Pollen Getting Up Your Nose?

Use these tips for managing your hay fever without side effects:

Antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays are effective against hay fever and produce results immediately, they will unfortunately cause allergic reactions or severe sleepiness or drowsiness.

Try a nasal rinse-

Nasal rinsing helps flush out your sinuses and nasal cavities. You can buy pre-mixed saline mixtures although the best is using a Neti pot. A Neti pot can prevent and treat congestion, sinusitis and symptoms of the common cold. The water must be as clean and sterile as possible, you don't want any fluoride or chlorine found in tap water, or bacteria that could aggravate your sinuses further. The best mixture is a combination of Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE), Xylitol and salt in a lukewarm, sterile water base. This will certainly alleviate all sinus infections and nasal irritation.

Have some nettle tea-

Getting stung by a stinging nettle isn't advisable, but nettle is a natural antihistamine and can help lessen the effects of both seasonal and all-year allergies. Try drinking nettle tea or a tincture of nettle leaves and roots.

Spice up your life-

Certain spices help ease inflammation and clear up your blocked sinuses. Turmeric is an example of a natural anti-inflammatory while providing anti-bacterial and acting as a painkiller. Garlic, horseradish, hot peppers and hot mustard will also clear you up and help breathing.

Source local raw honey-

Locally-sourced, raw and unfiltered honey can help reduce your allergic symptoms. The honey contains pollen from flowering plants and trees in an area nearby the hive.

You'll want to make sure the honey is from a local source as honey from other areas will contain pollen that wont be causing your allergies. For this method work well you have to take a spoonful of honey twice a day, especially in the calm seasons to help lower your immune system responses.