Gain Clarity and Wisdom from Seasonal Spring Allergies

Spring is a time for renewal, but for people who suffer from seasonal allergies, it can mean renewed suffering due to constant sneezing, a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes. Fortunately there are healthy, drug –free alternatives for treating and alleviating these symptoms if you are willing to make changes in your diet, lifestyle and state of mind.

 

  

Daily Diligence

• Avoid tobacco smoke and alcohol, which irritate the lungs and eyes. Alcohol increases the production of mucous.
• Spend as little time as possible outdoors and keep windows and doors shut during the day. If you must be outdoors, limit it to the morning and evening rather than midday, when grasses pollinate.
• Upon coming in from outside, shower and wash your clothes to remove pollen.
• Avoid doing yard work; if you do, wear a mask and goggles.
• Avoid hanging laundry outside; pollen gathers on clothing and linens.
• Keep pets inside or outside; they bring pollen indoors with them.
• Buy a good-quality air purifier and filter

Herbal Help

• Place slices of cool cucumber over the eyes to help relieve itchy, red eyes; alternate them with steeped, cooled black tea bags.
• Place eucalyptus oil in a humidifier and inhale its vapor or add it to your bath water to help relieve congestion; the oil is available at health food stores.
• Use a Neti Pot, an Ayurvedic device that helps cleanse allergens from the mucous membranes in the nose, providing relief from sinus congestion. Also available at health food stores.
• Eyebright, yarrow and stinging nettle liquid extracts help relieve hay fever symptoms; 20-30 drops twice daily is recommended.
• Take 1,000 mg of the flavonoids Hesperidin and Quercitin, which provide an antihistamine effect.

Dietary Do’s

• Consume magnesium-rich foods such as bananas, kidney beans, soybeans, almonds and brown rice.
• Horseradish is excellent for a runny nose and congestion. Use it as much as you can stand, as a condiment.
• Eat foods rich in sulphur, such as onions, and garlic, which help thin mucous.
• Consume yogurt. Homemade yogurt is ideal but any soured products consumed three times per week can greatly reduce the incidence of hay fever attacks, particularly those exacerbated my grass pollens.
• Avoid cakes, pies, chocolate, coffee, dairy products, canned or packaged foods, soda pop, sugar, white flour products or any junk food; they suppress the immune system.