Here’s some of the most potent home remedies for allergies you’ll ever come across. Use each of these amazing natural remedies for hay fever and enjoy fast, long term relief from those dreaded allergy symptoms…
Your Allergy Symptoms…
The normal symptoms that go with allergies and seasonal hay fever include those awful red itchy eyes, along with the constant sneezing and a nose that drips like a tap. For asthma sufferers, the symptoms can be much worse (swelling of the bronchial tubes) and can even become life threatening. Seasonally induced asthma is definitely on the rise now and affects over 10 million Americans every year. So being able to control and supress your allergy symptoms is not only important for your daily happiness, it’s also crucial for your overall health and well-being if you’re an asthmatic.
Top 7 Home Remedies for Allergies and Hay Fever Relief…
1 – Apple Cider vinegar (ACV)
This is definitely our first choice. Boosting your immune system is the single most important thing you can do to successfully treat and cure your allergies. And 80% of your immune system is actually located in your gut, so by getting your gut healthy, you will naturally get your immune system healthy! Even Ancient Chinese Medicine agrees with this. They believe that allergies are almost always related to gut and intestinal problems, so once you remedy this, you remedy annoying seasonal allergies such as hay fever or allergic rhinitis.
So how does apple cider vinegar actually fit into this? Well, ACV is a very powerful gut healer and immune booster. It also helps to promote the growth of “friendly” bacteria (probiotics) in the gut, which is another excellent home remedy for all types of allergies (our #2 pick in fact). Apple cider vinegar is also rich in potassium and magnesium. A deficiency of both these minerals has been linked to seasonal allergies and even asthma. In addition to this, ACV helps to soothe the lungs and bronchial walls and break down phlegm.
2 – Good Bacteria (Probiotics)…
This remedy follows on from apple cider vinegar. As you now know, probiotics are essential for gut health and immune health. Without enough beneficial bacteria growing and thriving in the digestive system, the bad (and the very bad) bacteria take over and intoxicate your body. They literally infect your organs by releasing powerful and extremely toxic “buds” into your blood stream. The immune system quickly becomes overwhelmed when under this severe form of duress and many health experts even believe that allergies (including food allergies) may be the result of this immunity breakdown (this is just speculation and hasn’t been confirmed yet).
So if you regularly suffer from allergies such as hay fever then there’s a pretty good chance that you also get sick often (as a result of your low immunity). But when you take in enough of the good bacteria, they quickly go to work and kill off these harmful organisms then take up residence themselves in the gut. Over time the immune system is boosted and recharged significantly (remember, 80% of your immune system is located in your gut) and your overall health and well-being is also restored. Of course, you will also find your low immunity problems – such as your allergies – disappearing for good as long as you maintain a constant and healthy supply of probiotics in your digestive system.
In addition to this, one particular type of probiotic (lactobacillus) produces hydrogen peroxide as a natural by-product. Hydrogen peroxide is also an extremely effective remedy for allergies! (See our #9 home remedy).
A couple of studies have been able to confirm the benefits of probiotics for allergy sufferers: A 2008 study found participants who took probiotics during allergy season had lower levels of a specific antibody thought to trigger allergy symptoms, and at the same time, they had higher levels of an antibody researchers believe may help protect against allergic reactions. Other studies have found that giving probiotics to newborns and expectant mothers may help to protect them from childhood allergies.
3 – Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids…
Let’s first begin with omega-3s. Now these EFA’s don’t just help fight inflammation type diseases such as arthritis and psoriasis, they also help fight allergens! In the journal Allergy, they published a German study that showed patients who regularly consumed omega-3 rich foods were far less likely to suffer allergies and the accompanying symptoms compared to people who rarely ate these foods. Another Swedish study, also published in the Allergy journal, found that kids who regularly ate fish before the age of one had a much lower incidence of allergies by the time they reached age four.
Then we have Omega-6 EFA’s, which are also potent natural remedies for all types of allergies, especially hay fever. Omega-6 help the body produce powerful chemicals known as prostaglandins. These hormone-like substances block the body’s production of the chemical histamine, which as you know, is a primary culprit for allergy symptoms. Research has also linked low levels of prostaglandins to certain types of asthma. It’s been discovered that when prostaglandin levels are normal, the muscles in the lungs are able to relax and blow flow is increased. For omega-3’s you still can’t go past cold water fatty fish, however, you do need to be careful of heavy metal contamination.
4 – Eat Locally Produced Honey…
It’s thought that regularly eating honey that’s produced in your local area helps you to build up an immunity against the very pollen (birch pollen) you’re exposed to that’s causing your allergy symptoms. However, many so-called “health experts” believe this theory is nothing but a load of crock. The problem for the experts though is when allergy sufferers do have authentic local honey (at least 1 tablespoon daily) their allergy symptoms improve. And even a published study back in 2011 was able to add some critical evidence to this growing belief…
In the study, 44 people with medically diagnosed birch pollen allergy consumed either authentic birch pollen honey or regular honey every day for five months during the regular birch pollen allergy season. The control group (another 17 patients) were only using their normal allergy medication to control their symptoms. The study found that compared to the control group, the people taking the birch pollen honey experienced twice the amount of asymptomatic days (showing no symptoms), along with an actual 60% reduction in their allergy symptoms, 70% less days with severe symptoms were also experienced, and as a result, this group had a 50% reduction in their antihistamine use!
5 – Hot Peppers…
If you regularly eat these foods then you’ll already know that nothing cleans out the whole respiratory system quite like some hot peppers! Hot chilli peppers (especially cayenne pepper), hot mustard and horseradish are all excellent natural decongestants and sinus clearers. My personal favourite though is cayenne pepper. This stuff works like magic to clear up sinusitis and just about every respiratory problem you may encounter. It also boosts the immune system very strongly and is extremely good for your heart. You can either buy it in powder or capsule form to have internally (which is very important of course), or you can find it in some allergy relief nasal sprays combined with horseradish. Just remember, these peppers are hot so if you don’t eat them regularly, it’s a good idea to start off small and work your way up.
6 – Coconut oil
Coconut oil is excellent for gut health (yes, I know I’m back onto this one but it’s just so important for preventing and curing allergies). It improves digestion by soothing the ling of the gut and promoting the growth of good bacteria. When your gut flora is out of balance (too much bad bacteria) the body produces extra histamine, which of course, is an allergy sufferer’s worst enemy. But because coconut oil helps your gut probiotics to grow and thrive and kill off the bad bacteria, the overproduction of histamine is greatly reduced, which is welcome news for all allergy sufferers.
Folks, this super food is a very powerful “cure all” and will really do wonders for you or your child’s allergies. And the great thing is, kids love it so it’s easy to get them to eat it! You can buy virgin coconut oil online or from any good health food store. 1-2 tablespoons (or more) every day for children or adults can be safely consumed. You can never really overdose on coconut oil anyway and it’s not harmful so go nuts with it if you want! If someone did happen to have too much (like say, one of the kids got into the jar and ate the whole lot for some absurd reason) about the worst thing that would happen is they’d end up with a slight dose of the runs. So nothing too detrimental?
7 – Herbs…
Herbs have a long history in providing relief from allergy symptoms. Some are very good home remedies for hay fever and other seasonal allergies, while others are not so good. Here are the ones that have been found to work the best…
Stinging Nettle: This is probably the best herb for treating allergy symptoms and really does work a treat! It’s a powerful natural antihistamine and doesn’t cause drowsiness or dry mouth like pharmaceutical antihistamines do. Take 300 mgs of stinging nettle extract daily for best results.
Butterbur: Butterbur blocks antihistamine and naturally reduces inflammation. Studies have found this herb to be effective at relieving the most common allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes, sneezing, sinus congestion and headaches. In fact, a British study found butterbur to be just as effective as Zyrtec for relieving the symptoms of hay fever, but without the side effects. A word of caution though, because butterbur is part of the ragweed family, it’s recommended anyone allergic to ragweed or chrysanthemum avoid this herb.
Nettle Leaf: This herb is also an excellent natural antihistamine. You can either make up a nettle tea to drink twice daily or take nettle leaf capsules.
Goldenseal: The active ingredient in goldenseal has powerful antibacterial and immune-boosting properties, which makes it one of the very worthy home remedies for hay fever and allergies. You can either buy goldenseal as a herbal tea or in capsule form.
Green tea: Builds up the immune system strongly and blocks the production of histamine. Either drink 4-6 cups of green tea daily or take green tea extract.
Peppermint tea: Relieves nasal and sinus congestion, along with the coughing associated with hay fever and other allergies. Be sure to drink peppermint tea cold for best results.
Ginger: One of our favorites! Ginger is a natural antihistamine and contains some very potent immune-enhancing properties. It also helps to break up chest congestion and remove phlegm. A nice honey, lemon and ginger tea can be just what the doctor ordered for an acute allergy outbreak.
We really hope you find this article helpful and don’t forget to share it with your friends and family. Thank You.
GTM.
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