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Home Remedies for Allergies

The weather is warm, the days are long, and the sun is out- but you can barely enjoy it. You sneeze at the smell of fresh cut grass and your eyes tear up while you are working in your garden. Not many people realize this, but allergy relief lies no further away than your kitchen pantry.

These natural remedies don’t work as quickly as over the counter antihistamines, so it is best to start taking them at least a month before allergy season begins. If you start trying these in the middle of allergy season, give them a few weeks before you decide they aren’t working.  

• Green tea: This common table tea has a natural antihistamine. Drink one or two cups a day and sweeten with honey. You can also use black tea, since it is from the same plant as green tea, but it isn’t as effective.
   

• Honey: Make sure you purchase local honey. Use it to sweeten teas, or a small amount of it plain. Local honey can help you became resistant to certain pollens. The beneficial qualities of honey are lost, however, when it is cooked.
   

• Chamomile Tea: This popular tea is also a natural antihistamine. Drink one or two cups a day and sweeten with honey. Don’t use if you are allergic to ragweed because it can cause your symptoms to worsen.
   

• Ginger: Peel and crush a one-inch piece of fresh ginger root. Place in a mug and pour boiling water over. Steep for 5-10 minutes. Sweeten with honey, if desired. Ginger is both a natural antihistamine and a mild decongestant.
   

• Garlic: Garlic helps stimulate the immune system and is also a decongestant and used for coughs. Cook with it as much you can. If you enjoy the taste, add it raw to salads and salad dressings because fresh is more effective.
   

• Peppermint Tea: This tea is used to help relieve congestion. In the warmer weather, it tastes refreshing iced and can help relieve sinus problems and coughs.
   

• Thyme: This is also a wonderful tea for congestion. It can be used for coughs, sinus problems, and stuffy noses. Prepare a tea using one teaspoon of the dried herb for every cup of water. Never take more than one cup per day. You can also use it in cooking.
   

• Oatmeal: If your allergies give you hives, oatmeal can be really useful. Pour one cup of boiling water over one tablespoon oatmeal. Let it steep for thirty minutes. Strain it, and then apply the liquid on your hives with a cotton ball. This also works to relive bug bites. Refrigerate the solution and use it in a few days. You can also make this in larger amounts and put it in your bathwater (about four cups of water and four tablespoons of oatmeal).
   

• Apple cider vinegar: My grandmother used to have me put apple cider vinegar on any bug bites or hives to cut down on the itching. Just dilute the vinegar down with a little water and apply it with a cotton ball. You can also put a little vinegar in your bath.

~Katherine O. Huether