Natural Allergy Remedies

It’s officially spring! While many of us look forward to watching the flowers bloom, many are dealing with allergies and dreading this season filled with nasal congestion and Kleenex.

Common Seasonal Allergies

It’s likely your sniffing and sneezing is the result of many different environmental substances, as most people who suffer have a reaction to many allergens. Some of the most common allergens include:

• Trees

• Grass/weed pollen

• Mold

• Dust mites

• Cat/Dog dander

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Allergies affect more than 50 million people in the U.S.—a number that continues to rise each year. But that doesn’t make the itching, sneezing, congestion, and fatigue that we so commonly associate with this time of year any more pleasant. If you’re looking for relief this spring, try some of these natural remedies for allergies.

Natural Allergy Remedies

This spring, instead of suffering through the discomfort, follow these steps throughout your day to minimize discomfort.

1. Start your day with a natural antihistamine

During an allergic reaction, your immune system releases histamine to fight the substance it thinks is harmful. Antihistamines block this release to effectively stop your reaction. Some OTC antihistamines can leave you feeling drowsy, but a natural antihistamine will help you avoid the side effects. Natural antihistamines include ingredients from natural sources that are known to have the same effect as OTC drugs. You can take a natural supplement—my favorite, D-Hist, which contains stinging nettles and bromelain (the active enzyme in pineapples)—or increase levels through antihistamine-rich foods. Many herbs, like stinging nettle and butterbur, that can naturally relieve allergy symptoms are found in teas like this one from Traditional Medicinals.

My favorite Natural Supplements to Support Seasonal Allergies

• D-Hist, which contains quercetin, bromelain, stinging nettles leaf, and N-acetyl cysteine designed to support seasonal challenges caused by common environmental allergens.

• HistaminX - Helps fight allergies with bioflavonoids, natural nettle, quercetin, rutin, and bromelain, for immune and inflammation support.

• Nasal Propolis Spray - Saline solution specially formulated from natural sea salt and purified water, combined with a potent dose of propolis and xylitol that contains powerful oral and upper respiratory health benefits.

• Nettle Tea helps to reduce the number of histamines in the body.

• Probiotics (Lactobacillus & Bifidobacterium) to support microbiome balance and gut health and support relief from symptoms of histamine intolerance.

• Local Bee Pollen - The pollen from the local bees helps build immunity!

2. Optimize your intake of Vitamin D & Vitamin C

Throughout your day, fuel your body with nutrients to help fight your allergy symptoms. While you want to make sure you’re getting a balanced diet full of whole foods and nutrients to help you recover, focusing on fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C is one of the best things you can do. Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine that will help your body end the reaction causing your uncomfortable symptoms. Some of our favorite vitamin-C-fortified foods include:

• Broccoli

• Kale

• Brussel Sprouts

• Strawberries

• Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit

While vitamin D is a known builder of bone and immune system strength, recent science has also linked vitamin D deficiency to worsened allergies. Many studies show how low vitamin D levels help maintain low immunoglobulin (IgE) responses—these control the antibodies in your immune system that mistakenly react during an allergic reaction. Since so many people are vitamin D deficient due to the difficulty finding vitamin-D-fortified foods and increased time spent indoors, experts predict this deficiency could contribute to the increasing number of allergic responses. Try taking a vitamin D supplement to ensure you’re reaching the recommended daily intake (600 IU per day for adults ).

3. Take your shoes off when you get home

You could spend all day cleaning your home but unknowingly tracking in pesticides and environmental allergens on your shoes. We can’t control the outside allergen exposure completely, but you can greatly decrease your exposure by removing your shoes as soon as you walk in the door. Slip into a comfortable pair of socks or slippers that you only use inside your home. I also recommend vacuuming regularly and using a quality air filter.

4. Nasal irrigation

Nasal irrigation is an at-home treatment to rinse your sinuses. Your sinuses are air-filled, hollow cavities behind the bones in your face. Usually, they remain open so you can breathe easily. If your sinuses become irritated or inflamed, however, mucus (snot) can clog your nasal cavities.

Nasal irrigation clears mucus and flushes out pathogens, allergens, or other debris. Pathogens include germs, like bacteria and viruses. Allergens include pollen, mold, dirt, dust, and pet dander. When these substances get trapped in your nose, they irritate your sinuses and cause symptoms like:

• A stuffy or runny nose.

• Itchy feeling in your nose or sneezing.

• Trouble breathing.

With nasal irrigation, flush the clog using a saline solution (water and sodium chloride mix) with a neti pot or a rinse bottle. Nasal irrigation thins the mucus that’s causing the clog. It rinses away substances causing swelling. Nasal irrigation can help with symptom relief associated with allergies, sinus infections (sinusitis), colds, flu, and COVID-19, among other conditions.

5. øptimize Gut Health

There can be a few underlying causes contributing to worsened symptoms when allergy season hits. I have seen allergies disappear once we heal a client’s gut. Eighty percent of our immune system is in our gut, so if your gut health is out of whack, your immune system becomes weaker, and you are more prone to develop new allergies or worsen existing ones. Leaky gut —a condition where the gaps that typically allow nutrients to flow through your intestinal wall become loose, allowing toxins to pass from your gut into your bloodstream—is one of the most common causes of chronic illness. Food sensitivities—even undiagnosed ones—can be another commonly overlooked cause of your symptoms. These can increase inflammation in the body, which can actually exacerbate seasonal allergies. Some of the most common toxic food allergens and triggers are gluten/wheat, milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, alcohol, and shellfish.

USE FOOD AS MEDICINE

Eat a whole foods, high-fiber diet that is rich in anti-inflammatory plant chemicals called phytonutrients. Avoid anything that contains refined sugar or trans fats. Focus on eating healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, nuts, avocados, and omega-3 fats like those found in small fish (sardines, herring, sable, wild-caught salmon).

With that said, I would love to work with you to help get to the root of your allergies! Click the “Work With Me” button at the top right corner to apply. Talk to you soon!

Before starting any new supplements, talk to your healthcare provider. This is not medical advice.

Written and edited by Dr. Lester and Cameron Gildea, INHC