Itchy, watery eyes. A constant runny nose. A ridiculous amount of sneezing.
The quintessential symptoms of allergies. I have them. All of them. In a way that I haven’t experienced since childhood. I’ve taken to counting how many times I sneezing a day. (Spoiler alert – it is never less than 25.) My doctor informed me that women often peak for allergies symptoms twice in their lives: as children (yes, it was miserable) and in their late 30’s to early 40’s. Guess what? That’s me. And to top it all off, I live in one of the worst ‘allergy-inducing’ states in the country – Missouri.
The good news: I was given quite a bit of advice.
The better news: It is helping.
Five Holistic Remedies for Allergy Relief
1) Honey: While I don’t know the science behind this, it was recommended I eat locally produced honey. The theory being, the bees that make the honey are eating pollen in your region of the country. When you, in turn, consume the honey, it is almost like a baby-allergy shot. (This was my favorite piece of advice)
2) Saline Nasl Rinse: This advice always came with the qualifier, “I know it may sound gross, but… it works”. This flushes your sinuses with a saltwater solution, which can help wash away allergens and irritants. You can use grab a Neti Pot or a large squeeze bottle, like the one made by NeilMed, and fill it with a premixed packet of saline solution (available at drugstores) or make your own solution. As you tilt your head forward over the sink, you squeeze or pour the solution in one nostril and let it drain out the other. (Take a deep breath in and breathe out as you do it)
3) Experiment with eliminating allergy-inducing foods and drink like gluten and even wine. Not easy to do, but I know many people for whom this made all the difference.
4) Use an Air Purifer with A HEPA Filter: Put this in your bedroom. It is a great way to remove pollen and other allergy inducing materials from the air.
5) Steam Inhalation: This can work well for serious congestion. The recipe was offered to me by a reader: Bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove. Remove the pot from the stove. Put 3 drops eucalyptus essential oil, 3 drops rosemary essential oil, 2 drops myrtle essential oil and 2 drops tea tree essential oil into the water. Put a bath towel overybath towel over the saucepan (keep your face just far enough away from the steam to avoid burns) and inhale deeply for 5 to 10 minutes. You can do this one to three times a day. If you are looking for additional ways to incorporate essential oils, we have some thoughts for you.
Hope you feel better!
Great post!! Yes, I think all of those work well! I live in a state with high allergens as well. Certain times of year is just brutal! I do all of those things except for HONEY!!! I am going to have to find local honey now!! Great idea. Also, one thing I do that really helps is…..drink BRAGGS apple cider vinegar 3 times a day. It totally clears my congestion as if I had a dayquil. It is pretty amazing, you will love the results. It is pretty tough to take because it is potent and can burn a little but the health benefits are really amazing. Saw your post through the brag about it link party! thanks so much for the tips. pinned:)
My allergies have been getting bad again in the fall over the past few years (ever since we moved back to Indiana…hmm…) and to top it off this year I’m pregnant and my sinuses always go crazy then, so I definitely need to try these out! …Except the nase rinse/spray. I refuse. lol Stopping by from This is How We Roll link up.
That is a GREAT tip about eating local honey! WOW! Now I have an excuse to go to the farmers market next weekend! (Like I need one, but still!)
All super great suggestions! THANK YOU!!!
My son and husband both are prone to allergies. And the reasons are so varied that eliminating the root cause, at time, becomes just out of reach. However the remedies like the ones mentioned in your post can come handy. Thanks DANIELLE for sharing them!
-Anagha From Team MocktailMommies
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The honey suggestion is interesting and I’m going to have to try it. My youngest son has allergies and he eats honey, just not local. Also, my grandmother used a neti pot and hardly ever got sick.