allergy season

ACHOO! SPRING IS NEAR

            Even though we are still having some cool temperatures, the pollen in the air indicates that Spring is near. Spring is a beautiful time of the year when things begin to bloom and grow, but for those of us that suffer from allergies, it can be a miserable time of year. If you are like me, the only thing that makes me feel more miserable than the stuffy and/or runny nose, sneezing, itchy skin and eyes, and/or red, watery eyes, etc. is the way I feel when I try to take an antihistamine/decongestant. Sometimes the side effects are worse than the condition being treated. Fortunately, there are several things we can do “naturally” to diminish or avoid allergies without side effects.

            An allergy is a hypersensitive reaction to a normally harmless substance. Allergies are actually secondary symptoms to another underlying disorder, primarily an inappropriate response by the immune system. Determining and treating the cause of this inappropriate response can be complicated, but there are some things we can all do. For instance, Vitamin C with bioflavonoids, Omega 3 essential fatty acids, probiotics, and extra Calcium and Magnesium, are a few things you can take. Also, this is an area where homeopathy really shines. We can take combination remedies that treat the symptoms and/or we can take nosode/antigen remedies (antigens have the culprit pollens in homeopathic dilutions) that enhance our body’s immune systems response preventatively. For instance, if you have really been suffering this week, you might want to consider taking a tree pollen antigen.