Spring is here, and for many women, that means seasonal allergies are flaring up—sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes, and constant sinus pressure. But what if your allergies feel worse than ever this year?
If you’re in perimenopause, there’s a reason for that. Your hormones and histamine levels are deeply connected, and fluctuating estrogen can make allergy symptoms feel unbearable. Worse, histamine intolerance doesn’t just cause allergy symptoms—it can also contribute to migraines, bloating, anxiety, and skin issues.
Let’s break down the link between histamine and hormones, why perimenopause can make your allergies worse, and what you can do to get relief naturally.
What is Histamine?
Histamine is a natural chemical in the body that plays a role in:
✅ Immune response (it’s what causes allergy symptoms like sneezing and congestion)
✅ Digestion (helps regulate stomach acid)
✅ Nervous system function (acts as a neurotransmitter for brain health)
Normally, your body produces, uses, and breaks down histamine efficiently. However, if histamine levels build up faster than your body can clear them, you develop histamine intolerance—which can cause far more than just allergies.
Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance
If you have histamine intolerance, you may experience:
✔️ Seasonal allergies that seem worse than usual
✔️ Chronic congestion or sinus pressure
✔️ Skin reactions like hives, flushing, or eczema
✔️ Digestive issues like bloating, nausea, or acid reflux
✔️ Hormonal symptoms like heavy periods, migraines, or anxiety
✔️ Sleep disturbances and nighttime restlessness
Many women in perimenopause notice their allergies get worse, or they develop new sensitivities to foods, skincare, or alcohol (especially wine!). This is often due to estrogen fluctuations affecting histamine levels.
The Link Between Estrogen & Histamine
One of the biggest reasons histamine intolerance worsens in perimenopause is because estrogen and histamine fuel each other.
🌀 Estrogen Increases Histamine Levels
- When estrogen rises (especially in the first half of your cycle), histamine levels increase.
- Estrogen also blocks the enzyme (DAO) that breaks down histamine, causing histamine to build up in your system.
🌀 Histamine Triggers More Estrogen Release
- When histamine levels rise, your body actually releases more estrogen.
- This creates a vicious cycle where high estrogen = high histamine, leading to worsening symptoms.
🌀 Progesterone Helps Balance Histamine—But It Declines First in Perimenopause
- Progesterone naturally counteracts histamine, helping keep symptoms in check.
- However, in perimenopause, progesterone is the first hormone to decline, leaving estrogen unopposed and histamine levels unchecked.
This is why many women experience worsening allergies, migraines, anxiety, and bloating in their 40s and early 50s—it’s all connected to estrogen and histamine!
How to Manage Histamine Intolerance Naturally
The good news? You don’t have to suffer through worsening allergies and hormonal symptoms. Here are some natural strategies to help lower histamine levels and rebalance hormones.
1. Adjust Your Diet to Reduce Histamine Overload
Certain foods increase histamine, while others help your body break it down.
🚫 High-Histamine Foods to Limit or Avoid:
- Aged cheeses & fermented foods (kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut)
- Processed meats (salami, pepperoni, deli meats)
- Alcohol (especially wine & beer)
- Leftovers (histamine builds up in stored foods)
- Vinegar-based foods (pickles, mustard, soy sauce)
✅ Low-Histamine, Gut-Supporting Foods to Include:
- Fresh fruits (apples, pears, watermelon)
- Fresh vegetables (except spinach, tomatoes, and eggplant, which are high-histamine)
- High-quality proteins (fresh chicken, turkey, wild-caught fish)
- Anti-inflammatory herbs like ginger, turmeric, and basil
2. Support Your Gut Health
Histamine is broken down in the gut, so digestive health plays a huge role in managing symptoms.
✅ Support gut health by:
- Eating fiber-rich foods to feed good bacteria
- Taking a probiotic (but avoid histamine-producing strains)
- Drinking bone broth to support gut lining integrity
- Managing stress, which disrupts digestion and histamine breakdown
3. Reduce Stress to Prevent Histamine Spikes
Chronic stress increases histamine release and worsens inflammation.
✅ Try these stress-reducing techniques:
- Deep breathing & mindfulness (helps regulate cortisol and inflammation)
- Gentle movement (yoga, walking, stretching)
- Prioritizing sleep (histamine disrupts sleep, so improving sleep habits is key!)
4. Use Supplements to Support Histamine Breakdown
Certain nutrients and supplements help reduce histamine buildup and rebalance hormones.
✔️ DAO Enzyme Supplements – Supports histamine breakdown if your body struggles to do so.
✔️ Quercetin & Vitamin C – Natural antihistamines that stabilize histamine release.
✔️ Magnesium & B6 – Support estrogen metabolism and histamine clearance.
✔️ Omega-3s & Curcumin – Help lower inflammation and histamine-driven symptoms.
Further Resources & Readings
If you’d like to take a deeper dive into histamine intolerance and hormonal health, check out these resources:
📖 Books:
- The 4-Phase Histamine Reset Plan by Dr. Becky Campbell
- The Perimenopause Solution by Dr. Shawn Tassone
- Estrogen Matters by Avrum Bluming, MD
🎧 Podcasts:
- The Huberman Lab (Episodes on histamine and gut health)
- The Perimenopause Podcast (Episodes on hormone balance and histamine)
- Histamine Intolerance Podcast by Dr. Janice Joneja
🌐 Online Articles & Studies:
- The Role of Histamine in Hormonal Health
- How Estrogen Affects Histamine Levels
- The DAO Enzyme & Histamine Breakdown
Next Steps: Balance Your Hormones & Reduce Histamine Naturally
If this all sounds familiar, you’re not alone! Histamine intolerance is one of the most overlooked causes of perimenopausal symptoms, but once you address it, you can feel so much better.
💡 Want help balancing your hormones and histamine levels naturally?
👉 Join my FREE 5-Day Hormone Reset Challenge!
- Learn how to rebalance your hormones starting with stress and adrenal health.
- Discover the root causes of symptoms like bloating, fatigue, allergies, and weight gain.
- Get BONUS low-histamine recipes to help manage symptoms naturally!
📌 Sign up here.
