Reduce Spring Allergies Naturally

The springtime environment naturally brings more rain and wind; this increases the pollen in the plants and trees, which is vital in nature’s cycle. The pollen needs to move to the female part (pistil) of the plant to create seeds and fruits. Unfortunately, this can increase allergies for humans and can make life uncomfortable. Fortunately, you can find relief from natural remedies.

Tips for Reducing Allergies Naturally:

1) Strengthen your immune system; reduce your stress, get plenty of rest and sleep,eat a healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables, protein, and nuts. Increase your water intake. Reduce your sugar consumption, dairy, bread, and processed foods as these can produce more mucus.

2) Adapt to your local environment. You can do so by giving your body small doses of the grass and pollen that are irritating it. You can do this by using local honey which can naturally reduce your allergy symptoms over time. Bees create nectar from the local plants which contain trace amounts of the very pollen that could be making you feel uneasy.

If you are not allergic to bee products, start by taking one-two tablespoons of local honey or bee pollen daily, which can naturally enhance your immune system and reduce your allergy symptoms over time.

3) Use a neti pot to flush your sinuses. The neti pot is a powerful sinus cleanser, a traditional Ayurvedic therapy that dates back thousands of years. In Sanskrit, “neti” means “nasal cleansing.” I use this as a first response to any itchy or stuffy nose to quickly reduce long-term sinus and respiratory issues.

The nasal passages are an elaborate system of tiny passageways. These passageways can get filled with dirt and pollen, that are easily trapped. Until these foreign substances are released, your body will naturally keep trying to flush them from your system, which will create lots of mucous and a runny or stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, and watery eyes.

With the use of a neti pot, use purified water or saline to flush your nasal passages and help relieve your allergy symptoms. This process assists in alleviating congestion, facial pain, and pressure.

I recommend using the porcelain neti pot with just warm filtered or distilled water. I use “baby bath water” temperature, not too hot and not too cold. Ok, it is never fun to put water up your nose, but in just a short time you will feel the sinus relief. Once you get used to using just filtered water, then you can add a pinch of sea salt for further cleansing. I do not recommend adding essential oils to the neti pot.

4) Increase your intake of B and D vitamins. Vitamin B can assist in lowering your stress response. “There is potentially a great upside to increasing the vitamin D status of children and adults worldwide for improving musculoskeletal health and reducing the risk of chronic illnesses, including some cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, neurocognitive disorders, and mortality. Vitamin D deficiency has been recognized as a pandemic with a myriad of health consequences. Low vitamin D status has been associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, cognitive decline, depression, pregnancy complications, autoimmunity, allergy, and even frailty. (1) Remember that vitamin B is water-soluble and will move through the body quicker. However, vitamin D is fat-soluble and will move through the body slower, ingesting a lower amount at one time is recommended.

5) Use aromatherapy formulations in a nasal inhaler and shower or room spritzer.

Aromatherapy Nasal Inhaler- Breath Freely Blend Saturate the nasal inhaler wick with these amazing "tree" essential oils:

• 6 drops Black Spruce (Picea mariana)

• 4 drops Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)

• 4 drops Fir (Abies alba)

Use as needed; inhale in both nostrils three to six times a day. This blend is helpful to reduce stress and open the respiratory system.

Shower Spitzer Blend

Aromatherapy blend for respiratory relief and immune stimulation:

In a 2oz. glass spray bottle add:

• 1/2 tablespoon Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)

• 4 drops Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

• 4 drops Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata)

• 1 oz. Peppermint Hydrosol (Mentha piperita)

• 1 oz. Purified Water

First, mix the essential oils into the jojoba. Then, add the hydrosol and water. Use as needed in a shower. Spray liberally into the corners of the shower stall before getting into a steaming hot shower. Keep this blend away from your face. This blend is not recommended for use around children due to the precautions of eucalyptus and peppermint.

Aromatic blessings of vibrant health and heart. ~

Resources:

Cherry Tree Blossoms picture; free for commercial use; CCO Creative Commons; found on Pixabay; https://pixabay.com/photos/japanese-cherry-trees-flowers-spring-324175/ Retrieved April 29, 2019

Neti Pot picture; free for commercial use; Retrieved April 29, 2019 (1) Hossein-nezhad, Arash MD, PhD., and Holick, Michael F. Ph.D., MD.; Vitamin D for Health: A Global Perspective; PubMed Article; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3761874/; Retrieved April 29, 2019.