Body
Completely natural ways to nip spring allergies in the bud
If spring’s blossoms have left you red-eyed and runny-nosed, don’t rush straight to the medicine chest. Many drugs simply treat the symptoms of allergic reactions, which can often be easily prevented in the first place. Here are a few natural ways to keep your allergies at bay.
- Avoid pollen
Most plants pollinate in the early hours of the morning, so try to postpone outdoor activity to the afternoon. Also, try taking a quick shower and changing your clothes every time you come home to rinse off stray pollen.
- Find the triggers in your home
Mould, dust mites and pollen in your house can all inflame allergies. Use a diluted bleach solution to clean mould in basements, garages and on old patio furniture.
- Avoid using window fans to cool rooms
They can suck pollen indoors.
- Turn on the dehumidifier
You should keep humidity levels below 50 percent to kill dust mites, but above 30 percent to avoid making your home too dry.
- Improve the air indoors
Invest in a good air filter and change it every two to three months.
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- Stay contained in the car
Keep windows closed when driving. If it’s hot, use the air conditioner instead.
- Consider your diet
Eat foods rich in omega-3s to aid with allergies. These include fish, eggs, walnuts and flaxseed oil.
- Love your laundry
Wash bed linens at least once a week in 50 degree-plus water. That’s how hot it should be to kill dust mite eggs.
- Don a mask
Wear a mask while doing housework, which can stir up allergens.
- Get wrapping
Bedroom items that can’t be washed, such as pillows, mattresses and box springs, should be covered in tightly woven, hypoallergenic dust-mite covers. Stuffed animals and throw pillows should be eliminated or kept to a minimum.
- Pet protection
Clean your pets. Wipe off their paws when they come home and wipe down their fur after they’ve been outside.
- Rinse and repeat.
Rinse out your nose with a simple saline solution. Clear the pollen from your passages using a Neti pot or a spray bottle.
- Turn to herbs
Instead of drugs, take a few herbs. To alleviate a runny nose and sinus congestion, try freeze-dried stinging nettles. Eyebright can soothe red, itchy, watery eyes. And the supplement quercetin, a bioflavonoid often found packaged with Vitamin C, can also be an effective antihistamine. Butterbur can alleviate symptoms of grass allergies.
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This article first appeared on Reader’s Digest. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, here’s our best subscription offer.