Dealing with the Nastiness that is Allergy Season

Peeking out from behind my Kleenex this morning, I read something pretty disturbing.  We can, apparently, expect a particularly nasty allergy season this year. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, a mild winter will bring about an earlier, more ill-tempered allergy season.

All week I’ve been crowing, “Can you believe how lucky we were this winter?……Wow, it’s pretty weather already,“  Blah, blah, blah.  I crowed while walking at the park, I crowed while washing the car, I crowed while buying daffodils…I crowed until the sneezes overtook the words.

Spring allergies are mostly caused by tree pollen, so those of us who live in states with high tree populations (Kentucky has trees growing on top of trees) redefine the word misery this time of year.

What You Can Do

The experts advise against opening your windows or spending too much time outside.  The notion is to come into as little contact with the pollen as possible, of course.  But, as for me - I live for this time of year.  So, my windows fly open and I spend most of the day outdoors - walking, planting, weeding, picking, pruning…when I run out of things to do, I MAKE UP things to do.  Do I sneeze?  Absolutely.  Sometimes I even throw in some wheezes.

Then I come inside and shower it all off.  Personally, I take Benadryl - but some people can’t take it because it makes them so sleepy.  I guess I’ve been taking it so long that my system’s accustomed to it taking a sledge hammer to its speedometer.

If you’ve been blessed with allergies and/or asthma also, find the medication that works best for you. Also, invest in some good allergy eyedrops.  They’re more expensive, but a lot of times, you can avoid taking any medicine if you simply use the drops.  Keep the good stuff on hand - always.

Also, it may sound radical to some people, but take several quick showers a day.  Wash the pollen out of your hair and off of your person.  Change your clothes when you come inside, too.

When in the car, leaving the windows up and running your AC or fan is recommended.  The car must have an effective filter and an air-conditioner and these must be cleaned regularly.

It’s something we should all be doing anyway, but taking a good multi-vitamin daily is a key tactic in the war against allergies.  Besides it’s anti-inflammatory activity, vitamin C is also the main antioxidant in the cells of the respiratory passages, and has active antihistamine effects. Vitamin A also supports the immune system and B vitamins help to reduce nasal congestion.

Herbs for Allergies

I read a lot about herbs and natural remedies. I’m convinced that more answers can be found there than anywhere else.  The following herbs are beneficial for allergy sufferers, so experiment with them in your cooking, in teas, or by supplements.  I’m trying out several, myself, to see if any would like to take over Benadryl’s job.  I’d love for him to retire.

• Garlic - relieves congestion associated with allergies, colds and hayfever.
• Echinacea - possesses natural anti-inflammatory properties. Echinacea also helps relieve the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and is useful for sore throats.  Completely off-topic, but echinacea also fights acne. If your teen suffers from the plague of puberty, make him/her Echinacea tea everyday - they should see a difference within a few weeks.
•  Horseradish - The “heating” properties of horseradish are what gives it its therapeutic bite.  It clears up nasal and chest congestion and helps to clear the respiratory passages and eliminate excess mucus. Therefore, it’s effective for the relief of cough symptoms and sinusitis.  Horeseradish is a key ingredient in Japanese cooking, where it’s known as Wasabi.
• Nettle - has a long tradition of use for the relief of allergy and hayfever symptoms.
• Other herbs that are known to help relieve allergy symptoms are: Catnip, Devil’s Claw, Lemon Balm, Elder, Goldenrod, Horehound, and Turmeric.

Years ago, my Sunday School teacher’s wife recommended Horehound for relief during a nasty bout of bronchitis.  She and her daughters took it regularly for their sinuses and allergies.  It helped me like you wouldn’t believe!  Horehound is helpful for wheezing, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, nonproductive coughs, and whooping cough. Horehound apparently causes the secretion of a more fluid mucus, which is more readily cleared by coughing.  It makes your coughs more productive.

Unless you have a million dollars and can move to an island in the Atlantic Ocean, allergies are a price we pay for beautiful weather.  Like flies in summer, they’re just something we have to deal with.  You swat what you can and stay out of the way of the rest.  Then you go to Starbucks and drown your sorrows.