passages, making it easier to breathe and reducing bothersome sinus symptoms that so often accompany allergic reactions. BreatheClear also contains the powerful NTFactor® Lipid blend, proven to repair cell membranes and reduce the fatigue that so often accompanies allergy symptoms.

With fall settling in across the nation, there’s no better time to take the steps necessary to breathe easier this autumn.

Why do allergies make you feel fatigued?

1. Immune Response. During allergy season, your immune system is in an almost constant state of overdrive as it works to fight off allergens. When allergens are introduced into your body, the immune system reacts by creating large amounts of histamine to fight off the invaders. The more constant the exposure, the more relentlessly your body works to repel the threat.  
2. Inflammation. When the histamine released into your system reacts to fight off allergens, it causes inflammation throughout your body. Inflammation is most often the result of oxidative stress on your cells. Your cells are the source of energy in your body, so when they aren’t functioning properly, you become fatigued.
3. Sleep disruption. When we don’t get a good night’s sleep, we feel drained for most of the day. Allergies can cause sleep troubles in several ways. While we’re sleeping, a stuffy or runny nose, coughing, and throat clearing will disturb a good night’s rest. That is, if you can get to sleep at all! Plus, allergies can worsen existing sleep conditions, such as apnea. Getting a proper diagnosis for any sleep disorders is key to fighting off allergy fatigue.
4. Sinus Pressure. People with allergies often talk about having brain fog. Pressure build-up in your sinus cavities may be one reason. Allergy sufferers can be so focused on the pain and pressure in their heads that it becomes hard to concentrate on even some basic tasks.

How can you fight allergy fatigue?

1. Work with your doctor. The first step in combating your allergies is a proper diagnosis of your allergies by an allergist. Knowing what you’re allergic to is most of the battle. Working with your doctor, you can come up with a plan of treatment to relieve many of your symptoms. Your doctor can prescribe medication or suggest over-the-counter allergy products. When picking over-the-counter medicines, your best option is to choose non-drowsy formulas.
2. Clean your indoor environment. Using air purifiers is another great tool. Reducing your exposure to allergy triggers is key to alleviating your symptoms. Using a purifier with a good quality filter will help reduce the amount of airborne allergens circulating. Keep the purifier by your favorite seat, close to your bed, or near the source of the allergens.
3. Clean your body. Showering before bed can help with sleep. Not only can a hot shower be relaxing, it also aids in opening your sinuses. Plus, it washes away any allergens clinging to your skin or hair.
4. Get the support of BreatheClear® with NTFactor®. BreatheClear with NTFactor® contains both quercetin and bioflavonoids, key ingredients in the reduction of allergy inflammation and reaction*. It was specifically designed to work on the inflammation and symptoms of environmental allergies and asthma*. And as with all NTFactor® products, it contains our patented NTFactor® Lipids, which have been proven to repair and replace damaged cell membranes, helping to optimize cell function and increase energy naturally.

Breathe easier this allergy season and fight allergic fatigue with BreatheClear with NTFactor®.