Allergies Anyone??

With this inclement weather over (hopefully), we are looking at spring moving in pretty quickly. With all of the beautiful things that spring has to offer, there is one thing that many people do NOT look forward to….allergies. With all of those budding flowers and flourishing trees, comes the sneezing and the headaches and the stuffiness. Well, before you reach for that Claritin, try some natural allergy relief. 

First, we should probably understand why allergies happen. Allergies occur because your body sees whatever the allergen is as a threat. Let’s say you are allergic to pet dander. When you breathe in said pet dander your immune system is ready for a fight. Your antibodies get thrown into production to get rid of the dander and then they alert mast cells. These blood cells release histamine that cause inflammation. Tissue around small blood vessels tightens, fluid escapes and That’s how you end up with an allergic reaction.

In addition to natural remedies, I couldn’t live without my Isotonix ORAC, OPC-3, Vitamin C, which are all natural antihistamines.  I also take Curcumin every day as well aloe which is always a natural immune system builder since it’s anti-viral, anti-fungal and has over 200 nutrients.

Local honey – You have probably heard that local honey can help your allergies but do you know why? It is like a gradual vaccination against your local allergens. Honey contains many of the same pollen spores that cause such horrible allergies during blooming season. Taking these spores into the body in small amounts by eating honey should help the body get used to their presence and decrease your body’s histamine reactions.

Tumeric also aids in relieving allergies. Here is a quick recipe using honey: In a clean glass jar put 6 tablespoons uncooked honey and 6 tablespoons powdered turmeric. Stir until the turmeric is well mixed into the honey. When you feel your allergy symptoms coming on, you can eat one teaspoon of this honey 4 or 5 times a day. It will help to reduce your inflammatory reaction.

Neti pot (nasal saline rinse) – Nasal irrigation is the personal hygiene practice in which the nasal cavity is washed to flush out excess mucus and debris from the nose and sinuses.

Drink more fluids – fluids can help thin your mucous in your nasal passage, helping to give some relief. Fluids also help your body detox more quickly, which is always a good thing.

Take a shower – If the allergies outside are bothering you, they are going to continue bothering you inside as well. When you come in from a day outdoors, you still have the allergens on your clothing, body and hair. Take a shower and throw a load of laundry in to keep your home your safe haven.

Acupuncture – Don’t just lay back and take meds, find natural ways to fight back and for goodness sakes take supplements like Isotonix.  They can make seasonal changes smooth and without nasty allergies.

I hope these tips help you survive the spring!