The Spring is almost here, and with the unfolding of unfolding of exotic flower petals (my favorite things to give & get!) comes a panoply of seasonal allergies. Sneezing, sniffling, and low-grade fever… or full-fledged flu-like symptoms including total body aches, sore throat and inflamed sinuses can make the beauty of the season feel like a curse. While there are a handful of drugs you can buy over-the-counter at a pharmacy, never have any of the Claritin/Zyrtec pills left me feeling anything short of wired out of my mind or shattered to bits in exhaustion. In lieu of chemical antihistamines, I unearthed a ton of time-tested, natural remedies that are invaluable in the quest to banish seasonal allergies for good!
5 Ideas To Alleviate Seasonal Allergy Misery Without Conventional Drugs
1. Mangosteen! You can get this exotic and quite gorgeous fruit in both juices and pills. Mangosteen is thought to regulate histamines in the human body, and the anecdotal testimonial is huge in its allergy-squashing capability! Super-packed with antioxidants, mangosteen is a great way to get extra vitamin protection while shielding yourself from the elevated pollen counts.
2. Get out the neti pot and take it to the next level with essential oils. If you have never seen a neti pot, they are extraordinarily useful little things to have on hand. I prefer metal neti pots, but they are also made from plastic and you should be able to find one at your local pharmacy or online pretty easily. Its admittedly weird at first to use, since it feels like you are pouring water into your head (!) but once you get the hang of it, it can be awesome! I will say this: do not use a neti pot before consulting your doctor. I use it very sparingly, per my own doctor and holistic specialist recommendation, as if used incorrectly it can create more issues than it solves!
Here’s the Always List for using a neti pot:
- Always use distilled or well-boiled water that is cooled to a very warm – but not hot- temperature.
- Always use proper fine sea salt made for neti pots– don’t do this with table salt please!!!
- Always follow the instructions! THESE instructions are great.
At the worst part of allergy season (here in LA, its when the crazy-hot Santa Ana winds are blowing) I do the net pot twice a day and feel about 80% better minus pharmaceutical pills. To take it to the next level and get more instant allergy relief, add essential oils to the salt water mix!
Adding Essential Oils (*** test all oils on your wrist for a day before doing this to be sure you have no bad reactions! also, heed your doctor’s advice here!):
- 3 drops rosemary oil & 2 drops tea tree oil mixed into your salt water (people suggest more, but it can cause irritation!) pre-neti pot
- put a drop of lavender oil on the bridge of your nose. yang yang is also great for this, but just a bit.
- use a few drops of peppermint oil mixed with sweet almond oil or a little coconut or olive oil to rub on the back of your neck, shoulders and chest pre-shower in the morning (note: peppermint oil used at night can cause insomnia!)
3. Probiotics. Beneficial bacteria in your digestive system has been proven to keep your immune system strong. A stronger immune system can handle allergen attacks much better. Probiotics can also help your digestion, your skin (especially any rashes or inflammation) and can help increase your overall energy.
Personally, I love making what I call “super-yogurt” (it cooks for 24 hours & you can learn how to make it right HERE!) in lieu of grocery store yogurts and probiotics, but for convenience sake today, lets start with getting a probiotic that has actual live bacteria, and a good deal of it, present. Make sure you get yours from a specialty store or shipped to you in ice, and that there is a good spectrum of probiotics (there are many strains) for your overall balance. Don’t buy probiotics sitting on a shelf without refrigeration; most are not “live” enough to have an impact. If all else fails get yogurt and eat it daily… but be sure its free of fillers and chemicals and that it has actual live cultures in it (it should say so)… !
4. Local Raw Honey (as in raw honey farmed near you, not honey from a local 
grocery store!)… this, of course, is the best cure ever if you can get yourself a honey made relatively nearby you from a local farmer’s market. I understand not everyone has a farmer’s market nearby, so if it can’t be absolutely local, try some raw honey on your yogurt (#2) and, or, a spoonful “on the side” of a cup of tea (raw honey will no longer be raw and will lose its enzymes if you add it to boiling hot beverages!).
5. Quercetin with Bromelain. This mix of fruit-derived compounds can be found in capsules. While they have little side effects, they have been studied and proven effective in keeping histamine levels regulated (kinda like Claritin does… but without the panic-attack of adrenaline!)…
And, of course, all of the natural cold remedies I’ve posted about (they are super-easy to keep on hand) help to strengthen the immune system, which makes a huge difference when the pollen count goes up!
And, as always, if you have more tips or tricks for conventional-drug-free allergy cures, please leave them below…! I am always on the look-out for fresh ideas, and I’m sure we can all benefit from your wisdom! xoxo Dana
My son only suffers from Tree Pollen allergies in spring here on the east coast…..would raw honey or bee pollen help or is that only for other allergies as I’m not aware of bees using tree pollen? I really don’t want to have to put him on OTC meds…
Hi Michelle, In kids with pollen allergies, I think that honey/pollen is probably something less ideal than, say, great yogurt and mangosteen juice. When I asked my MD about natural allergy remedies she laughed at me (doctors are useful for many things, but non-medcine cures not so helpful all the time!), so I can’t pass on any real medical advice, just pragmatic advice. What I would definitely do is try is the mangosteen and probiotics and before doing so, tell his doctor. From what I’ve read, the mangosteen is safe for kids (they need less than an adult) and the results are super-great, but again I’m not a doctor so the doctor is always the best place to start! I do think its well-worth experimenting under doctor’s supervision with natural cures rather than starting antihistamine/pills now if its otherwise treatable! Good luck!!! Dana
Thank you for this list! Ginger and garlic normally knock out my colds, but are lacking when it comes to allergies. I’ll give these a try!
You are so welcome! & Awesome reminder on the “garlic for colds” tip! xoxo Dana
I’ve been using mangosteen for years and I can agree that it is surprisingly effective! At the beginning it was a bit shock for me to find out alternative ways of allergy treatment are helpful, but now I know they really are a great deal of help. Also, many changes in your place where you live or work can make living with allergies much easier.
For what it’s worth… my older daughter has very, very bad allergies and the Virginia pollen season is more than she can handle any given year. This year we found some relief with NAET + a homemade homeopathic remedy from the pollen on my car. Laughable, but it worked. I wrote it up here:
http://tribalmamas.blogspot.com/2012/04/allergies.html
I’m looking forward to trying the mangosteen! Thanks for the tip!
I don’t do the neti pot as often as I should but I use saline nasal spray at least twice a day. It used to be in the winter only because of dryness (then I found out it helps prevent colds!) but now that allergy season is wreaking havoc (since March) I am still using it and find it helps at least clear some junk out, so if people are afraid of the neti pot, go buy some Ocean or Ayr saline nasal spray.
Dear Dana,
A few weeks ago, when you first posted about 5 natural allergy remedies, I was currently in the South of China, suffering from very strong allergies. My boyfriend Parker (whom I think has contacted you via Facebook) sent me your post in an email (since I couldn’t read your blog while in China), while I was really dizzy through the streets of ShenZhen. I was afraid that, not speaking Mandarin, I wouldn’t be successful in getting any of the remedies. But just around the next corner, I found a street fruit stand with plenty of mangosteens!!! I bought 2 kilos and took them to my hotel immediately and I actually devoured them. And 30 minutes later… no sneezes, no running nose, no headache, nor crying!!! It was so fantastic that I sent it to my father — him being an M.D. specialized in allergies, and now he wants to import mangosteen!
I had to thank you for this.
With love,
Javier
Javier— do you know this is the first time I saw this comment! ? What a cool story! I have to meet you!!! xoxo Dana