An allergic reaction is a difficult thing to deal with, from simple symptoms like a runny nose to more intense reactions such as hives. Some people treat their allergies with allergy pills or allergy shots, but there are more natural ways to treat your allergies. As allergy season is upon us, you can use natural allergy remedies to boost your immune system and lower allergic reactions many times a day.
1. Avoid the Allergen
The best natural remedy is to completely avoid the allergen. If you know what you are allergic to, whether that’s dust, pollen, or animal dander, you should avoid that allergen. That means if you are allergic to pollen, you should probably stay inside during the height of allergy season. If you can’t completely avoid it, there are a few ways you can cut down the allergen.
If you are allergic to pollen, you should wash your face and rinse your hair before bed every night to keep pollen off your pillow. You should also wash your hands and face anytime you come into contact with an allergen. If you are allergic to an animal, avoid going to friend’s houses who have that pet. When they visit, vacuum, and clean any fabric or furniture.
2. Cleanse Your Nasal Passages
When you have an allergic reaction, you may end up with a severe runny nose. Mucus fills up your nose, making it difficult to breathe. Performing a nasal rinse with a neti pot can break up mucus and ease the swelling from allergies. It can also cleanse nasal passages of allergens like dust and pollen.
You can make a neti pot wash with a 3:1 mix of iodide-free salt and baking soda. You can make a large batch of this and store it in an airtight container. To make the wash, mix one teaspoon of the mixture with eight ounces of lukewarm water that is either boiled and cooled, distilled, or bottled. You can do a nasal rinse once a day, but clean your equipment after.
3. Clean Regularly
A great way to keep the allergens down in your home is to clean regularly. You should vacuum with a HEPA filter to lower dust, animal dander, and pollen. You should vacuum the furniture as well as your floors. Using a HEPA filter in your air filters and changing filters regularly can keep allergens out of the air.
Cleaning your sheets and pillowcases is also extremely important in natural allergy treatment. Your nasal passages are closest to your pillowcase, which can collect allergens from your day. To cut down on dust allergies, consider using a dust-blocking pillowcase and cleaning your pillow to reduce dust mites.
