Natural Remedies for Spring Allergies
Achoo! Excuse me.
Seeing all the plants turn green and flowers starting to bloom should be a reason to celebrate. If you’ve got bad allergies though, these new signs of life can fill you with dread. Spring means pollen and that means wheezing, sneezing, and a runny nose.
Thankfully there are some awesome natural remedies out there that can help you breathe easier.
Butterbur Extract
It’s got a funny name and an even funnier nickname (Sweet Coltsfoot), but this odd plant can do some pretty great stuff.
When taken as an extract four times a day, it’s been shown to be as effective as some popular antihistamines when fighting hay fever. As an added bonus, this plant doesn’t cause drowsiness like some popular allergy medicines!
Saline Nasal Spray
While this is a bit more manual that simply taking a butterbur extract, using a saline nasal spray to flush out and irrigate your nasal cavities can be very helpful. It’s a little gross sounding, I admit, but it’s definitely useful
By using a spray, you’ll be flushing out dust and pollen, thinning mucous, and reducing inflammation. It’s a triple-whammy in terms of dealing with allergy symptoms and all while using a simple saline solution.
Something Spicy
Here’s a favorite remedy of mine – spicy food. The heat from spicy things like cayenne, Tabasco, and Sriracha all help thin mucous and clear out the nasal passages.
Of course, this isn’t an “on-the-go” sort of solution – unless you carry a bottle of hot sauce around – but it can be a great way to get some relief while enjoying a nice spicy dish.
Preventative – Watching What You Eat
If the pollen in the air makes your eyes water and nose stuff up, it’s also important to watch what you eat. Why? About 1/3 of people who suffer from traditional allergies also suffer from oral allergies.
You see, proteins in certain fruits and vegetables are close enough to pollen that they can trigger a similar allergy response. For example, zucchini, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, melons, and Echinacea all are similar to ragweed and can cause a reaction.
So if you suffer from ragweed, birch pollen, grass, or even latex rubber allergies, you should check out this list of possible cross-reactive foods that could be causing you problems.
Thanks to WebMD for all the great articles: Natural Allergy Relief, Natural Allergy Relief: Saline Nasal Sprays, Foods That May Worsen Pollen Allergies.
Remember, that if your doctor has recommended a certain allergy medication, always defer to their judgment and consult with them before starting any natural remedies.
Looking for best practices for keeping an allergy free home or more information about dealing with pollen and Spring allergies?
