Tis the season for allergies – tree and grass pollen are the most common culprits this time of year, with allergies to grass pollen being referred to as ‘Hay Fever’. If you’ve experienced hay fever, you’ve likely experienced some of the most common symptoms: itchy eyes, runny nose, and hives. Luckily you don’t have to suffer – if you simply incorporate some healthy habits and make the most of your herbal allies, you’ll be on the right track to reducing or eliminating those irritating symptoms of allergy. Here are some ways we can help:
Acupuncture:
Acupuncture is an effective treatment in relieving allergy symptoms and even preventing their onset. Acupuncture is said to be more effective when treatment begins before allergy season kicks into full force, but still effective enough to help relieve symptoms when they show up.
Herbs:
Stinging Nettle (Urtica Dioica) can help to reduce sneezing and itching in people with hay fever. This may be due to nettle’s ability to reduce the amount of histamine the body produces in response to an allergen. We recommend making an infusion of nettle, in which you pour hot water over the dried herb, and let steep over a longer period of time, even overnight if you wish. Once steeped, strain the herb, and drink as a tea. You could even make a large batch and store in the fridge for up to 3 days, so that you have some nettle tea on hand regularly throughout the day.
Diet & Lifestyle:
You can actually help your body clear inflammatory chemicals faster by making sure your liver, kidneys and lymphatic system are working efficiently. This includes drinking plenty of water (which also thins out mucus secretions), reducing dairy intake (which can lead to excess mucus) and regular exercise and stretching to get your lymph moving. You can eat foods that give your liver the nutrients it needs to process inflammation, such as bitter, leafy greens, garlic, beets, and cruciferous vegetables. Avoiding saturated fats and processed foods, and reducing your exposure to environmental chemicals is also a big part of detoxification.
Changing your diet and healing you gut can help reduce the allergic response tremendously, so if you have any other questions or need a plan to kick allergies before they hit this spring, contact us.
We hope by pointing out some more natural and preventative options for dealing with your allergies, that you’ll be able to breathe easier this Spring season!