Natural and Homeopathic Treatments for Seasonal Allergies – Many Receive Relief in Their Use

Seasonal allergy sufferers don’t like pollen. 

They recently have had increasing amounts of it to dislike.

Pollen levels have been spiking over the past few years.  The 2010 levels set a record, as did 2011 levels.  And the spring 2012 pollen count is eclipsing last year’s record. 

The changing climate likely has a role in supporting rising pollen levels.  More days of warm weather increase the time that plants produce pollen.  More CO2 in the atmosphere – with CO2 being a food for plants – causes plants to make more of the pollen. 

Seasonal allergy sufferers have long raced and resorted to antihistamines and decongestants to clear their heads and nasal passages and throats and eyes.  Yet most receive little relief from these medications – and, in fact, they can do more harm than good. 

When an allergen – such as pollen – enters the body, the body sends out histamines to fight and wash out the intruder.  This fighting and washing out involves the secretion of mucous and tears – which is why your nose gets stuffed and your eyes and throat get itchy.  

Antihistamines will dry out the body so that the symptoms lesson, yet they also slow up the removal of allergens and the cleansing of the body.  As well, histamines can make people drowsy, which is often a bad thing.

Homeopathic allergy remedies – which are non-narcotic and all natural – assist the body in responding more appropriately in that they introduce to the body the allergens, yet in highly diluted forms.  

Through this treatment a person’s system gradually accustoms itself to the allergens, and when a time comes that the allergens, in heavy concentrations, come in contact with the body, the body will not respond with a powerful release of mucous-causing and tear-creating histamines. 

Of course, with homeopathic treatment for seasonal allergies, for it to be most effective, it is important for the person receiving the treatment to begin the regimen in advance of the seasonal arrival of pollen – so as to give the body time to adjust.  So for those who suffer during ragweed and goldenrod season in late summer, now is the best time to begin the treatment.

There are other steps that can be taken to reduce the effects of seasonal allergies. If at all possible, preventing contact with allergens will ensure that there is no allergic response.

Remember that open windows let in pollen and the pollen will find its way on to window sills, dressers, pillows, and sheets. A cleansing shower after yard work or any time spent outdoors will help as well.

You can also add fresh and allergen-free air to the room with the use of an air purifier with a HEPA filter.  Air conditioners do the same job.  With either appliance it is important to make sure that filters are cleaned and replaced regularly. 

Mold is an allergen that can cause havoc with the body even beyond allergies.  Make sure your home is mold free.

Overall health is vital to a body responding effectively to allergens.  Sufficient rest, proper diet, and exercise all contribute to good health.

If you can, put off yard work when the pollen count is up.   And if you have to get something done in the yard – let’s say that grass is high – and pollen is at an aggravating level (as it has been recently) then, if possible, hire someone for the job. 

A natural remedy for allergies is to take quercetin, a flavonoid and antioxidant that is found in foods such as the skin of red apples, in red onions, and in black tea.  Quercetin is good for you in many ways, and it can suppress the issuance of histamines from mast cells.

Eating local or raw honey can help reduce allergy symptoms.

In our store, we have a homeopathic remedy called Allergy New England Mix, an oral spray specifically formulated to treat allergies that result from New England allergens.  Customers who use Allergy New England Mix have had excellent results.

Natural Creations, a nasal spray, and Histaminum, homeopathic pellets placed under the tongue, are effective in reducing congestion.  In combatting mold allergies, our customers find relief in taking Allergy Atlantic Mold Mix.

Our customers use homeopathic drops to soothe those itchy eyes.  

The best way to reduce and eliminate allergy symptoms is not to suppress the body’s natural response to allergens, but to work with that natural response. 

Through the smart use of the right homeopathic remedies and lifestyle changes you can enable the body to do just that.

Steve Bernardi is a registered compounding pharmacist and co-owner of Johnson Compounding and Wellness Center in Waltham