Allergies, intolerances and sensitivities can really make your life a misery!
I am an allergy sufferer myself – unfortunately! There seem to be so many things that I am allergic to. Sometimes I think it would be easier to list what I am not allergic to…
My sister often says that I must be allergic to modern life … in many ways she might actually be right…!
In lots of cases, it is chemicals, or pollution, that can trigger the allergic reaction … or make it worse. I do find, though, that natural allergy remedies can definitely help.
First, get the lowdown on allergies in these short video clips...
Just click on an image to start the video player...
Symptoms
Allergy symptoms vary – depending on what you are allergic to, and your own individual body.
Common allergy symptoms are:
digestive upsets
skin problems -
itching
eczema
hives
rash
irritation
asthma and breathing problems
runny nose
sore throat
sneezing
sore throat
itchy or watery eyes
tiredness
headache
feeling over emotional, snappy or grumpy
Your symptoms may be so severe that you need to take time off work.
Or may be such a mild inconvenience, that you don’t even quite realise what is wrong and an allergy might be to blame.
Problems with Conventional Treatments for Allergies
Always remember to consult your healthcare provider before taking any decisions regarding your health.
The most common, conventional treatment for allergies are anti-histamines, decongestants and corticosteroids.
These can be used for most allergies – hay fever, runny nose, itching eyes, or skin flare-ups.
These can work quite well. They do have quite a lot of side effects though.
This can be a real worry, when your allergy symptoms seem to go on and on, and you are taking anti-histamines for a long period of time.
This is when natural allergy remedies are an excellent alternative.
Common unpleasant side effects are:
drowsiness
dizziness
dry mouth, nose and throat
increased mucous
weakness
fatigue
irritability
insomnia
heart palpitations
nosebleeds
and so it goes on…
Before I discovered natural allergy remedies, I used to suffer a good 3 months of such unpleasant side effects every summer.
I figured that the side effects weren’t as bad as the hay fever allergy itself – so I continued to suffer through, spending whole summers feeling considerably below par…
Now I have looked into natural, holistic healing, and my body is in a far healthier state.
Because of this, I don’t seem to get such severe allergy symptoms anyway. And I am able to control the symptoms I do get, with natural allergy remedies.
Identifying Triggers for your Allergy
The most effective and long lasting of any natural allergy remedies, is to try to identify your allergy triggers.
You can then try to avoid, where possible, whatever sets you off. (Although I do realise that this may not always be possible!)
Common allergens which might be causing your symptoms:
grass pollen
tree pollen
flower pollen
dust
pet hair
air pollution
cleaning fluids and sprays
air fresheners
deodorants, toiletries and hair sprays
hair dyes
washing powders, liquids and detergents
washing up liquid
bubble baths
hand wash – especially anti-bacterial hand wash
cosmetics
costume jewellery – especially nickel jewellery
foods
artificial colors, flavours and preservatives – especially MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
Food allergies and intolerances, can cause more than just digestive problems.
For many people, the wrong food can cause:
skin flare ups
congestion and sinus problems
excess mucous and that horrid phlegmy feel
Allergies are individual to you - so do take the time to investigate what might be causing your symptoms.
Try to keep a symptom diary listing what you ate or used everyday and how you felt and what your symptoms were. Try to establish any links.
Or, take an allergy test to try to identify your triggers, so that you can try to avoid them. For me, this has to be one of the most effective natural allergy remedies.
I took a simple hair analysis test, which identified for me the foods I was intolerant of - I had no idea! Cutting them out of my diet made a huge difference almost immediately.
The test is actually very inexpensive and tests over 100 food substances. I chose it because it tested far more substances than other similar tests, and for less money!
As a 'bonus' you also find out the vitamins and minerals your body is lacking, as well as the main stressors which are likely to be causing your illness - a pretty comprehensive health check, all in all.
You also get personal recommendations of the supplements, herbal remedies and dietary changes you should make, for the best effect.
Once you have identified your allergy triggers, you should try to eliminate the ‘suspects’ from your life for a few weeks.
You should start to see a real difference in your skin, digestion or how you feel within this space of time.
If you like, after this time you can re-introduce a little of the ‘suspect’ to see if:
1) You may now be able to tolerate it, occasionally, in small amounts.
2) You have a bad reaction. If so, keep it out of your life for a while longer.
When you are trying this, do be warned that after a time avoiding the product, your allergic reaction may now be more severe or intense.
There are plenty of natural allergy remedies out there, to help you control your symptoms. But first ....
Try some of these other lifestyle changes to help you live with your allergies…
Replace your carpets with hard wood flooring, vinyl or tiled flooring. This helped me a lot.
Also, vacuuming more frequently than usual should help to remove allergens too… Yes, I know …. Easier said than done!
I was heartbroken to discover that I am allergic to my gorgeous, fluffy, ginger cat.
But I now keep him out of my bedroom, and take care not to hold him up to my face, or the sensitive skin on my neck and chest, for any length of time.
Meet my beautiful, fluffy cat - Brian!
When he is shedding lots of hair, I try to brush him outside, to keep all the hairs and allergens from getting trapped in the house.
Don’t worry – he still gets plenty of strokes from me – and cuddles from my fiancé, Ian, too…! Miaow!
When I chose my dog, I picked a breed with short, smooth hair - a greyhound. His hair is less likely to cause an allergic reaction than most other breeds of dogs. I have no allergy problems at all with him – and he is the perfect pet in lots of other ways too, bless him…!
Try to choose natural, chemical free cosmetics, toiletries and hair products.
I like to make my own. I just add aromatherapy essential oils to a natural, fragrance free base.
If you want to try it yourself, try adding 5 – 10 drops of essential oils to the bath:
To relax:
lavender
chamomile
neroli
mandarin
To refresh:
tangerine
lemon
rosemary
geranium
(Allergies can be funny things, so always check you are not actually allergic to any of these oils by trying out one small drop on your skin first)
Try to use natural cleaning products and household sprays. I mainly use Ecover.
Use non-biological washing powders or detergents, without fabric conditioner. I use:
Persil non-biological
Ecover
some great washing balls that contain no detergent whatsoever
natural soap nuts – which can be used several times
Take care with washing-up liquids. I actually find ‘Fairy’ is the worst for me (I haven’t been able to use it for the past 20 years!). I like Ecover or other natural washing up liquids.
Avoiding your triggers will help enormously – but, of course, there will be times when this is just plain, impossible!
These are the times when these natural allergy remedies will help you out...
Recommended Products
Take a look at some of these really useful products for Allergies. You will also find a lot of good information about natural allergy remedies on this site too...
I hope your allergies will start to improve soon. My allergy problems made so much improvement with holistic remedies, that I hope you see as much improvement too.
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