How your gut health could be fuelling your hay fever |

If you find yourself sneezing, wheezing, or reaching for tissues every spring, you’re not alone. Hay fever and seasonal allergies are rising worldwide and pollen is often seen as the main culprit. But what if the real trigger isn’t just outside in the air but inside your body? New research is shining a spotlight on the gut, suggesting that poor gut health may be making your allergies worse. Scientists have discovered that an imbalanced gut microbiome, too few good bacteria and too many inflammatory ones, can disrupt your immune system, making it more likely to overreact to harmless substances like pollen, dust, or pet dander. This could explain why some people breeze through allergy season while others suffer intensely. Instead of relying solely on antihistamines or nasal sprays, more experts now believe that nurturing your gut health may offer longer-term relief. A healthier gut can mean a calmer immune response and fewer allergy symptoms. Let’s dive into the gut-allergy connection, and how simple changes to your diet and lifestyle could help you breathe easier this season.

Poor gut health may worsen hay fever symptoms

A major study by the National Institutes of Health found that people suffering from seasonal allergies, including hay fever, had significantly lower diversity in their gut microbiota compared to those without allergies. In simple terms, they had fewer types of beneficial bacteria and that matters more than you might think. Why? Because a diverse microbiome acts like an internal ecosystem that keeps inflammation in check and trains your immune system to respond appropriately. When diversity drops, inflammation rises, and your body is more likely to treat harmless substances like pollen as a threat. But it’s not just about having “less” of the good stuff. Another major factor is gut dysbiosis, a condition where harmful bacteria outnumber or overpower the beneficial ones. This imbalance can lead to a breakdown in immune tolerance, meaning your immune system goes into overdrive in response to everyday exposures. Worse still, gut dysbiosis can increase histamine sensitivity, which is directly linked to allergy symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, sinus pressure, itching, and fatigue. In other words, an unbalanced gut doesn’t just make you more prone to allergies, it can also make your symptoms more severe and harder to control.

Your gut and immune system are deeply connected

Roughly 70% of your immune cells live in your gut, making it one of the most important immune organs in your entire body. That’s right, your digestive system isn’t just breaking down food. It’s also acting as a command centre for immune regulation, deciding what’s harmful and what’s not. When your gut lining is strong and balanced, it plays a crucial role in training your immune system to tolerate harmless substances like pollen, dust, or pet dander. This “immune education” helps prevent your body from going into overdrive every time allergy season rolls around. But when your gut lining becomes compromised or inflamed, a condition often referred to as leaky gut, things change. Tiny gaps form in the intestinal lining, allowing unwanted particles like toxins, microbes, and undigested food to leak into the bloodstream. Your immune system reacts to these intruders as if they’re threats, leading to increased inflammation and immune hypersensitivity. This can worsen symptoms of hay fever and other allergies, such as itchy eyes, a runny nose, chronic sneezing, sinus congestion, brain fog, and even fatigue. In short, when your gut is unhealthy, your immune system becomes less tolerant and more reactive. But when it’s functioning well, it acts like a smart filter, letting in the good, blocking the bad, and helping you stay symptom-free even during high-pollen days.

Good gut bacteria help calm allergies

Certain gut bacteria, especially Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that help reduce inflammation and keep the immune system balanced. Low levels of these bacteria are often seen in people with hay fever. Studies show that adding probiotics or eating a fibre-rich diet can increase these beneficial strains and potentially reduce allergy flare-ups.

How to support your gut and reduce hay fever naturally

Hay fever meds like antihistamines and sprays help temporarily, but they don’t address what’s making your immune system so sensitive in the first place. That’s where your gut comes in. By improving your gut health, through food, lifestyle, and targeted probiotics, you may reduce both the frequency and intensity of seasonal allergy symptoms over time. The gut-allergy connection is no longer just a theory, it’s backed by real science. If you’re battling relentless hay fever every year, it might be time to stop blaming the flowers and start healing your gut. A stronger, more balanced microbiome could mean a calmer immune system and a clearer, healthier allergy season ahead.Also read| Taking magnesium daily may cut your colon cancer risk, according to research: How to improve your intake naturally