The Natural Way to Combat Seasonal Allergies

As the seasons shift, it would be expected that the sniffling, sneezing, and runny noses of winter’s never-ending colds would melt away as warm breezes and the higher sun of longer days replace the gloomy chill. But instead it’s a new nasal irritation, along with the itchy eyes of spring’s allergies that keep us up at night. More than one in six Canadians suffer from hay fever, or any variety of seasonal allergic rhinitis. A recent survey suggests as many as 10 million Canadians are wiping noses and dabbing at watery eyes as blossoms open, pollens swirl, and grasses poke through the soil anew. The survey also reveals that 55 per cent of us claim allergies cut into productivity. More than a quarter will even limit outdoor time because of fevered sneezing and other annoying symptoms.

Before asking your doctor to administer antihistamine pills (or zipping yourself into a plastic bubble for the next three months), consider some wiser natural solutions to counter seasonal allergies.

Quercetin and other foods

Quercetin is a phytochemical found in fruit and onions. A powerful antioxidant, it’s also a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory which will calm your twitchy, itchy nose. But it will go much farther than attacking allergies; quercetin is a cancer fighter and can help men with chronic prostatitis. It will also lead the battle against heart disease, cataracts, and respiratory disease, as well as containing antidepressant properties.

Foods rich in quercetin include apples, capers, lovage, tea, onions, citrus fruits, many berries, broccoli, leafy green vegetables and organically grown tomatoes. Nature’s allergy remedies also include antioxidant-rich grape seed extract and foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acid — like salmon, tuna, and walnuts. Other helpful herbal supplements are freeze-dried nettles and a tonic made from the herb goldenseal.

Nasal irrigation

Combine any of these natural ingredients with a saline (salt water) nasal spray to irrigate the nasal cavity and wash out pollens and reduce or thin mucous. This irrigating or flushing is a personal hygiene practice, from the ancient Ayurvedic medicine practices of India and Nepal, is safe and beneficial with no apparent side effect.

Use either a fluid-filled syringe or something called a “neti pot” to perform the irrigation to clear sinuses. In parts of India the act is performed daily. Apart from treating allergy symptoms, it will prevent colds, improve breathing, and treat chronic sinusitis.

Stay away from…

Things to avoid include foods that will, in some people, cross-react with tree pollen and cause allergy symptoms. They include pears, kiwi, cherries, peaches, nectarines, celery, carrots, parsley, peppers, and hazelnuts and almonds. Supplements of Echinacea, which boost the immune system, may actually worsen seasonal allergies.

Why do we have allergies, anyway?

Point a finger at your parents. If both your parents suffered from allergies, there’s a 66 per cent chance you will too.

When pollen carried on the wind finds its way up the nose of someone predisposed to allergies, it triggers an immune reaction and the production of allergen-specific antibodies, which quickly migrate to mast cells lining the nose, eyes, and lungs. The mast cells release chemicals known as histamines that irritate and inflame the moist membranes lining the nose, producing the symptoms of an allergic reaction — sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and a scratchy throat. Ironically, it’s the body’s act of seeking and destroying the allergen that produces the unwanted side effects.