Home Remedies for Allergies
 | As many of you (unfortunately) know, allergy season is in full swing! Sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, cough, and the dreaded sinus infection... no doubt, allergies are the worst! Here are some simple things you can do at home to take the edge off your allergies this year (or banish them all together). |
Quercetin
This remarkable flavonoid comes from certain fruits and vegetables. It is highest in apples and onions, but not high enough to have a big effect on allergies - to get the right dose, it should be taken as a supplement. Quercetin has anti-histamine properties, and it’s also anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogenic (meaning it helps prevent cancer). That makes it a great overall nutrient for a healthy immune response - during allergy season, or any time of the year.
Vitamin C
That's right - plain-old Vitamin C is actually a great nutrient for allergy relief. It is a natural antihistamine and has immune-regulating properties. Plus it can help stave off those allergy-gone-sinus-infections that can make this time of year especially miserable for folks who are prone to sinus issues!
Nettles
Stinging nettles are good for more than just a jab in the hand while weeding your garden! Those leaves contain phytochemicals that help lower your allergic response. In addition, they contain TONS of vitamins and minerals - Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, and B6, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, selenium, and manganese!
To make a nutrient-rich anti-allergy tea, nettle leaves should be dried (gloves on when you pick these!) and the dried leaves simmered on low heat for around 15 minutes, to extract the full mineral benefits.
Local Honey
What better way to get your immune system accustomed to local pollens than to eat tiny amounts in delicious raw local honey? Unfiltered honey contains small amounts of pollens from flowers that grow near hives where local bees live. This means that every time you eat local honey, you are exposed to the pollens that are growing in the area. This is a form of immunotherapy which works off of the same basic idea as allergy shots - getting your system used to pollens a little bit at a time.
Because bees mostly like to collect nectar (and, therefore, pollen) from flowers, local honey works best for people with allergies to flowers such as daisies, cone-flower, dandelion, and mums.
Homeopathy
There are several homeopathic remedies that are helpful for allergies. Each one is used for a different type of allergic reaction - one remedy may be used for watery eyes that are itchy and burn, while another is used for a constantly runny nose that irritates the upper lip and makes you sneeze like crazy when you go into a warm room. It’s always best to only use homeopathic remedies that are recommended by a qualified homeopath or ND - let them do the detective work for you!
That's just a short list of things that can help you cruise through allergy season this year. Many other things, including specific allergy testing, immune-modulating herbs, detoxification of the liver and digestion, getting pollens and other allergens out of the home, and eating a diet high in histamine-busting phytonutrients can help keep you allergy free all year.
Want more information about our head-to-toe allergy cleanse and immune-rebalance program? Call 248-397-4664 to set up an appointment or a free 15 minute phone consult today.
