When the season changes, it can be exciting to break out the shorts and get ready for swimming pools and sun rays. What you might not be ready for are the countless sneezing fits, wheezing and coughing that ensues. While many people see green grass and good times, for over eighteen million people, they see allergens floating everywhere waiting to ruin their day.
If you are one of the people that suffer from allergies, seasonal allergy remedies are likely to be on your mind. Being able to breathe and live your life even when it is allergy season is all that you ask. In this article, we are going to talk about four natural remedies for seasonal allergies and how you can enjoy your life even during allergy season.
1) Stress Less
Stress affects your body inside and out and is a response to situations that interrupt the normal balance of your life. Stress can cause your body to make adjustments whether it’s in your immune, digestive, cardiovascular or nervous system. All of your systems understand the stress and adjust as they interpret stressors.
When your body feels stress, it releases hormones and other chemicals which includes histamine. Histamine is a chemical that leads to allergy symptoms. Stress doesn’t cause allergies, but it can make allergic reactions worse because of the increase of histamine in your system.
If your life is one stress-filled ball of energy, there are things you can do to stress less. One of the easiest things you can do to reduce the amount of stress in your life is meditation. If you can sit and be quiet and let your mind rest, this send signals to your brain that everything is fine and your body will experience less stress. You may also enjoy yoga and journaling which can decrease the level of stress in your life.
2) Spicier and Lighter Diet
Food is always getting a bad rap, but if we eat the right foods, it can actually help us with our allergies. While eating a lot of meat and dairy might feel good during the winter months, if you keep that diet up throughout the spring, you are going to experience some challenges.
Eating lighter meals to help support a strong digestive and immune system will keep you from suffering from allergy symptoms that would have been worse than what you are currently dealing with. Some people even recommend having one day each week where you eat very light and only have fresh juice and smoothies.
Another trick is eating bitter foods, herbs, and spices. These help with congestion and excess mucus that often tries to set up shop in your lungs.
If you are a heavy wine or beer drinker, you should cut back since both contain sulfites and histamines. Both of these have been linked with increasing the risk of symptoms like a stuffy nose. Try drinking hot tea instead for better results. Hot water with lemon and honey is, and cayenne can also be helpful during allergy season.
3) Chest-opening Yoga Poses
Yoga is a great stress reliever, but it also can help you open up your chest so you can breathe easier. It is often easy to bend over and slump during the winter because we are trying to stay warm but sadly we continue this habit even after winter is long gone. When you open your chest, it will help if your nasal passages and lungs are congested.
Here are some of the yoga poses you can use that will help you open up your chest:
- Bow pose is when you lay on your stomach with your arms along your side. Reach back and grab your ankles. Pull your legs towards your back and look up as your body stretches.
- Cobra pose is when you lay on your stomach with your palms on the floor beside your chest. Slowly push your upper body up off the floor as you press the tops of your feet into the floor to protect your lower back.
There are other yoga poses you can use to open up your chest, but these are a good start.
4) Acupuncture
For those of you that aren’t needle phobic, acupuncture could be a good option for you. This ancient Chinese healing practice uses ultrafine needles to stimulate specific points and helps with health in the body. The goal would be to relieve seasonal stuffiness, sneezing, and runny nose. Some people see amazing results within a matter of weeks when working with acupuncturists.
Bonus Tip
Keep your environment as clear of allergens as possible by regularly cleaning your floors and vacuuming rugs. If you aren’t attached to your rugs, it is even better to get rid of as many rugs as possible since this is a favorite hiding place of allergens. You should also take a shower before bed so that you can wash any allergens off your body and out of your hair.
Conclusion
Allergies don’t have to take over your life when the season hits. Using these natural remedies can help you get control of your life during allergy season. If you’ve been dreading allergy symptoms, you now have a fighting chance against the common suspects. As advancements in healthcare continue, more and more people are learning about their bodies and how to help them function at their peak. Work along with your doctor to learn as developments happen around allergy research.
