#1 Way to Get Rid of Allergies Naturally and Feel Better

Get Rid of Allergies Naturally

Yes, it’s that time of year again folks.  It’s allergy season!  However, just because there are “monsters” in the air, that doesn’t mean you have to suffer from them.  Read below to learn about these natural remedies that help fight the different allergies you may encounter.

Identify Your Allergy Triggers

Before you can work on helping with allergy symptoms, you need to know exactly what is causing your symptoms. That is because many allergens can be avoided, so right away you have an easy way to help with seasonal allergies. Here are some helpful tips for identifying your allergy triggers.

Types of Allergens

In order to identify your different allergy triggers, you first need to understand what the possible allergens are. You may be someone that is relatively new to experiencing allergy attacks so you know you don’t feel well, but aren’t sure what is causing it.

The following list includes some of the more common allergens that might be affecting you. Look closely at the list and think about when you might be coming across these allergens, either inside or outside your home.

• Mold and mildew
• Ragweed, grass, and pollen
• Dust
• Pet dander
• Chemicals and formaldehyde

Knowing the Symptoms of Allergy Attacks

The next thing you should be aware of when you want to figure out where your allergy attacks are coming from is exactly what the symptoms are for allergy attacks. This helps you identify an allergy symptom as opposed to having a cold, flu, or another similar illness. Some signs and symptoms of allergies include:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Watery nose or eyes
• Itching eyes

The thing to remember is that these symptoms tend to occur shortly after you have come across your allergens.

Keeping an Allergy Journal

One of the top ways to figure out what your main allergy triggers are is to keep a journal. This journal should record all signs of having an allergy attack, including what you were doing or where you were shortly before you experienced them. Look back on it every time you have a day with any type of allergy symptoms to see if you can figure it out. Record the date, as well as the weather conditions, pollen count, wind, and anything else you think is relevant.

Through this journal, you might discover that when you work in your garden on high-wind days, you experience allergy attacks. This probably means it has to do with outdoor allergens like pollen or grass.

Getting Allergy Tests

To confirm your allergy triggers, you may then want to visit a doctor and get allergy tests. The two main types of tests are skin prick and a blood test. The skin prick will use small amounts of allergens and look to see if your skin reacts to them. If it reacts to something, then that is probably the allergen you are dealing with. You can also do testing yourself with an allergy test kit.

Turn to Superfoods to Fight Seasonal Allergies

The food you eat or don’t eat can make a drastic difference in your physical health, but not just with weight loss. It also affects your allergy symptoms and how badly different allergens will affect you. Superfoods, which are foods that contain higher nutritional value, are an excellent way to fight seasonal allergies. Here are some superfoods to consider adding to your regular diet.

Citrus Fruits

The first type of superfood you should have more of in your daily diet includes fruits with a lot of vitamin C. This includes just about any citrus fruit, such as lemons, oranges, and grapefruits. These fruits are loaded with vitamin C, which is a water-soluble vitamin that also happens to be a natural antihistamine.

When you eat a lot of fruits with vitamin C, it can help provide natural antihistamine qualities, which keeps the seasonal allergy symptoms at bay. There may also be some vegetables with vitamin C, as well as supplements that can help.

Vegetables

A wide range of vegetables can also be beneficial to help fight your allergy symptoms, including any with vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are also very good for people who suffer from allergies since they contain beta-carotene and potassium, both of which can help with inflammation in the body.

Vegetables with flavonoids also help as a natural antihistamine, which includes onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and broccoli. Try to add more of these vegetable superfoods to your diet to find natural relief from your allergy symptoms.

Lean Protein

For lunch and dinner, turn to lean proteins that are considered superfoods, as many of them contain nutrients that can fight off those allergy symptoms. For example, protein-like cold-water fish, such as tuna and salmon is filled with omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce your allergic reactions even when confronted with your worst allergens. Walnuts, canola oil, and flaxseed oil also contain a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids and are recommended.

Herbs and Seasonings

Don’t forget about various herbs and seasonings that can help you fight seasonal allergy symptoms and reactions. These can be added to your juice or smoothie, or go into the various meals you eat. They will add nutrients you need to help fight off allergens. One is turmeric, which is one of the top superfoods. It contains an antioxidant called curcumin, which is also an excellent anti-inflammatory. Garlic is another good superfood herb, which is known as an anti-allergen ingredient due to how well it works against allergens.

Use an Essential Oil Diffuser

While many people turn to taking medications to help with allergy symptoms, it helps to first look at natural remedies. Using essential oil is a popular natural remedy for seasonal allergies, which you use in combination with a diffuser. This allows the oils to get into the air and help with your allergy symptoms.

How Essential Oils Can Help

Before you learn how to use a diffuser, it helps to know exactly why you should use essential oils. Essential oils come from flowers, plants, and herbs, which are extracted for their many health benefits. Certain essential oils can work with allergies and the symptoms you experience during an allergy attack. One of the most common reasons certain allergens affect your body and trigger symptoms like coughing, itchy eyes, and sneezing is due to the inflammatory reaction it has on your body. Many essential oils are natural anti-inflammatories, which means they can actually help to reduce the overall effect these have on your body.

Top Essential Oils For Allergies

Now that you understand how essential oils work, it is important to also understand which essential oils work best for allergies. Here is a shortlist of some different oils to use with your oil diffuser:

Peppermint oil – Peppermint is one of the top anti-inflammatory oils to help with allergies and allergy symptoms. Peppermint is excellent for getting rid of excess inflammation in your body, which can help reduce your allergy signs and symptoms. You will experience relief from all the coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, and congestion.

Basil oil – While not a common essential oil, basil is actually one of the best to use for allergies. Basil supports your adrenal glands, helps your body have proper responses, and can detox your body. It helps to reduce inflammation in the same way that other essentials work.

Some others to try include lemon essential oil and eucalyptus essential oil.

Rosemary, Sage, Bergamot, and Thyme essential oils are great for getting rid of mold in your environment.

There are many benefits to using essential oils if you know how to utilize them to the fullest.

Tips For Using a Diffuser

A diffuser is a type of pump and base can help release the essential oil fumes into the air, working as an aromatherapy device. You will need to set up the diffuser, then drop the desired amount of oil into the diffuser and turn it on. The type of oil may determine how much is needed to be effective, though 15-20 drops are typical. Make sure nothing else is added to the oil diffuser, even water. Keep the diffuser turned on as needed and replace the oils when you stop smelling their fumes in the air.

How to Use a Himalayan Salt Lamp

Himalayan salt lamps are lamps that contain large chunks of Himalayan salt, made into a lamp with a light bulb and cord. Not only are they pretty to look at, but they provide a lot of health benefits. One of the benefits you get from them is helping with your seasonal allergies when you are indoors. Here is more information about these lamps and how they can help you.

Benefits of Himalayan Salt Lamps

First of all, you should know about all the benefits that a Himalayan salt lamp can provide you. Not only do they help with allergies, but a wide range of other ailments as well. In fact, one of the main reasons people get these lamps is because they are known to clean and deodorize the air. They have the ability to get rid of all those contaminants and allergens in the air, which is not only good for anyone with seasonal allergies but also helps if you have a lung condition or weak immune system sensitive to such contaminants. Here are some other benefits provided to you by a Himalayan salt lamp:

They help with asthma – In addition to helping with allergies, the fact that the Himalayan salt lamp cleanses the air of dangerous contaminants also helps anyone that suffers from asthma. When you have asthma, you have a very sensitive system and therefore need to have the cleanest air possible.

You can reduce coughing – You are also able to reduce your coughing when you have this type of lamp in your home. Airborne particles in the air are removed through the ions in the Himalayan salt, so you won’t experience as much coughing as a result of the air quality.

It increases your energy levels – Believe it or not, it can also help you improve your energy level. This is due to using negative ions. While it helps with energy levels, you can also have better sleep and focus on the lamp.

Why it Helps With Allergies

When you plug in a Himalayan salt lamp, the heating from plugging it in can help to release negative ions that are located in the salt. When these ions heat up, they can then help clean the air in your home. Not only that, but they also have an effect on your own physical state, helping to reduce your asthma and allergy symptoms. It may not completely cure your seasonal allergies, but you won’t feel those symptoms quite as severely.

Tips For Using the Lamp Effectively

All you need to do when using a Himalayan salt lamp for your allergies is plug it in. Choose a room where you spend the most time, whether that is your bedroom, living room, kitchen, or home office. Getting multiple lamps is also highly recommended. Keep it turned on whenever you are in that room.

Bring in House Plants For Your Allergies

Cleaning the air inside your home is one of the best things you can do when you suffer from seasonal allergies. The following list includes house plants that clean the air and are allergy-friendly so you can start experiencing some relief.

Boston Fern

An excellent plant to bring into your home is the Boston fern. This is one of the most popular house plants when you want to cleanse the air and improve the indoor oxygen levels. Boston ferns can actually remove formaldehyde from your home, not to mention pollutants like xylene and benzene. If you have allergy attacks from various chemicals in your home, then this is the plant for you. If you have a humid home, you may need to water it daily, otherwise watering about once a week should be fine. The Boston fern is a low-maintenance plant, so it is easy for even people with black thumbs.

English Ivy

Another good indoor house plant for allergies is the English ivy. It tends to be a burden when people keep the plant outdoors since it has the potential to do damage to gutters when it gets tall enough. However, when you have the plant inside, it becomes dormant. It no longer becomes a burden but can remove formaldehyde and other allergens that might be inside your home. It doesn’t need much sunlight or watering, though occasional misting in the winter is recommended to keep it healthy.

Rubber Plants

Rubber plants are another good option, which is why they are frequently seen in commercial offices. These have a neutral look and medium size, so they can fit just about anywhere in your home. They only need partial sun, so you aren’t forced to place them near windows or in front of sliding glass doors. Rubber trees can handle a lot of abuse and only need to be watered every once in a while. Like the other plants listed, it cleans the air and makes it easier to breathe in your home without major allergy attacks.

Other House Plants

There are also some other house plants you should consider bringing indoors if you want help with your allergies. For example, gerbera daisies are beautiful and lovely to have in your home, but they are also able to control chemicals like benzene. If you can bring in a larger plant, the areca palm and lady’s palm are both great for cleaning the air. Some others to consider include the golden pothos, philodendron, and dracaena.

Identifying your allergy triggers is half the battle.  Once you know what allergies you are dealing with you can use the remedies above to bring relief.  Natural remedies are much better than relying on over-the-counter or prescribed medicines that may not be the best option and can take a long time to start working.  When you have allergies you want fast relief!  Even better if you can ward off allergies altogether by using natural remedies.