Spring has sprung! You walk outside, embrace the warmth, inhale the fresh air, and promptly die of a sneeze attack… And with it, a slew of tiny invaders trying to weasel their way into your sinus track. Although there isn’t a cure for seasonal allergies, there are tons of different methods and techniques that help alleviate them without the use of over-the-counter medication.
Check Your Diet
What you consume can either make or break your allergies.
Spicy foods are renowned for their sinus clearing capabilities. (There’re worse things in life than spicy food being the cure for something)
Eating a spoonful of organic honey each day reduces the effects of allergies. It’s a known cough suppressant but can also sooth inflamed areas, like constricted airways in the throat.
Regulated exposure to allergens actually reduces their affects. Honey contains small amounts of pollen that’re perfect for the job!
Not all foods help, some make allergies worse.
Peanuts, sugars, shellfish, and certain processed foods have been known to induce symptoms. Try cutting back on coffee as well, especially if you add cream or milk. Coffee and dairy tiggers mucus production that makes allergies worsen.
Pro-Biotics and Vitamin-C
Using (boarder-line depending) on vitamin-C while enduring flew-like symptoms is old news.
Vitamin-C greatly reduces your bodies response to allergens. Pro-biotics (potent in kombucha and kimchi) boost the immune system.
Wash Your Face/Hands
Love isn’t the only thing in the air during spring, pollen too! And when ever you venture into the outdoors you acquire small amounts of allergen stowaways on your clothes, skin, and hair. Wash your hands and rinse your face every time you come back from outside.
Specialty Oils
Certain natural oils hold beneficial properties for different occasions.
Eucalyptus and Peppermint oils are used to sooth sore throats and eliminate coughs by relaxing the muscles. This opens up the airways helping with allergy induced respiratory issues.
Lemon oil has shown to reduce sinus pressure. Always be careful with citric based oils, prolonged exposure to the sun can have harmful effects.
Keep the Windows Up
It’s exciting opening the windows and airing out the home after a long winter, but you’re also allowing pollen and dander infiltrate your home! It isn’t an ideal method, but it’s one that gets results.
Sinus Rinsing
Rinsing the sinuses clears debris, such as pollen and dirt, from the nasal cavity, alleviating allergies. It can even breakdown thick deposits of mucus.
A special pot called a “netty pot” is used. It looks like a teapot, but you definitely don’t want to use it for that. The narrow spout pours solution through one nostril and filters out through the other.
Humidifiers
High humidity helps clear sinus congestion by moistening nasal tissues making it easier to expel invasive allergens. It can also reduce inflammation in sensitive areas which helps clear airways.
Always be sure to keep up proper maintenance on a humidifier. Poorly cleaned humidifiers can increases allergy symptoms. Build ups of dust covering the filter will eventually disperse through the vents causing increased symptoms and potential respiratory issues.
