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Alternative hayfever remedies

Beat the sneezing without anti-histamines

Author: Doreen Corbey April 30 2010

It’s coming up to that dreaded time of year when pollen affects an estimated 1 in 4 people. There are several types of pollen: birch, tree, grass, flowers and so on, and some unfortunates suffer for longer than most. If the spring/summer season is preceded by a lot of wet, damp weather, this can prolong the hayfever season.

If you are looking for alternative remedies to over-the-counter anti-histamine, there are several, most of which I have tried. I now rely entirely on high potency supplements and haven’t been near a prescription anti-histamine for 3 years.

If you’re already taking vitamin C, continue with that, if not, take one. I favour a Rosehip extract which is a plant form of vitamin C with its own inbuilt bioflavanoids (which protect your health and help stability and absorbency of vitamin C).

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Quercetin/B5 complex and Bilberry & Eyebright is a combination recommended by Viridian especially for hayfever sufferers. Bilberry and eyebright are herbal remedies which have long histories in aiding eye health, protecting and reduce inflammation. Quercetin, found in fruit rind, is a natural anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-histamine. B5 known as the anti-stress hormone, helps to regulate the body’s own anti-inflammatory response.

If you do get itchy eyes, be sure to wash eyes out regularly with water. This is easily done with a plastic eyebath, a bit trickier with just your hands. If you wish, make an infusion with herbal tea like chamomile or eyebright. Allow the tea to cool and use with the eyebath to rinse the eyes. You can keep this infusion in a jar in the fridge and take out as and when you need it. I personally don’t like using medicated eyedrops; I prefer to use ingredients that are naturally anti-inflammatory and anyway, medicated versions taste horrible by the time they get to the throat!

Talking of throats, make sure you drink plenty of water, especially if hayfever affects this area. Even better, keep lemons and honey in stock to make a warm drink. If your throat gets really raw, you can try an Echinacea Throat Spray to soothe and calm, as well as boost your immunity.

If you do have increased mucus, cut down your intake of wheat and milk. Burning oils in the house can also help. Some good oils are cedarwood, eucalyptus, ginger, peppermint, tea tree, black pepper and thyme. Some people recommend inhaling the steam. Just cover your head with a towel and lean over a bowl of hot water; you can use a drop of one of the above oils in the water to help clear the sinuses.

Related Articles:

• Beating hayfever with supplements

About the Author

Doreen has had a passion for massage since she was 15 years old. She still has that passion, and offers massage, specialist facials and other beauty treatments in her home-based salon in Surrey. With any energy left over she will devour all the beauty pages of all the magazines she can lay her hands on!

Doreen's homepage: Bellessence