How to naturally battle spring allergies

Springtime is most certainly a time of rebirth, but along with nature breaking out in fresh green grass, leaves, and flowers, we sometimes get some unwelcome visitors:  common allergies that leave our heads stuffy and our eyes itchy. Before that last thaw happens (what’s up with all this snow in April!), follow these tricks in order to keep spring allergies at bay so you can truly smell the roses and actually enjoy them!

Drink apple cider vinegar “with the mother”

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) “with the mother” refers to the colony of beneficial bacteria that creates vinegar through a secondary process of fermentation. It looks stringy and makes the ACV look cloudy, but it helps break up the mucus in your body so you can breathe again. My favorite way to consume it is by dropping a dollop (about a 1/4 teaspoon) in about 8 ounces of water and sipping on it with a straw to avoid damaging the enamel on my teeth.  Other options are drinking a tablespoon of ACV in eight ounces of hot water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a tiny amount of raw honey. Look for organic ACV, such as Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar. Give it a try!

Go for the pro

Probiotics, that is! Keeping your gut bacteria healthy is a powerful way to support your immune system and to stop those pesky allergies from making you sneeze, cough, wheeze, and get all runny-eyed.  According to Dr. Donna Gates of Body Ecology:

“Probiotics have been proven effective in the remedy of these allergies:

• Birch pollen allergy in children
• Cedar pollen allergy in adults
• Eczema in infants and children”

Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi naturally contain probiotics, and kombucha is a great drink to help you soak up all the properties of probiotics.  If you can brew your own fermented probiotic-rich foods, all the better!  Homemade fruity kvass, for example, is quite tasty and very effective. 

Use a nasal irrigation tool

Some people swear by it while others are afraid to try it out, but nasal irrigation can bring you intense relief from spring allergies. I believe in using a neti pot or a bulb syringe when I sense that allergies want to try to make my life miserable.  The neti pot is a simple, natural, and effective tool to counter allergies, hay fever and upper respiratory tract trouble. Irrigating your nose might be a bit weird when you first try it, but with practice, you’ll reap the benefits and keep allergies at bay.

Get steamy

Steam up the bathroom with the hottest water your shower can emit, then hop on in. The steam helps clear out your sinuses and also enables you to rinse away the pollen that has landed on you while you’ve been outdoors. A word to the wise, though: hot water is incredibly drying for your skin, so be sure to moisturize as soon as you towel off.  A less intense method is to place boiling hot water in a bowl or sink, create a tent over your head with a towel, and inhale the steam from the hot water. You can get equally effective results by using the steam room or sauna at your gym or at a spa.  The steam brings back moisture to your respiratory tract, breaks up mucus produced by allergic reactions, and removes allergen particles that may still be in the air or on you. 

Try essential oils

Among the many pluses of using essentials is their ability to build up the immune system and combat inflammation.  Essential oils act as detox agents, warding off infections, bacteria, and toxins, and defending the body against invaders and intruders that show up as allergens.

For example, diffusing peppermint oil helps clear sinuses and gives relief from allergies and sinus trouble, helping you to get rid of phlegm and cut back on inflammation. Similarly, by opening up the lungs and sinuses, eucalyptus oil helps reduce allergy symptoms and improves airflow in the respiratory tract.  Lemon and lavender are also potent anti-allergen oils with great anti-inflammatory properties. Just add a few drops to your diffuser and place it in whichever rooms you frequent. You can also massage some onto your chest to breathe in the reinvigorating fragrance all day long or use it in a roller ball applicator on specific points on the body.

Spice things up

Choose spicier foods to clear up allergies because they are natural decongestants.  Spicy peppers, cayenne, Tabasco, curry, chili, wasabi, onions, and garlic are good choices, or you can combine pungent with spices for amazing results without the side effects of conventional prescribed or over-the-counter medications.  These spices open up blocked nasal passages, clear your sinuses, and thin out the mucus in your body.

Allergy season will soon pass by quickly, but if you suffer from allergy symptoms, it will feel like a much longer time until summer.  Make sure that you take care of your allergies with these easy tips to feel your best this spring!

When allergies hit, which of these natural remedies do you count on for relief?