Most of us, at this point in our lives, have unfortunately experienced the dreaded seasonal allergy blues. You know the feeling “ itchy eyes, constant sneezing, and that itch in the back of your throat that will never go away (See: Better Ways to Survive Your Allergies.) A lot of the time we’ll just sit back, take a few eye drops or what have you and pray it gets better, but there’s actually a lot that can be done before you head to the pharmacy or doctor.
Take a look at a few tips and tricks we’ve compiled to get rid of those seasonal allergies, or at least to help you handle them a little bit better:
Eat Right:
You may not realize it, but there are certain foods you may be eating that are linked to your seasonal allergies. The key to getting through the tough allergy season is to reduce all inflammation in our bodies, according to Dr. Fred Pescatore, author of The Allergy and Asthma Cure. So what does this mean? If you have a yeast or mold allergy, your best bet is to cut out cheeses and stick to low-yeast foods. If you’re congested during grass season, try cutting back on dairy and grain products “ triggers of inflammation.
Related: The Perfect Day of Eating
What You Can Do At Home:
There are a ton of things you can do right at home to help ease your allergy symptoms.
¢ Keep your windows and doors closed. Air conditioning in your home can help keep the air pollen-free. Keep the windows in your car rolled up as well.
¢ Buy an air purifier. It’ll be worth it in the long run, when you wake up without a runny nose. Air purifiers do exactly what it sounds like “ they keep the allergens out of the air.
¢ Take a shower before bed. If you’ve been outside at all, pollens can collect on your clothing and in your hair, so your best bet is to shower and change into fresh clothes as soon as you get home.
Related: Avoiding Allergy Breakouts
What You Can Drink:
¢ Drink more water! Research shows that staying hydrated helps relieve allergy symptoms.
¢ Try herbal tea to sooth your throat and nasal passages. Green tea is a great way to strengthen your immune system too; the antioxidants help block histamine production and reduce inflammation. Here are some healing herb ideas.
¢ If the little things you can do at home and in your every day life don’t seem to work, you’ll have to get tested to see exactly what you’re allergic to “ that way you’ll be able to attack the allergens head on.
Medicinal Tricks:
¢ Antihistamines: these are effective for treating sneezing, itching and a runny nose, but not so effective at unblocking the nose. Remember to only take non-sedating antihistamines to treat your allergies.
¢ Allergy Shots: these are very effective if you’re allergic to grass pollens or house dust mites. Shots can come in the form of a weekly injection or as drops underneath the tongue every morning.
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