Are you feeling the effects of seasonal allergies? In the last few weeks, there’s been enough sneezing, puffy and watery eyes, and thick green mucus (sorry, it’s true), in our home to turn things into a science lab of concoctions with the hope of alleviating these miserable symptoms. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you may be having some difficulties right now too due to high amounts of pollen or other allergies to weeds, trees or molds.
“A seasonal allergy is an allergic reaction to a trigger that is typically only present for part of a year, such as spring or fall. This type of allergy refers to a pollen allergy, such as trees, weeds and grasses” (allergies.about.com). While everything in our environment can cause allergy issues all year long, Pollen from trees is the most typical springtime allergy, while grass if usually most offensive for summer allergy sufferers. Allergens such as pollen are airborne and carried by the wind, where we then inhale these particles through our mouth and nose.
“What starts as simple itching and sneezing can turn into something much more serious. As your allergies worsen, your nasal passages and sinuses become swollen and congested. This can lead to a sinus infection. The infected mucus draining from your sinuses can drip into your stomach and, if you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), cause symptoms to act up. And if this mucus drips down the trachea into your lungs, it can irritate your lungs and your airways.
If you have asthma, it can flare up and lead to bronchitis. If the mucus drips over your Eustachian tube, the tube that connects your middle ear to the outside of your head, the tube becomes clogged and you can’t equalize the pressure in your ear. This can lead to ear problems, such as decreased hearing from excess pressure in the ear, ear pain, or even ear infection” (Web MD).
Though we may not have the capability to completely eliminate the allergens that surround us, we can take natural steps towards preventing and treating these symptoms! There was recently an article from The New York Times that suggests the use of honey as a great preventative measure in reducing allergic response to seasonal allergies. How does that work?
The recommendation is based on a remedy that has long been used and recognized all around the world. According to this article, “Honeybees collect pollen from the very trees that are causing all the sneezing and runny noses. By taking a spoonful of honey daily, approaching and during allergy season, you inoculate yourself against the offending pollen and greatly reduce your allergic reaction.” The idea of why this works makes perfect sense to me – and we will be putting it into action immediately. There are other natural remedies for relieving allergy/sinus issues that can be beneficial, such as…
-bathing: take a bath or shower and always rinse off before getting into bed or after being outdoors
-Close your windows: By keeping windows shut, you can mininize the amount of pollen the can drift into your home
-do not line dry your clothes: Tough one for me, since I always do this in the summer. But when clothing or bedding is put on the line outside, the pollen can then collect on these fabrics
-stay indoors when pollen count is high (often early morning hours)
-air purifiers: Use an air purifying system in your bedroom and make sure to change the filter frequently
-neti pot, squeeze bottle or other irrigating system: a therapy that uses salt and water to clean out the nasal cavity as suggested by WebMD here.
-accupuncture
-de-stress: stress can do so many things to our body including weakening our immune systems which we need to properly fight off illness. Stress can lead to loss of sleep resulting in chronic fatigue and lowering our body’s ability to stay well. So – relax!
Now that you know there are several ways to be proactive with allergies…I hope you will find the relief you need and deserve! I know we will be utilizing many of these treatment options in our home! Do you have seasonal allergies too? If so, what do you do to help alleviate your symptoms? We would all love to know!!!
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My neti pot and I are best friends. A best friend I hide when my husband is in the vicinity because let me tell you, nothing kills romance like a woman with a teapot going up one nostril and water streaming out of the other.
All joking aside, even though I do not suffer from seasonal allergies, I have definitely felt the affects of the pollen in the air and the neti pot has helped with that. It also got me through my last months of my pregnancy with the younger boy, I was always so congested when pregnant and the neti pot helped me to breathe! It’s also great for when I have a cold, and I am convinced I was able to kick the flu virus out of my body TWICE by using the neti pot. Yay for neti!
We have cut back on Dairy, mainly milk….and that has seemed to help….as I suffer badly and noticed that Marcus does too.
I have a neti pot, just haven’t used it yet….still need to be brave and try it!