Besides shutting out the breeze or buying a netipot, there are other natural ways to combat seasonal allergies. Let me list thy ways!
- Quercetin: This natural chemical is said to act like an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory. Histamine in the body causes the symptoms related to allergies. Quercetin can be found in tea, red wines, onions and apples as well as supplement form.
- Butterbur: Similar to antihistamines work on runny noses and congestion. Must be used as an extract! It’s compounds can be harmful to the liver.
- Acupuncture: I can personally recommend this for allergies as I used to have it done to my ears for that very reason. It reduces pain, eases swelling and lessens mucus.
- Honey: Though it shouldn’t be given to children under one, honey can soothe a throat that is sore from coughing.
- Spicy foods: Spicy food can clear congestion and thin mucus. The same is said for anything with heat such as a hot shower or running steam through the sink with a towel over your head.
- Bromelain: This natural enzyme comes from pineapple. It can ease inflammation and nose swelling. It can also help thin mucus. Check with your doctor first if you have high blood pressure or diabetes.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Also helps relieve heartburn! It’s able to relieve mucus production and cleanse the lymphatic system. There are so many benefits to apple cider vinegar like weight loss and as an aid to digestion.
- Nettle Leaf: Another natural antihistamine that can block the body from producing histamine. It grows in a wide array of places and can be made into a tea or tincture. Capsules of dried nettle are supposedly most effective for allergies.
The body is about balance. Allergies can cause eczema, fatigue and all sorts of unwanted things. A healthy gut (and gut testing) and healthy immune system (probiotics, vitamins) can do a lot of good for those torturous seasonal times.
