7 All Natural Allergy Remedies that Work

herbs and essential oils on science sheet

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If it’s still snowing in your area, don’t fret. Spring will be here sooner or later, along with those awful hay fever symptoms. You know the ones: itchy eyes, scratchy throat, and runny nose, constant sneezing. Bet you can’t wait for that fun to start. But wait! You don’t have to take those chemicals that interrupt your body’s hormones. There are all natural solutions that can take care of all but the most severe allergy sufferers.

Here are the top 7 all natural solutions to help you spring your way through spring time.

1. Neti Pots

Although they look striking and unusual, Neti pots have been around for years and they are quickly becoming a normal part of American society. Neti Pots use a saline solution to naturally flush out mucus, as well as the pollen, dust, and other allergens that are causing the problems.

Although you can buy saline solution at your local drugstore, you can make you own solution. Use about one teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt to two cups of water. Fill the Neti pot with the warm, purified salt water. Tilt your head to one side then pour the water into one nostril until it comes out the other side. Then repeat this process with the other nostril.

Some people don’t like pouring water through their nose; however, this is one of the most effective methods for fighting allergies since it’s the pollen or dust you have inhaled through your nose that is causing you all those annoying symptoms. Find out other ways to unclog your nose.

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2. Eat Some Spicy Foods

Ok, this method will only relieve your symptoms temporarily but it does work in a pinch.

Think horseradish sauce, wasabi, hot and spicy brown mustards, not to mention chili peppers or a sauce that contains chili peppers, such as tobacco sauce, or Chinese chili paste, anything that will make you sweat and make your eyes water. Read more about a secret spice that can add years to your life.

However, if you have stomach issues, or if you have a delicate stomach, you might want to use this option as a last resort.

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3. Honey

Now you might not believe that something as pleasant as honey could relieve allergy symptoms, however there is a lot of mounting evidence that honey can do just that.

Since bees make honey from the pollen that they collect from flowers, it’s interesting to note that it’s believed that eating honey will improve your immune response to these same pollens, a lot like the way a flu shot works.

Whether this actually works long term or not, there don’t seem to be many, if any, studies to prove it but, what the heck, since when is eating honey a bad thing?

4. Tea or Coffee

Don’t believe it?

Consider this; first, inhale the steam from the boiling water for your tea that alone is enough to help clear up some of your symptoms, but an actual scientific study done at the National Center for Biotechnology found that ingredients in green tea prevent the release of histamines in your body.

Histamines are what cause you all that sneezing and itching.

Peppermint tea has long been used as a natural decongestant, while both coffee and tea have caffeine, which can reduce the swelling of your nasal passages. So drink up!

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5. Steam

Many people who suffer from hay fever find that a simple hot shower or bath is enough to help clear out their sinuses.

If that’s not available, you can always steam some water in a pot on the stove, or even a bowl of water in a microwave, drape a towel over your head and breathe deeply.

You can add a few drops of an essential oil such as peppermint, lavender, or eucalyptus to enhance the effect.

Aroma Oil In Bottles With Lavender, Pine And Mint

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6. Essential Oils

As mentioned above, essential oils added to some steaming water are a great way to relieve congestion. Eucalyptus oil is perhaps one of the most used oils for this purpose.

If you notice you will find this oil in cough drops and throat lozenges as a natural remedy to help clear congestion.

Use the steam method as mentioned above or try a candle type of diffuser to fill the entire room with some much needed allergy relief.

Be careful not to put essential oils directly on your skin since they are highly concentrated, they can irritate and create a burning sensation.

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7. Herbal Supplements

There are a variety of plants that people have relied on over the ages to help stop their allergy symptoms, and nowadays many of them are sold in a capsule form over the counter in almost all health food stores.

Some of the most commonly used herbal supplements are goldenseal, stinging nettle, ginkgo biloba, eyebright, and butterbur.

Consult your doctor before you take any herbal supplement to be sure there are no drug interactions.

Sources:

Abcnews.go.com

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