Natural Remedies for Allergy Season

During this time of year, most of us are walking around in misery from seasonal allergies. The symptoms can include itching, congestion, runny nose, sneezing, red or watery eyes, itchy throats, and so on. Everyone's body can react to this season differently.

But why do our bodies react at all?

Seasonal allergies, commonly known as hay fever, result from our body taking in pollen released into the atmosphere by grass, trees, and other plants. Our bodies commonly mistake plant material for invasive protein by our immune system and release a chemical called histamine. Histamine attempts to attack the pollen which causes the symptoms we experience during allergy season. Although our body is doing what it does best, attempting to save us, this process can cause a lot of discomforts.

There are a lot of over-the-counter medications one can use to ease symptoms associated with this time of year, but there are also natural remedies that can be helpful as well. Some of my favorite things to use to ease allergy symptoms are herbs. Here's a list of my top five favorite herbs for seasonal allergies.

1. Nettle Leaf

Nettle has been shown to treat all manner of concerns, including histamine overreactions. It’s been widely used in natural medicine for centuries and can easily be found along trails and hikes. This herb is a powerful anti-inflammatory and is super nourishing to the body.

3. Mullein Leaf

is a gentle yet powerful herb, traditionally used by cultures across the world as a healing aid for respiratory conditions, including seasonal allergies and hay fever. The mullein plant is particularly revered for its soothing nature.

4. Rosemary

Rosemary contains rosmarinic acid, which has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. One study reveals that rosmarinic acid is a free radical scavenger that can suppress the inflammatory responses of certain white blood cells, as well as allergic antibodies.

5. Local Honey

Not an herb, but local honey had to make my list. It's common folklore to consume honey during allergy season because bees collect the pollen that causes us so much stress.

Most of these herbs can be found in our Allergy Defense Tea, which was created to bring ease to your body during this sometimes stressful time of year.