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Remedies
Welcome to the remedy section of this website. Click the links below to get more specific helpful cures to your allergies.
Studies have shown that yoga reduces allergic reactions, improves your respiratory system’s stamina, and drains mucus from your lungs. Here is a simple yoga exercise: sitting on the floor with your legs in front of you, raise your arms above your head, stretch toward the ceiling and inhale. Now bend forward and exhale, reaching for your toes while keeping your back straight. Gently hold this position for a few moments, then release. Repeat three times.
Research has shown that a daily 1,200 mg. dose of the antioxidant quercetin can prevent immune system cells from releasing histamine and triggering allergy attacks. And another antioxidant, Vitamin C, may do the same thing – Arizona State University researchers say taking just 2,000 mg. of Vitamin C daily during allergy season can slash histamine levels 40%.
If you’re already suffering, consider the homeopathic zinc spray Zicam. It’s usually marketed as a cold remedy, but studies are showing it’s also highly effective against allergies. In fact, research suggests that women are 10 times more likely to be cured of allergy symptoms if they take Zicam for four weeks – making it as effective as many prescription medication.
Research further suggests that while the antihistamines Claritin and Allegra ease allergies for about half of sufferers, prescription nasal sprays like Flonase (fluticasone) and Nasonex (mometasone) are far better at shutting down nasal symptoms such as congestion, itching, sneezing and dripping.
Doctors report that nasal sprays work for an incredible 95% of patients who try them. They can be used as needed, instead of having to take them daily for months on end. Start when your symptoms strike, and you’ll see dramatic improvements in just five days.
If your doctor recommends allergy shots, (an allergy blood test will usually be able to pinpoint the allergy culprit) by all means get them. Allergy shots are a natural healer similar to, for instance, flu shots. Consisting of tiny amounts of the substances which you’re allergic, they stimulate your body to develop immune cells to protect you.
Not many of us can leave town during the pollen season. It would help if your can install air conditioning in your apartment, house and car to remove allergens from your environment. To help alleviate your runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing and headache, an over-the-counter antihistamine can dry up your runny nose and itchy eyes. Decongestants will unclog your throat and lungs, and aspirin or other formulas will relieve fever.
Cats, dogs, horses and other animals are a common allergy problem. It’s not their hair that you’re allergic to, but animal dander, a kind of dandruff that floats in the air around them. Animal saliva, too, can cause skin rashes when an animal licks you. If you have pets already, allergy shots and medications might help. If you don’t have pets – keep your distance from pets, zoos and even fur coats.
A form of fungus, mold and mildew hang out in dark, dank places like basements, heating ducts and refrigerators, where they release microscopic spores that you inhale. If you’re allergic, you can react with anything from respiratory problems to itchy skin. Some solutions: Get a dehumidifier for your damp basement and a home air cleaner to filter spores and other allergens from the air. Wipe out refrigerator mold with a mildew-fighting cleanser. Dump moldy leftovers and don’t eat “moldy” foods like mushrooms, sauerkraut, sharp cheeses, beer and wine.
No mere dirt, house dust is actually an amazing assortment of minute particles of bug fragments, mold spores, bits of plastic and a lot more. Dust is really a menace in the winter when your windows are closed and your furnace is fanning dust everywhere. Your best defense is a clean house. Wear a dust-filtering mask while you clean and open the windows for a while if it’s not too cold. Better yet, get someone else to clean for you.
Dust mites are microscopic creatures that live in our upholstered furniture, mattresses, linens and carpets. We inhale their excrement and dead carcasses, itching and sneezing if we’re allergic. Researchers have proven that there are significantly more allergens in synthetic pillows than in feather ones. If you put away your beloved feather pillow when the pros started promoting the benefits of foam, now’s the time to change back to feather ones. It’s rare that goose or duck down can cause an allergic reaction. Also, be sure and vacuum your floors and wash your linens frequently to get rid of dust mites. Sprinkle tannic acid and benzyl benzoate powder, available at your drugstore, on your carpets and furniture.
You can be allergic to what you eat. Skin rashes, swelling of the mouth and lips, and asthma are common reactions. Experts say eating certain foods can worsen or even trigger, allergy attacks in pollen-sensitive people – a phenomenon known as cross-reactivity. If you’re allergic to grass pollen, then the proteins in celery and potatoes can trigger the same allergic reaction. And if ragweed causes symptoms, you could make them worse by eating bananas, cantaloupe or watermelon. Further studies suggest eating apples or pears can worsen symptoms for people allergic to tree pollens like birch, alder and hazelnut. Further zeroing in on the exact allergy culprit isn’t always easy, however. Test yourself for food allergies through an “elimination diet”. First, narrow down the suspects. Likely prospects are wheat, milk, sugar, eggs, soy, yeast, corn, salt and the food additive MSG (monosodium glutamate). Eliminate the possibilities from your diet for four to seven days, then gradually reintroduce them, one food per day. If symptoms appear, you’ve found a problem food. Continue until you’ve gone through your whole list. Then try to avoid your allergic foods altogether. Check labels to make sure that they aren’t an ingredient in other foods. Use food substitutes like soy milk, a soy concoction available at most supermarkets and health food stores.
Water loosens mucus in your lungs, making it easier to breathe. Coffee may help relax your bronchial passages. A study showed that drinking one to three cups of coffee every day may reduce asthma symptoms.
Eucalyptus and thyme herb teas help relieve congestion. Steep one ounce of leaves per cup of boiling water. An herbal poultice can relieve skin inflammation. An herbal poultice can relieve skin inflammation. Mash fresh thyme leaves with a little water into a paste, apply it to your skin, cover with a cloth and sit back and rest for about 30 minutes before washing it off. But test first in a small area of skin to make sure you’re not allergic!
A mist vaporizer can help relieve congestion and keeps irritants from entering your lungs. So can misting your bathroom with warm water from the shower.
A massage can help clear mucus from your nose and throat. Ask a friend or family member to do this for you: While you lie flat on your back on a surface like a table where your head can be lower than your feet, he or she should gently tap the area above the chest, which loosens phlegm, and follow with long, gentle strokes away from your chest and toward your throat to move the phlegm out. Try chamomile or melissa oil as your massage lotion. They are absorbed through your skin and help clean out allergy-related toxins.
Sinus congestion can be relieved through acupressure, a form of Chinese medicine that activates certain points on your body. Closing your eyes, place two fingertips between your eyes and eyebrows along the bridge of your nose in line with your sinuses. Slowly massage in firm circles. Or try reflexology. Massage the pads on the bottom of your feet below your big toes for relief to your bronchial passages.
Lying down will probably make your allergy symptoms worse. It’s better to sit up straight or even lean forward a little bit, giving your nasal passages a chance to drain.
Emotional stress can prompt an asthma attack. Learn to relax.