Seasonal allergies are the pits! The weather gets beautiful and before you know it you’re miserable. So not fair!

You know what I’m talking about stuffy runny nose, itchy watery eyes, sneezing, itchy scratchy throat. You just feel awful, and with all the nose blowing you begin to look how you feel too.

I dealt with seasonal allergies really bad growing up. I even got shots weekly they were so bad. When I wasn’t getting the shots I was subjected to the allergy meds (pills, nasal sprays, and eye drops) to combat my symptoms. The pills made me groggy, the nasal sprays tasted nasty and burned, and I wasn’t suppose to wear contacts when I used the drops.

While somehow I dodged a bullet and lost my allergies after my pregnancy with my son the rest of my family didn’t. So knowing how awful I felt during allergy season I searched for a natural way to help them. In this article I’m going to share our go to that has worked wonders for my family and many others that I’ve shared it with and some other natural remedies I’ve found.

8 Natural Remedies for Allergy Relief

1. Local Raw Honey – The honey needs to be local to you and raw (no over processed). The idea behind it is similar to the allergy shots. So you are consuming little amounts of pollen daily that are local to you. It gives your body more time to adapt to what it’s going to be exposed to. This is what has worked wonders for my family. Just take 1 Tbsp of local raw honey a day. It also works best if you start it before the allergy season begins. After you’re already experiencing symptoms it will take a while to reduce those symptoms.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) – Specifically Organic Unfiltered ACV with “The Mother” (colony of beneficial bacteria). Apple Cider Vinegar helps to reduce mucous production and cleanse the lymphatic system. Bonus it’s been shown to help with heartburn, digestion, and weight loss. When you’re dealing with allergy symptoms mix 1tsp ACV in a glass of water 3 times a day.
3. Quercetin – It can be found in many different foods like citrus fruit, broccoli, cruciferous vegetables, green teas, and onion/shallots. You can also get it in supplement form. Quercetin is a bioflavanoid that stabilizes the release of histamine, and is a potent antioxidant that reduces inflammation. For best results it should be started a few weeks prior to allergy season.
4. Stinging Nettle Leaf – The nettle leaf was has been used to relieve joint pain, to treat insect bites and urinary problems like urinary tract infections. It is a powerful antihistamine, and a freeze dried form has been suggested to be taken before hay fever season. It can also be used as a tea or tincture, but the dried leaves in capsules has shown to be the most beneficial during allergy season.
5. Neti Pot – This has been suggested by conventional and alternative physicians. The idea behind the Neti Pot is to clear the allergens, pollen, and irritants from the nasal passages with a saline water solution. It has been shown to help with common cold,  acute and chronic sinusitis, and seasonal allergies. When using the Neti Pot make sure you are using a premade saline rinse, or warm distilled water with the saline mix. You don’t want water that has chlorine and flouride like most tap water, as it could irritate your nasal passages.
6. Probiotics – Allergies are a misguided response to contact with an allergen within the immune system, and 80% of our immune system is in the gastrointestinal tract. There are studies that show a baby develops their allergies based upon the mothers gut health during pregnancy and nursing. That said if a mother is taking probiotics during that time frame it reduces the child’s risk to developing allergies. So consuming either a probiotic pill or fermented foods/drinks like Kefir or Kombucha can improve the gut health.
7. Butterbur – The extract of butterbur root has been shown to be just as effective as antihistamines at relieving nasal symptoms. It appears as it works as a leukotriene inhibitor. This works to block nasal passage swelling. While it acts like an antihistamine it doesn’t create the drowsiness.
8. Essential Oils – Eucalyptus and Frankincense have been shown to be beneficial in relieving allergy symptoms. You can put drops of eucalyptus oil in the Neti Pot, it can be diffused. Putting 25 drops of eucalyptus oil in a load of laundry during the allergy season, especially with kids who run around outside or if you work outdoors, can reduce the allergens on your clothing. If allergy symptoms are really bad mixing eucalyptus oil in coconut oil and rubbing that on your chest or behind your ears can ease the symptoms. Frankincense is a strong immune system booster. You can rub frankincense on your chest, behind your ears or diffuse it to ease your allergy symptoms.

Disclaimer: When taking supplements make sure to use a high quality supplement that is manufactured by a trusted source. Don’t just pick up anything off of a big box retailers self and think it’s good. Since supplements are not FDA regulated you need to be more cautious. Do your research or ask someone who may research to find a high quality source. If you’re on any type of medication check with your physician before adding any of the supplements.