Need allergy relief? The following home
remedies are designed to help reduce the discomfort caused by the most
common allergies.
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Spring's pollens.
Summer's smog. Autumn's falling leaves. Winter's house dust. For
millions of Americans, each change of season brings its own brand of allergy triggers and irritants. For people with common hay fever
and allergies, these pollutants can bring on symptoms ranging from a
continuous, annoying postnasal drip to a full-scale, coughing
sneezing-itchy-eyed allergy attack. For other allergy sufferers, such as
those with allergic asthma or an allergy to bee stings, attacks can be
fatal.
While life-threatening allergies
are a matter of grave concern to discuss with your doctor, there are
many simple home remedies for common allergies that can alleviate some
of sniffling and sneezing. In this article, we will show you 27 safe and
effective home remedies to relieve your allergy symptoms using
time-tested methods and everyday materials. See the next page to get
started.
Use Saline Solution
A saline solution can cleanse your nose and relieve nasal allergy symptoms.
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Irrigating the nose with saline
solution (salt water) may help soothe upper respiratory allergies by
removing irritants that become lodged in the nose and cause inflammation. In fact, saline solution may even wash away some of the inflammatory cells themselves.
You can buy ready-made saline
solution at your local drugstore, or you can make your own fresh
solution daily by mixing a teaspoon of salt in a pint of warm, distilled
water and adding a pinch of baking soda. Bend over a sink and sniff a
bit of solution into one nostril at a time, allowing it to drain back
out through the nose or mouth; do this once or twice a day. (If you also
have asthma, however, check with your doctor before trying this remedy.)
Wash
Hot showers can help rinse off pollen and open up your sinuses.
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If you've spent long hours
outdoors during the pollen season, wash your hair to remove pollen after
you come inside. The sticky yellow stuff tends to collect on the hair,
making it more likely to fall into your eyes.
If you wake up in the middle of
the night with a coughing, sneezing allergy attack, a hot shower may
wash off any pollen residues you've collected on your body throughout
the day. (You might want to change your pillowcase, too.) It may also
help open up your sinuses, at least for a while, making breathing a little easier. The warm water may even help you relax and go back to sleep.
If your eyes are itchy and
irritated and you have no access to allergy medicine, rinsing your eyes
with cool, clean water may also help soothe them. Although not as
effective as an antihistamine, this remedy certainly can't do any harm.
Wash
Hot showers can help rinse off pollen and open up your sinuses.
Image Credit: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
If you've spent long hours
outdoors during the pollen season, wash your hair to remove pollen after
you come inside. The sticky yellow stuff tends to collect on the hair,
making it more likely to fall into your eyes.
If you wake up in the middle of
the night with a coughing, sneezing allergy attack, a hot shower may
wash off any pollen residues you've collected on your body throughout
the day. (You might want to change your pillowcase, too.) It may also
help open up your sinuses, at least for a while, making breathing a little easier. The warm water may even help you relax and go back to sleep.
If your eyes are itchy and
irritated and you have no access to allergy medicine, rinsing your eyes
with cool, clean water may also help soothe them. Although not as
effective as an antihistamine, this remedy certainly can't do any harm.
Beware of the Air
Breathing polluted air can make your
symptoms worse. Keep your windows closed on high-pollen and high-ozone
days and avoid cigarette smoke.
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Breathing polluted air can worsen symptoms. In fact, airborne toxins can actually cause allergies
in some people. If you suspect that air pollution triggers your
attacks, spend as little time outdoors as possible on smoggy days. When
you must go outside, wear a surgical mask, especially while exercising.
Don't expect miracles (the mask won't screen out all allergens) but it
may help you breathe a little easier.
Tobacco smoke is a notorious
irritant, either causing or aggravating respiratory allergies. Don't let
your friends and family foul the air with cigarettes, cigars, or pipes.
And, of course, if you still light up, stop it!
A fresh breeze blowing through an
open window on a spring day may sound inviting, but it's bad news for
an allergy sufferer, since it can fill the house with pollen. To
minimize contact with the powdery stuff, keep windows closed at all
times. Air purifiers, especially those with HEPA (High Efficiency
Particulate Air Filters) filters, may help eliminate indoor pollen, but
they also tend to stir up dust, which might worsen some allergies.
On a windy day in pollen season, a
pair of sunglasses (or your regular prescription eyeglasses, if you
wear them) may also help shield your eyes from airborne allergens. For
extra protection, try a pair of sunglasses with side shields or even a
pair of goggles.
Drink Peppermint Tea
Tea has been used for centuries as a remedy for nasal decongestion. However, use caution when giving peppermint tea to children.
Image Credit: Publications International, Ltd.
Allergy sufferers throughout the
centuries have turned to hot tea to provide relief for clogged-up noses
and irritated mucous membranes, and one of the best for symptom relief
is peppermint tea. Peppermint's benefits extend well beyond its delicious smell; the essential oil acts as a decongestant, and substances in peppermint contain anti-inflammatory and mild antibacterial constituents.
To make peppermint tea: Place 1/2
ounce dried peppermint leaves in a 1-quart jar. Fill two-thirds of the
jar with boiling water, and steep for five minutes. (You can inhale the
steam for added benefit). Let cool, strain, sweeten if desired, and
drink. (Note: Peppermint tea should be used with caution in children, as
the menthol in peppermint may cause them to choke.)
Breathing steam refreshes and
soothes irritated sinuses, and it helps rid the nasal passages of mucus.
While it takes some time, it will make you feel wonderful! Boil several
cups of water and pour into a big bowl (or a plugged sink). Lean
carefully over the bowl, and drape a towel over your head. Breathe
gently for 5 to 10 minutes.
When you're finished breathing
steam, use the water for a second purpose: Let the water cool until
warm, saturate a washcloth, and hold the cloth on your sinuses (to the
sides of your nose, below the eyes, and above the eyebrows).
Wash Your Pet
If you have pet allergies, be sure to wash your pet frequently.
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A little-known trick for dog or cat owners who are allergic to fur:
Bathe your pet frequently. Fido and Fifi produce allergy-causing
substances in their sweat and saliva that gets on their fur.
Fortunately, these allergens dissolve in water, so a warm bath can rinse
away the problem. If you're a cat owner and can't imagine bathing your
beloved feline for fear of being scratched near to death, take heart:
Some cats (though a minority, to be sure) purr when bathed. If you start
bathing your feline regularly when it's a kitten, chances are higher
that clean-up time will be a harmonious experience. Wash your cat in
warm water, with no soap, once every other week.
In addition to bathing your pet, try to wash your hands soon after you've had direct
Go Bare
Hardwood floors improve the value of your home and reduce indoor allergens.
Image Credit: Ivan Hunter
Carpets are notorious for being a
haven for dust mites (microscopic bugs that feed on the dead skin cells
we constantly shed and whose droppings spur allergies in millions of
people). Bare floors, vacuumed and damp-mopped frequently, will help
keep your home's dust-mite
population down (you can't get rid of them all). If you can't remove
all the carpeting in your home, at least opt for bare floors (if
necessary, use small, frequently laundered throw rugs) in your bedroom;
studies show the bedroom harbors more dust mites than any other room in
the home, and you probably spend about a third of your time there every
day.
When carpets can't be removed,
keeping them as clean as possible will help you breathe a bit easier.
But beware: Many vacuums blast small particles of dust back into the
air, leaving behind plenty of allergens to keep you sneezing and
wheezing. Use a vacuum
that has a built-in HEPA filter or attach a filter to the exhaust port
of your canister vac (uprights usually don't have an exhaust port). If
dust really bothers you and you've got the money, consider investing in
an industrial-strength vacuuming system. Some allergists recommend a
brand called Nilfisk, which has an excellent filtering system and
retails for about $500. To find out whether such products are
appropriate for you and where you can purchase filters or special
vacuums, talk to your allergist.
Dust mites
love a humid environment, which allows them to reproduce like crazy.
Invest in a dehumidifier or use an air conditioner, which works equally
well. A dehumidifier can also help prevent mold,
another allergen, from growing (just be sure to follow the
manufacturer's maintenance instructions). When cooking or showering,
take advantage of the exhaust fan, another way to help keep humidity to a
minimum.
If you're a hay fever
sufferer who also loves Japanese food, this remedy will please. Wasabi,
that pale-green, fiery condiment served with many Japanese dishes, is a
member of the horseradish family. Anyone who has taken too big a dollop
of wasabi (or plain old horseradish) knows that it makes sinuses and
tear ducts spring into action. That's because allyl isothiocyanate, a
constituent in wasabi, promotes mucus flow.
The tastiest way to get those
allyl isothiocyanates is by slathering horseradish on your sandwich or
plopping wasabi onto your favorite sushi. Another option -- although
harder to swallow -- is to purchase grated horseradish, and take 1/4
teaspoon to alleviate allergy symptoms.
Sometimes, the best way to reduce the discomfort of an allergy
is to avoid exposure to the allergen as much as possible. If you are
allergic to cats, for example, avoid visiting the homes of friends who
own them. If you must be around a cat, make the visit as short as
possible, avoid touching or picking up the animal, and wash your hands
when you leave.
Although in some areas it is
common to burn household and construction refuse, this may not be such a
wise idea. The smoke from burning wood that has been treated with heavy
metals or other chemical-laden materials can make anyone gag, but
people with allergies or asthma have ultrasensitive respiratory systems,
making them even more vulnerable. Also, think twice about any material
you burn in the fireplace. Of course, your best bet is to stay away from
the fireplace altogether when it's in use.
During pollen season,
a grass-allergic person is also better off letting someone else, anyone
else, mow the lawn. Call your local county extension service and find
out when the pollination season occurs in your area, then arrange for a
lawn-care company, friend, or relative to cut your grass during that
time. (As a rule of thumb, in many parts of the country, people who are
allergic to grass should avoid mowing between May and the Fourth of
July.)
For more information about allergies and allergies treatments, take a look at the next page.
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