Prepare for Allergy Season with These Natural Tips

Female wrapped in scarf using nasal spray medicine for runny nose .

Allergic rhinitis or hay fever are some of the most common allergy conditions. Seasonal and year-round allergies affect up to 50 million Americans annually. Symptoms that result from exposure to allergens range from mild to very severe and may include a single symptom or a combination of many, and can have a profound impact on quality of life. At St. Louis Sinus Center, we want to help with your allergy relief! Here, we discuss a few common allergy remedies you might try to keep yourself more comfortable this year.

Cleanse the Nasal Passages

The way that allergic symptoms may develop and worsen is that pollens or other substances stick to the mucus membranes in the nasal passages. When pollen is present, the glands that line the inside of the nose may produce an increased amount of mucus to try and flush the substance away. Nasal rinsing using a neti pot may prove a helpful tactic in reducing allergy symptoms. A neti pot looks like a miniature teapot. To cleanse the nasal passageways and sinuses, fill the pot with saline solution and distilled water. Over a sink (or in the shower) with head tilted to one side, place the spout of the neti pot to one nostril and allow the fluid to run up into the nose. It will pass through to the other side and run out of the nose. Doing this nasal cleanse may feel odd at first but it can work very quickly to reduce congestion and other allergy symptoms. The best thing about this tactic is that it is quick, convenient, and can be done multiple times a day. 

Use Essential Oils

You might remember when you were young and a parent or grandparent would coat your chest with Vicks Vapor Rub when you had a cold. This remains a good option for relieving congestion of any kind, but essential oils can work very nicely also. Using essential oils, you needn’t deal with the hassle of rubbing an oily, sticky substance on your chest and neck. To help open nasal passages, you can inhale eucalyptus, spearmint, or peppermint oil right from the bottle or you may diffuse oil scents into the air using a special machine. It can also be helpful to take a warm bath with a few drops of oil added to the water.

Clean Up

We are at that time of year when Spring  Cleaning is a popular task. Perhaps the whole reason this task became popular was that our ancestors were preparing for allergy season! Doing a nice deep clean of the home can remove the allergy-inducing pollens that get tracked in from outside, as well as the allergens that have accumulated in the house all winter. A good example might be dust mites or pet dander. Performing the dusting, vacuuming, and laundering may be a highly rewarding practice when it keeps allergy symptoms at bay.

As helpful as home remedies and lifestyle changes can be for some people, allergies can have a significant effect on others. Here at the Allergy Center in St. Louis, we can provide assistance in understanding and dealing with this troublesome problem. To schedule a consultation, contact us at 314-450-7720.

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