How many times have you sneezed already? Need some natural allergy relief?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an allergy is a reaction of your immune system to something that does not bother most other people.
How do you get allergies?
Scientists think both genes and the environment have something to do with it. Normally, your immune system fights germs. It is your body’s defense system. In most allergic reactions, however, it is responding to a false alarm.
There are so many allergy medications on the market right now and many of them can have frustrating side effects. Natural remedies offer a more holistic approach, most of the time, without any side effects.
Here’s six to get you on your way!
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
Believe it or not, apple cider vinegar can help with allergies because of its ability to reduce mucous and sinus congestion. When reducing the effects of allergies, it can also help stave off sinus infections and their related symptoms (sore throats and headaches).
2. Acupuncture
Acupuncture can improve the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). It has also been associated with significant improvements in overall quality of life and a need for rescue medication.
3. Stinging Nettle (Nettle Leaf)
One preliminary human study suggested that nettle capsules helped reduce sneezing and itching in people with hay fever. Researchers think that may be due to nettle’s ability to reduce the amount of histamine the body produces in response to an allergen.
4. Massage
Massage therapists can help relieve some allergy symptoms by reducing stress, increasing circulation, releasing muscle tension and reprogramming the body’s panic reaction, which can exacerbate symptoms. Regular massage as well as reflexology can help.
5. Local, Raw Honey or Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is often referred to as nature’s perfect food and is responsible for many health benefits including providing allergy relief and boosting the immune system.
Local honey will contain that bee pollen. Shopping for local honey allows you to ingest the local pollen that you are allergic too, therefore building up your immunity to local pollen.
6. Aromatherapy
Essential oils can help alleviate the symptoms of allergies and strengthen the immune system. While all essential oils contain a complex mix of healing chemical compounds with various therapeutic effects, only specific oils such as chamomile, frankincense, thyme, and eucalyptus have been clinically indicated for the treatment of allergies.
I have used a lot of these methods for treating other ailments, like sore throat. I definitely see how this could be helpful for treating allergies, because it treating the body as a whole, not just symptoms. Obviously, if you are suffering from allergies, your body is having an underlying problem, and these holistic treatments might just be able to get at that.
Hi Kayla – yes, amazingly these methods could help with all sorts of things besides allergies. Holistic therapies are fantastic because of that! Thank you Kayla!