How to manage seasonal allergies

Dealing with seasonal allergies

The leaves outside the window have turned from green to gold, and fallen from the tree. The winds have strengthened, and brought with them the smells of autumn. What a wondrous time it is. But the fall winds do not just bring change, they unfortunately bring with them seasonal allergies. The searing heat of summer has given way to the cooler but equally dreaded allergy season.

Anyone that experiences seasonal allergies is familiar with the symptoms and the minutes of the day lost to sneezing, wheezing and coughing. The swelling, the redness, the aggravation; these are the trials of autumn. For those of us that do not like those groggy feelings that our over the counter seasonal allergies treatment provides, there are some interesting options available.

Natural remedies for seasonal allergies

Muy Caliente!

If your stomach is a stronger unit than your suffering nasal passages, then give spicy foods a try. Ingredients such as cayenne, garlic or hot ginger stimulate your nasal passages and thin out mucous. With thinner mucous and clearer nasal passages, you will be a bit freer to breathe. Just a sniff of hot sauce is enough to give nearly instant relief. Always test the ingredients before you try them, and if you enjoy hot food this is a welcome treatment for your seasonal allergies.

Butterbur

Butterbur has long been an herbal treatment used by many wives and mothers, and has been passed down for centuries. We all know that many "wives' tales" are just that, tales. This treatment has some preliminary backing by science however. Studies performed by the Alternative American Journal (2001) and by the British Medical journal (2001) showed that the active ingredients in butterbur had similar relief to the ingredient cetirizine, the active ingredient in many over the counter allergy medicines. The relief occurred after two weeks of treatment. Another advantage of butterbur was that it did not have the sleep inducing side effects of cetirizine. Before taking this medicine, make sure to check with your doctor to ensure there is no conflict with any medications you are taking. When buying butterbur, make sure to buy it from a reputable dealer and speak with someone with a good knowledge of herbs or supplements before buying.

Further steps

Make sure to keep all of your furniture coverings are kept clean and your carpet is vacuumed and the bags are cleaned or changed regularly. If you have tile or hardwood floors, keep them swept and mopped to ensure that allergens don't have a place to hide or take root.

Allergens are quite pesky and can pop up at any time to ruin your day. There is nothing worse than watching that brisk autumn breeze carry the golden browns and cherry wood colors of the season across the yard, and having that charmed moment interrupted by that feared sneezing fit.

Best of luck with your allergies, and enjoy the season.

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