In addition to a recurring case of Spring Fever that draws me outside to enjoy the beautiful April weather, I also suffer from seasonal allergies.
And I am not alone. Just walk into any drugstore and you will see dozens of allergy medications promising relief. But if you are like me, you would prefer to try some all-natural remedies before hitting the medicine aisle.
Once again—Mom was right! There really was a reason behind her annual ritual of Spring cleaning. You not only get rid of the primary allergy culprit, dust, but you may also prevent the buildup of mold, mildew and other allergens. Plus, you will have a house all ready for Summer entertaining.
Another Mom-approved tip: wash your sheets weekly. Although it is tempting to hang them on a clothesline for that clean, fresh-air scent, you could also end up with pollen and mold. It is better to just stick to the dryer.
Another simple way to reduce pollen in your home is to take a relaxing, evening shower. Because pollen can adhere to your skin and hair, it is a good idea to shower after a day outdoors. This will keep allergens from ending up on your furniture and in your bed.
While you are rinsing off, you can also flush out your sinuses with a salt-water rinse. The saline solution helps cleanse your nasal passages of dirt, germs and, of course, allergens. Although I have friends who swear by the neti pot and other sinus irrigators, it can take some practice to perfect the procedure.
Let’s not forget those tried and true cure-alls! Enjoy some tea sweetened with lemon and local honey to help with allergy symptoms. And essential oils have also been known to help cure headaches and relieve allergy symptoms so try adding a few drops of menthol, eucalyptus or lavender to your laundry and/or diffuser.
No matter what you choose to use, I hope you find something that provides fast relief and allows you to enjoy this time of year!
How do you treat your seasonal allergies? Do you have a homemade treatment that soothes your symptoms? Tell us how you deal with allergies in the comments below.
Resources:
While it is not a natural remedy, I love my air purifier! It is right beside my bed. For 8 hours a day I breathe air with fewer pollens and dust.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing, Kim.
I try to use some essential oils in our diffusers that help with seasonal allergies.
Good to hear reminders of easing the discomfort before the hay-fever season sets in.
I use Norwex products to keep my body, home, pets and cars clean. In addition to that I grow our own organic food and eat lots of it!
I do my best to be a good steward of my body, home and environment and then I pray for protection from the possible toxin exposure that I can not control.
These are great ideas and I’d love to post it on my Norwex FB page but one thing is stopping me. I read the article you linked called “wash your sheets”. In that article, they suggest using Wisk, Tide, or Persil. Although it discourages us from using fabric softener or dryer sheets, I wish articles you post would promote Norwex products instead. The article is really good with great information, but I’m hesitant to post it because of recommendations of using products we condemn. Not sure how to get around that. Any suggestions?
Thanks for sharing, Diane. As you point out, the article we list in our Resources is from a third party, with its own opinions. While Norwex Movement posts information designed to help members lead a healthier lifestyle, it’s not meant as a vehicle to openly feature Norwex products. We occasionally reference (and cite) resources like the one you mention, even though we may not necessarily agree with all the points made. Please feel free to post and share Norwex Movement blogs on your Norwex FB page with confidence. Should a question arise about the detergents mentioned (in this example), you could welcome the conversation it might bring up, either on your FB page or via private message, perhaps suggesting the better alternatives Norwex offers. Thanks again for sharing your concern.
I really appreciate this approach. I don’t use Norwex for my laundry however if this article wasn’t posted, I would have lost the idea to wash sheets weekly (I already do but it validated my opinion). Just because you are Norwex it doesn’t mean that you can’t post good ideas by other “companies”. Remember the christmas movie where Macy was sending customers to Gimbles and vice versa? Thank you for posting this! >^,,^<
I love a good spring clean for reducing allergy symptoms! I also love oils for allergies! So many good natural alternatives out there!!
All great points! We use the netty pot at our house and it does take some getting used to but it works GREAT! Another favorite is wiping all that oak pollen off my window screens with a wet dusting mitt BEFORE it enters my house! Also this is my first Spring with the entry mat and I have noticed a huge reduction in the debris brought into our house.
My natural remedy is my accupuncturist. 🙂 I’ haven’t had any allergy issues in TWENTY YEARS. Additionally, I have steam vapors, etc. with essential oils and swear by those.
I’ve had positive improvement using local/regional honey in a morning smoothie OR on a slice of Ezekiel Bread for breakfast!
I try and use local honey as it is said that by doing so, your immunity to the local pollens is heightened as the bees have gone to most of the pollen producing plants in your area.