When you suffer from allergies you want to stay in bed with the covers pulled up over your head until the season passes. There are some natural options that can help an allergy sufferer to have a better day. First using saltwater as a nasal flush, can help rinse away those pollens from the nasal cavity and keep it clear, it can also help with other sinus congestion.

Next starting quercetin into your diet about six weeks before the allergy season hits can help, this stabilizes mast cells and keeps them from releasing histamine. Quercertin can be found in foods such as apples, citrus fruits, tomatoes, parsley, wine, onions, broccoli, tea and lettuce. The recommended dosage is 1000 milligrams a day. A German study found that people who eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids suffer less from allergy symptoms. The omega-3s help with the inflammation. Adding hot mustards, horseradish and chili peppers can help by acting as natural decongestant. Stinging nettle can act as an antihistamine. Stinging nettle is a weed found in the United States and is usually put into freeze dried pill form. The recommended dosage is 300 milligrams a day, and will only provide temporary relief. The stinging nettle inhibits the body's ability to produce histamine. Butterbur is another weed found in Europe that works like the stinging nettle, but can be hard to find here in the United States. Eating plenty of garlic and onion can help slow down the inflammation due to allergies. Raw Honey can help build up your body's resistance to allergy-inducing pollens. Start with a small amount and build up to one teaspoon a day, take every day throughout the allergy season. Taking Vitamin-C can help, it contains antihistamine properties. Bell peppers and oranges are high in Vitamin-C or you can take a supplement. Ginko biloba can help stop those allergic reactions, they recommend 60 to 240 milligrams daily. Hot foods such as Thai or Mexican can act as a decongestant. There are also some herbs you can use to treat and control allergy symptoms. Chamommile tea can help reduce the duration of hay fever attacks, ephedra helps with bronchial spasms and helps relieve congestion, eucalyptus used in steam can help with congestion, eyebright also helps with hay fever symptoms, ginger and licorice root help reduce inflammation, and rooibos has antihistamine properties. So instead of hiding under the covers this allergy season, try some of these natural choices to help with allergy symptoms instead of suffering with the side effects of medicines prescribed by physicians or over the counter medication. Get out this allergy season and enjoy life.

Learn more about this author, Dawn Stout.
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