Five for Friday – Allergy Relief
Ugh, allergy season! Whether I’m in Romania or back in the States, they always find a way to get me!
Here are some quick, easy, and natural remedies you and I can use to combat allergy season without walking around like zombies.
Some of these I’ve tried and some are on my list to try, so let me know if you have other tried and true discoveries you love, I’d love to hear them!
Essential oils :
My mama has got an essential oil for everything. You name it, she’ll slap an oil on it. I used to tease her, but now I find myself grabbing those oils for everything. One popular blend of essential oils to help battle those seasonal allergies is a combo of lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint. You can add these to a carrier oil, rub them in your hands and take some deep breaths in, or you can add a couple drops to your diffuser.
Neti pot :
Neti pots are a great natural remedy for allergies and respiratory issues as they help with congestion and clear out your sinuses. They can treat many upper respiratory conditions, including chronic and acute sinusitis, the common cold, and seasonal allergies. Make sure you use distilled water that is as sterile as possible, and never tap water as that is full of chlorine and fluoride and that might aggravate your sinuses. You can use a saline rinse with your Neti pot or even put one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in for a sinus flush. Here are some top rated Neti pots for the US, UK, and Canada.
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Local raw honey :
One way to fight allergies is by taking 1 tablespoon of local raw honey daily. I like to put it in my hot tea, but you could add it to some oatmeal or your smoothies. This natural remedy takes a little while for the benefits to kick in as it helps your body build tolerance to local pollen, but I’ve definitely seen results in the past. A study published in International Archives of Allergy and Immunology reported that the patients taking honey “reported a 60 percent lower total symptom score, twice as many asymptomatic days, and 70 percent fewer days with severe symptoms.” They also found that they used 50% less antihistamines compared to the control group that took conventional meds. The reason it needs to be local honey is due to the fact that the bees in your area go from flower to flower collecting pollen that is making you suffer, so by taking the local honey, you are then building up your immunity to this local pollen. Honey also has enzymes that supports overall immune function, which in turn, helps with allergy relief. A sweet cure! If you need help finding a local vendor of raw honey near you, this site has global listings and might help. Also, if you want to recommend a honey source, you can submit here.
Air filter :
This one I have not tried as of yet, but I have ordered one that has high reviews, so I’m looking forward to trying it out. There are higher end air filters that have wonderful reviews for fighting seasonal allergies such as this Dyson, but I am going with this one from Amazon that has great reviews. Air purifiers help to clear out pollen, allergy particles, dust, smoke, mold spores, and other irritants. They are great for people who suffer from allergies, nasal stuffiness, cough, sneezing, asthma, and other respiratory disturbances and you can find portable ones that are perfect for your home or office. I can’t wait for mine to get here. Here is a high-end option and an entry-level option.
Homeopathic medicine and supplements :
Two treatments that are highly recommended by allergy sufferers, are Quercetin and Histaminum. Quercetin is not going to be a quick fix as it takes several months to start working, but you should start taking it a few weeks before spring arrives and everything begins to bloom. Quercetin is a polyphenol antioxidant that is naturally found in plant foods, like broccoli, cauliflower, onions, green tea, and citrus fruits. It is considered a bioflavonoid that stabilizes the release of histamines, so it helps to naturally control allergy symptoms. You can find Quercetin here.
Histaminum 30C is a leader in Homeopathic medicines for allergy relief. It is non-drowsy, suitable for adults and children, and helps your body in a natural way. When your symptoms kick in, you dissolve 5 pellets under your tongue every 15 minutes for 1 hour. You can dissolve 5 pellets 3 times a day until you have relief from your symptoms. You can find Histaminum here.
Apple Cider Vinegar is a great way to break up mucus and support lymphatic drainage. Drinking a glass of water with a teaspoon of ACV and some fresh lemon juice is great each morning. If you don’t like the taste, you can grab the ACV capsules like I’ve just started doing.
Bonus – Did you know :
Allergies tend to run in families, so genetics may be one culprit. In fact, errors in a gene that helps regulate the immune system are associated with higher rates of allergies. The environment you grow up in matters, too. Being exposed to an allergen as a baby makes you less likely to actually develop an allergy to it. People who grow up on farms, in big families, and in the developing world also tend to have fewer allergies, although there are plenty of exceptions, partly thanks to genetics. The idea is that as children, they encounter more of the microbes and parasites that co-evolved with traditional hunter-gatherer societies, and that an immune system toughened up by a barrage of pathogens is less likely to overreact to allergens. (Information site: Eleanor Nelsen – TED-Ed)
Hope some of these ideas are able to bring you relief for either your seasonal allergies or someone in your family. It is a beautiful time of the year with everything in full bloom, but it also can make me want to invest in a Hazmat Suit! 🙂 Hopefully these tips will allow you to take time to stop and smell the roses this weekend.
Happy Friday and we hope you have a wonderful weekend!
If you have any remedies you love to use for fighting seasonal allergies, please share! We’d love to hear from you.
Thanks so much!
Rachel
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