9 Best Natural Remedies for Seasonal Allergy Relief

Seasonal allergies are miserable. They take the fun out of what is otherwise a fun transition in season. Many people suffer from one or more types of seasonal allergies. In fact, 1 in every 4 person suffers from some type of allergic disorder.
This can range from enduring rashes at height of summer heat or suffering from runny noses during cold months. Luckily, there are a number of natural remedies you can depend on to get relief from your seasonal allergy.

But first, what really causes seasonal allergies?

Allergy is your immune system’s response to certain triggers, be it from air, water, food and other sources. It’s your body reacting to different allergens. Its effects can be very minimal or it can be severe that it can even cause death.

How symptoms of allergy start?

Allergic disorders happen when your body responds to a usually harmless substance negatively. This reaction often includes constriction of the bronchial tubes, mucus secretion, and increased vascular permeability – severe reactions can sometimes result to death or other complications.
There are trigger variations, but one thing is certain, if your body’s first immune response is not enough to contain your body’s reaction, further activation of leukocytes and Type 2 T helper cells will occur. This stronger immune response is what people often call severe allergic reaction, and it manifests in any of the following symptoms:

• fatigue (sometimes extreme)
• shortness of breath
• rashes and skin bumps
• hay fever (runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion)
• nasal drip
• digestive upset and nausea
• eczema
• asthma
• anaphylaxis – rapid in onset and may cause death

Yes, there are extreme allergies that may take your life and there are some, seasonal ones that just cause discomfort. And those simple allergies are what we intend to solve with natural remedies.
Check the following natural remedies against seasonal allergies you can find right in your home.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

Top on our list is ACV. It has ton of health benefits and have been a regular member list of natural remedies you can use, and that’s actually a good thing. Apple cider vinegar is reliable in treating many health problems, and that includes allergy.
Why is it effective? Apple cider vinegar is able to reduce mucous production and cleanse the lymphatic system.

2. Wash Your Nostrils

This simple method of washing your nostrils can prevent much of the offending allergen to enter your airways.

Neti Pot

Using a neti pot to rinse debris or mucus from your nasal cavity is one natural remedy. It might be scary to pour things on your nose, but many people swear of its effectiveness. It is assumed that you flush out allergens from your sinuses when you use a neti pot that contains a sterile saline solution. Remember not to use tap water because it may have parasites along with it.
To Use:
Buy an already-made saline rinse or make your own solution. For your own solution, dissolve 1 teaspoon of Himalayan or plain sea salt in 1/4 boiled, distilled water. Let it cool down completely before putting it in the neti pot. Pour the solution in one nostril and then let it drain out from the other.

Saline Spray

Saline nasal spray is another natural remedy for allergen attacks. So if you don’t want to use a neti pot, you can take this spray as an alternative. This spray helps in soothing nasal cavity inflammation and in opening airways. Also, you can buy it without prescription.
To Use:
Use saline spray regularly by spraying it directly into your nostrils. You can do this whether you are experiencing symptoms or not.

3. Quercetin

Quercetin is a plant pigment, or bioflavonoid, that is found in many foods such as apples and berries. It is found to aid in the stabilization of mast cells, keeping them from histamine release. Furthermore, it is a great antioxidant that helps in reducing inflammation. In fact, many people start using quercetin weeks before the allergy season to prevent any symptoms.
However, it is important to keep in mind that you should ask your doctor about using it, most especially if you have or are one of the following: liver problem, pregnant, or on hormonal contraceptives.

4. Nettle Leaf

Another natural antihistamine that effectively blocks the body’s ability to produce histamine is nettle leaf. Although it grows in many different places and can be made into a tea, it is best to take it in capsules.
If you want to drink it as a tea to soothe your allergy symptoms, it’s better to combine it with other herbs such as peppermint leaf and raspberry leaf.

5. Probiotics

When there’s an imbalance in the immune system, our body becomes strongly reactive to stimuli, causing allergies. In fact, studies found that there’s an indirect relationship between the amount of beneficial bacteria in the gut and the number of allergy incidence. Evidence further shows that presence of bacteria in a mother’s gut during pregnancy and nursing has a significant effect on the child’s probability of developing allergies throughout his or her life.
With this knowledge, it is therefore best for us to consume a variety of foods that can help improve our gut bacteria. We should also take probiotic supplements.

6. Local Honey

Even though there aren’t enough scientific studies to back this up, many people claim that consuming honey from where you live helps your body to adapt to the environmental allergens found there. It is supposed that the local honey acts like an allergy shot with no downside.

7. Anti-inflammatory Foods

Anti-inflammatory foods (teas and spices, too) may have a function in lessening unpleasant allergy symptoms. One 2016 study that was published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found that orally taken ginger helps reduce sneezing, congestion and mast cell response among mice subjects. Moreover, studies involving green tea showed similar results. Hence, why not increase your intake of food and drinks that have herbs and spices now?

8. Diet Changes

Believe it or not, it is oftentimes that changes in our diet could be the solution to our allergy problems. Little by little, change your diet into a healthier one. You’d be surprised of its wonderful effects!

9. Gut Testing

If you have persistent allergies and you think that your gut is the main culprit, consider getting yourself tested in order to see what is really going on in your gut and find solutions to whatever problem it has. You can either go to a doctor or lab to get tested, or you can buy and use advanced home testing kits.