It’s that time a year again!! The sun is coming out slowly but surely, the snow will soon be melting the plants will be coming back to life, and that mean one thing to so many….ALLERGIES.
If you suffer with seasonal allergies — or any other environmental allergies — you might feel powerless as they pummel you with the likes of sneezing, wheezing, runny nose, sinus and chest congestion, red, itchy and watery eyes and itchy nose and throat. But you can arm yourself against allergies, so they don’t get the better of you.
Acute attacks of hay fever often respond to homeopathic remedies. Allergies are usually deep-seated problems, and are often best addressed with a constitutional remedy and the guidance of an experienced practitioner.
What other factors contribute to allergies?
•Eating habits during the first year of life
•Poor digestion
•Presence of parasites, worms, candida albicans and other bacteria
•Stress
•Environmental toxicity
•Low nutritional levels
•Excess or repeated contact with particular foods and substances
Symptom Relief
Nasal Irrigation
People can get amazing symptomatic relief just by clearing out the nasal passages. Nasal irrigation helps to immediately relieve pressure and congestion, as it flushes out mucus and irritants from your nasal passage.
Saline Nasal Rinse (To do it, grab a Neti Pot or a large squeeze bottle)
• Combine 1 quart of distilled or boiled (then cooled) water; 2 to 3 tsp sea salt; and 1 tsp baking soda.
•Put about 8 oz at a time in the Neti Pot or squeeze bottle and tilt your head forward over the sink while you pour/squeeze the solution in one nostril and let it drain out the other.
Control Allergens in the Air
Cool-Mist Humidifier
You might be tempted to pack up the humidifier now that spring is here. When it’s still a little cool at night and indoor humidity is low, using a cool-mist humidifier can help get allergens out of the air.
Water droplets bind to the allergens, and they get heavy and fall to the floor so you don’t inhale them.
Air Purifier with a HEPA Filter
Using a HEPA filter—especially in the bedroom—is the best way to remove spores and pollen from the air.
Probiotics
You probably associate probiotics—a.k.a. “good” bacteria, like that found in plain yogurt—with digestion, but they also play a role in keeping your immune system well balanced.
Since not all strains of probiotics are beneficial for the same thing, choose brands that contain:
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Acidophilus.
Honey
• Many patients swear that eating local honey (produced near where they live) really works.
• The bees eat the pollen that’s in your region of the country, then they produce the honey and you consume that, so it’s “kind of like a mini allergy shot.”
Helpful Hints
Add to your anti-allergy artillery by following a healthy, allergen-free diet. Leading up to — and during — your peak allergy season, avoid any known food sensitivities. Eat whole grains, such as brown rice, millet and quinoa, and a variety of fruits and veggies, having several servings of each a day.
Avoid sugar because just one teaspoon suppresses your immune system for about four hours — you need strong immunity in order to better fight off allergens.
Shy away from dairy foods and soy, as both encourage mucus production (you don’t want your sinuses or lungs to become more congested!), and take 1 teaspoon of high quality fish oil daily to help decrease allergy symptoms, such as congestion and runny nose.
When symptoms flare up, do nasal irrigation in the morning and at night.
Arm yourself with a healthy diet and natural remedies, and you’ll surely ease your allergies.
Allergy experiences are very individual to each person. What may be helpful to one person, may not be helpful to another. Now is the time to start preparing your body to deal with the upcoming season.
Book today to develop a treatment plan designed entirely for you!