Allergies are a frustrating part of life for many people, especially as the weather starts to warm up. When your body’s immune system overreacts to an environmental trigger, it can cause an allergic reaction – complete with symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, mouth, or skin, sinus congestion, and fatigue. These reactions can be triggered by allergens both indoors and out, including things like pollen, pet hair, mold, cigarette smoke, and perfumes.

Obviously, the first step to minimizing allergic reactions is to limit your exposure to potential allergens – but if that can’t be done, you might need to turn to alternative solutions to manage your symptoms. Over-the-counter medications can be effective, but there are often more effective natural treatments you can use to get your allergies under control.

Irrigate your nasal passages

This is a traditional healing practice that involves flushing your sinuses with a salt and water solution to clear out any allergens and irritants, helping you breathe better and reducing some of the more frustrating symptoms of allergies like sneezing and congestion. More doctors and health practitioners are starting to recommend this as an effective natural allergy treatment.

Use a Neti pot to pour a saline rinse into one nostril and let it drain through your nasal passages and out the other nostril. You can do this as often as you need to, to keep your passages clear.

Eat more probiotics

Since allergies are caused by an overreacting immune system, balancing the bacteria in the gut can help promote healthy immune function and prevent your body from responding too strongly to a stimuli. Research is showing that not only does this presence of bacteria help reduce allergic reactions, mothers can lower the likelihood that their child will develop allergies after birth by developing healthy gut bacteria during pregnancy.

You can boost your beneficial bacteria production with probiotic capsules, fermented foods, and yogurts. There are tons of probiotic products on the market, so find something that works for you.

Find local raw honey

This is widely considered one of the best ways to combat seasonal allergy symptoms. The theory is that if you can find honey produced as near to where you live as possible, consuming it will aid your body in adapting to the local allergens present in the surrounding environment. It’s most effective if you can do it before allergy season actually starts, so your body has time to build up a tolerance before the air fills up with pollen.

Just a spoonful of honey once or twice a day is enough to help your body adjust – and it tastes delicious, too!

Try acupuncture

While it is a bit weird to think about, the ancient Chinese practice of having hair-thin needles under your skin in specific parts of your body has proven to effectively manage allergy symptoms like sneezing, puffy eyes, and runny nose – even after the very first treatment. While experts haven’t come to a consensus on why this process is so effective, a popular theory is that acupuncture can help curb the inflammatory response of the body’s immune system, preventing that overreaction to allergens and irritants.

Herbs

There are a ton of herbal supplements that have proven to help the body fight allergy symptoms – and you probably already have a few of them in your cupboard. Green tea is a powerful natural antihistamine, so you can start drinking tea before allergy season hits, your body will be well-prepared to fight off any triggering stimuli.

Other supplements to look into are:

• Butterbur
• Licorice root
• Quercetin
• Nettle Leaf.

You can also incorporate spices like cinnamon and turmeric into your everyday cooking to help boost your immune system, giving your body a little extra power when allergy season hits.

Many antihistamines that are typically used to medically treat allergy symptoms do come with side effects and can become less effective as the season worsens or allergies change with time. Rather than up your dosage or try another prescription, consider trying some of these natural treatments to manage your allergy symptoms. Treating your allergies with natural solutions gives your body the power to heal itself, making you stronger and healthier while you minimize your allergic reactions.

Thank you to Sam Socorro who wrote this article. Sam is a guest author from Clearwells and is a respected and expert voice in a plethora of health related subjects with over 10 years of writing under her belt.

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