How to Use Natural Remedies for Allergy Symptoms

I just have to say it. Seasonal allergies really suck. We’ve been waiting ages for spring to arrive, for the warm sunshine, for burying seeds in the dirt, or going on long walks… and then. Aaahchoo. It hits you. Whether allergies leave you with a little stuffy nose, or completely exhausted and miserable like me, they definitely put a damper on the season. But if you have learned about the detrimental effects of taking antihistamines or steroid nasal sprays, you might feel a little stuck. You may be wondering if you have any other option than to hole up inside until allergy season is gone. That’s exactly how I felt a few years ago… until I discovered that there are many ways to support your body without taking allergy medicine. With just a few simple changes, my allergy symptoms went from debilitating to barely there. Not only that, but some people are able to get to the root cause of their seasonal allergies and make them disappear forever. Sound great? Then keep reading!

What causes seasonal allergies?

Before we get to the solutions, let’s take a look at the problem. (Can’t wait? Skip ahead to this section.) 

What are allergies?

You probably already know, allergies have to do with something called histamine.   (Hence, the need for “antihistamines.”) Histamine often gets a bad rap, but it is actually does a really important job in our body. Histamine is the messenger from your brain telling your body that there is a threat, and that it should take action to protect you. It may tell your body to increase mucus production, for example, to get rid of the invader.  Or it may cause a fever to kill the pathogen. The problem comes when your body thinks something benign - like pollen - is an invader to be attacked. Symptoms can get even worse if your body is unable to break down the histamine quickly enough and it keeps circulating in your system.

Learn more about histamine!

Why do I have allergies?

Ok, so why do some people get seasonal allergies and others don’t? Or why do some people have a mild runny nose while someone else can barely function? The jury is out on exactly why, but here’s a few factors to look at:

• Already high histamine levels. If you are full of pathogens, like parasites, Lyme disease, or mold, you are already going to be overloaded with histamine as your body works to eliminate these invaders. Additionally, if you are unknowingly sensitive or allergic to other things, like mold in your home or gluten in your food, you will also have higher histamine levels. Already high histamine levels make it harder for you to cope with even a small amount of increased histamine from seasonal allergies. 

• Nervous System Dysregulation. Many people are stuck in a state of fight-or-flight without knowing it. This can be caused by trauma (even something you don't remember), chronic illness, or living in constant stress. When your body is in this fight-or-flight mode, it more often sees any outside thing as a threat, whether it’s a new supplement you’re taking or the pollen floating through the air on a spring day.  If you find that your body reacts strongly to things that are relatively harmless to most people (like perfumes, red light therapy, supplements, or even stress), there may be nervous system dysregulation at play. If you know that you have suffered trauma or have been chronically ill, that is also a good sign. 

• Cellular Dehydration. When we are dehydrated at a deep level, histamine is called upon to support our body. Because of this, allergies are greatly connected to our level of cellular hydration. Learn more in this video!

  What causes cellular dehydration? Things like EMF exposure, blue light exposure (not just on our devices, from our regular LED lightbulbs too!), mineral deficiencies, and lack of exposure to sunlight (red light specifically!) are all major causes of cellular dehydration.

  
  

Addressing the Root Cause of Allergies

Ok, now that we know a little bit about histamine, and some reasons why you may be dealing with seasonal allergies, let’s get to some solutions! First, we’ll look at some ways to address the root causes and pursue the allergy-free life we all dream of. 

Get Rid of Pathogens

As we mentioned before, pathogens can be a big cause of seasonal allergies. If you believe pathogens may have something to do with your allergies, it’s important to address those. A few signs that pathogens are at play is if you also experience digestive issues, fatigue, mental health issues, or unexplained pain. 

Firefly light therapy is a wonderful way to address these pathogens. We can scan your body to find out what exactly is the root of your symptoms, and then use light to target those specific pathogens. Pretty cool, huh? It’s gentle on your body, and safe for all ages. Learn more here!

Many people find that once they address the pathogens that are dragging down their body, allergies lessen or disappear altogether.

Learn about light therapy!

Regulate your Nervous System

Making sure your nervous system is out of fight-or-flight is another huge piece for conquering allergies. If your body feels safe it is less likely to see pollen and other allergens as a threat. For some people this is all they need to address chronic issues, including allergies. For others, this is a foundational step that will allow their body to accept other forms of therapies, whether it’s light therapy or supplements. We love this course by Irene Lyon for nervous system healing. 

Focus On Cellular Hydration

Like we mentioned earlier, cellular dehydration plays a huge role in histamine release and allergies. In the modern world, there’s a good chance that most of us are dehydrated on a cellular level, no matter how much water you drink! So unless you’re living intentionally, you’re probably needing some hydration help.

Here are a few practical steps to help your cells return to a healthy, hydrated state. 

1. Reduce EMF exposure

   • Turn off WiFi at night 

   • Use EMF mitigating devices 

   • Turn your phone on airplane mode or off when not in use

   • Use speaker phone

   • Grounding while using electronics

2. Lessen your blue light exposure (check out our blog post!)

3. Use a red light therapy panel

4. Get outside as much as you can, especially around sunrise and sunset for lots of natural red light.

5. Drink isotonic water and remineralize your water if you filter it by reverse osmosis. 

6. Supplement with minerals or use a mineral spray.

Not only will this help you with allergies, it will protect your body from so many other chronic diseases and pathogens. A hydrated body is a healthy body!

Try Homeopathy

Homeopathy is another great way to get to the roots of allergies, even if you don’t know what is causing it. It looks at your symptoms to discover how your body is out of balance, and uses homeopathic remedies to guide it back to a healthy equilibrium. It can address anything from emotional trauma to mold exposure, without necessarily needing to know what is causing your issues. Because your body is self-correcting these issues, it also make you much more resilient when you face them again. Finding the right remedy for you is almost like an art form, so make sure you find an experienced homeopath to guide you.

If you're interested in learning more about homeopathy, check out this site.

Natural Remedies for Allergy Symptoms

Healing the root cause of allergies is great and all, but it takes time. And right now you probably just want to go out for a run without having a sneezing fit. Luckily, there’s a lot of natural options to help you with allergy symptoms RIGHT NOW, while you’re still on the journey to long-term healing. Woohoo!  

Supplements + Herbs

When it comes to natural remedies to allergies, there is no one-size-fits-all. Read this list of allergy supports and play around with what works for you. If you can, start implementing these before allergy season hits, since they can take a few days or weeks to build up in your system.

• Nettle is one of the first plants to pop up in the spring, right when we need it. It has properties that help inhibit the production of histamine, and helps relieve allergy symptoms. You can take these in pill form or in tinctures.

  You can also make an infusion by boiling 1 quart of water, then turning it off. When the boiling has stopped, add in 1 cup of organic dried nettle. Let it sit overnight, then strain in the morning. Drink it throughout the day. You may need more than 1 quart a day at first, when your body is facing an allergy attack. But once you feel it helping your symptoms, you can experiment with dropping down to less for a maintenance amount. My body has responded best to the infusion over the pills or tinctures, maybe because I'm able to constantly sip it and have a steady stream going through my body throughout the day.

BONUS: Nettle is a nutrient-dense plant, full of minerals, amino acids, beta-carotene, flavonoids, and even some B vitamins. Chugging down that infusion not only helps your allergies, it infuses YOU with lots of beneficial nutrients.

• Quercetin is a phytochemical found in many fruits and vegetable. It also helps prevent the release of histamine, and is helpful when addressing allergies. Brolemein (see below) helps increase absorption of quercetin, so they are best taken together.

  
  

• Bromelain - is the enzyme found in pineapples. It’s anti-inflammatory and also has anti-histamine effects.

  
  

• Vitamin C is another very important nutrient when it comes to allergies. Once again, this helps slow down your body’s over production of histamine .

  Many people see the best success with taking a combination of these supplements simultaneously.

We love equi.life’s HistPro supplement, which contains these and a few other histamine-reducing ingredients. The recommended protocol with this supplement is taking 2-3 capsules 3x/day during allergy season. When symptoms are strongest add in 1 scoop of their Alkalizing Vitamin C 2-3x/day.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is great at treating chronic allergies, but I’ve also found success with it for short-term relief. Histaminum 30c or 200c, the homeopathic "antihistimine" has made my allergies disappear completely for weeks and even months at a time. There are also other homeopathic remedies that can be used for allergies based on your symptoms. A few notes about homeopathic remedies:

• Homeopathic remedies should not be taken repeatedly. If the remedy helps you, don’t take it again unless you feel symptoms coming back. If you repetedly take it more than you need to, you may end up worsening your symptoms instead of reducing them.

• If you try the remedy and it doesn’t seem to work you can repeat the dose a few times. If it still doesn’t work, this remedy probably isn't the correct one for you.

• You should not take more than one homeopathic remedy at a time. They can "cancel" each other out.

• You should not drink coffee while using a homeopathic remedy. It can sometimes cause it to stop working.

• Do not eat or drink anything except water 15-30 minutes before and after taking the remedy.

You will get the greatest success and long term healing if you consult a professional homeopathic practitioner, but if you're looking for some symptom relief, it's worth giving Histaminum a try!

Lifestyle Changes

• Changing your diet can be another way to support your body during allergy season. If you have an underlying food sensitivities, getting tested and avoiding these foods can also reduce your histamine load. It can also help reduce symptoms by following a low histamine diet for the short term. Things like fermented foods, wheat, and vinegar, and even avocados.

• Using air purifiers in your home can help reduce the amount of allergens you’re breathing in, whether its stray pollen from outside, dust, or pet fur. When your body has an allergen free space to retreat to, it can help keep those seasonal allergies from spinning out of control. We love the Jaspr or Air Doctor air purifiers.

• Sunlight exposure can help release excess histamine through the skin. (Watch this video to learn more!)  Pretty cool, huh? Check out this post for more benefits of sun exposure and how to do it safely.

  
  

So, fellow allergy sufferer, there is hope!

Not only can we help relieve symptoms NOW, we can work to bring full-body healing and . Sit down with a glass of nettle infusion, come up with a plan of healing, and then forget about allergies. Enjoy the great outdoors! 

~ Sarah, Marketing Manager & Wellness Advocate

Not sure where to start on the path to healing? Jodel, a licensed Integrative Health Practitioner, would love walk alongside you in your health journey. Get to the root cause and develop a personalized plan for healing.

Discover health coaching!