Healthy Happy Loving Life: Natural Help for Allergy Stress

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allergies, allergy, Allergy stress, Feeling energized, Health, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, stress, Stress Management, The life you want, UpBeat Living

© Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM.  World Rights Reserved.

Peak allergy season is upon us, in many parts of the country, and the misery of allergy stress is keeping sufferers from enjoying life.  Sniffles, congestion, headaches, sore throats, raspy voices, brain fog, fatigue, and even nausea are all symptoms people are having this week.  For those who want to track the density of pollen in their area, websites like Pollen.com can send out a daily email alert, with a rating of 0 to 12, and the types of pollens that are high that day.  Today, my city, Phoenix, rings in at a whopping 10.6.

Everyone knows there are over-the-counter antihistamines of several different types.  If you have been taking one, and it isn’t working while a particular pollen is high, you may want to try another type.  Also, there is now a different type of medication for allergy, an antileukotreine, that may work better for you.  A popular prescription brand is Singulair, with the generic name Montelukast.  Check with your doctor about symptoms and possible interactions with other drugs you may be taking.

But wait!  This column is usually about natural solutions!  Yes, and these tend to be low-cost and pleasant, with quick- and also extended relief.  Here are some you may want to try.

1. Rinse your sinuses with salt water. You can purchase a pot with a pointed end through which to sniff or snort the salt water.  It might be called a neti pot.  Be sure to follow the instructions on keeping the pot clean.  You can also put warm water and a pinch of salt in a small bowl, and simply sniff or snort the salt water.  Hold your head back or down, and hold your nostrils, to get the salt water into your sinuses.  Blow the water and possibly mucus out and repeat several times; you may also want to gargle with the leftover salt water.  There are packets of salt available to add to your warm water.
2. Stay inside and be sure your air system filter has been changed. You can also run room-size air filter units ($39 to $450); park one near your work area.  Some types are silent, and some make a humming or whirring sound.  Some require purchased replacement filters, and some simply have a contact plate inside to wipe clean.  Play around with different models, to find the best type for you and your budget.
3. Outside, filter what you breathe. Wear a mask if you like, and have a fresh air filter installed in your car. There is probably also an “air recirculate” setting on your air conditioner or heater.  Use that to limit the amount of fresh air coming in.
4. Vacuum and dust. Allergens such as dust can make your seasonal allergies worse.  Use a water-bath vacuum if you have one, and use a damp cloth for dusting.
5. Try a salt lamp. Salt lamps favorably change the ions in the room, and they are said to purify the air.  Until more research is done, think of salt lamps as pleasant glowy things that offer a comforting, soft light, and may be beneficial to your health.  These are available in white or amber, in natural mineral shapes and as spheres,  from golf-ball size to bowling-ball size.  My office has an 8” round salt lamp in each room, with embedded dimmer switches; found online, they were about $35 each.
6. Wash and dry your hair every night. Yes!  Your hair efficiently picks up odors, smoke, dust, and pollens, during the day.  Then, when you lie down to sleep, you are breathing a special concentration of the very irritants that are causing your allergy stress.  So wash that hair every night.
7. Put a small, fresh towel across your pillow every night. Especially if nightly hair washing doesn’t work for your lifestyle, at least you can give yourself a clean surface to sleep on every night.  In the morning, throw that little towel in the wash and launder it on HOT with natural detergent.  Dry it on HOT.  You can also use a bath towel you have folded into a pillow size and shape.
8. Do yoga or chikung (Chinese yoga) to increase breath. Ask your yoga- or chikung teacher, or try these exercises:  in yoga, do Suryanamaskar, the Salutation to the Sun.  In chikung, do the Northwest Exercise.
9. Take Vitamin C and its friends. Vitamin C increases breath and strengthens your blood vessels.  Some Vitamin C supplements are available with other helpful vitamins, minerals or herbs that may reduce your allergy symptoms.  The two most popular are Emergen-C and Airborne.
10. Elevate your head when sleeping. If you are very congested, despite your best efforts, sleep on a wedge pillow or simply add an extra pillow.  As always, experiment to make it the most comfortable.
11. See your doctor. If your throat feels raw, or your nasal discharge is white or green, it may be time to let your doctor check for strep and its friends.  Infections are even less fun than allergies!

Have fun experimenting with a few, or all, of these natural helps.  Remember, what relieves your allergy stress may or may not work for your friend or your relative.  Hopefully, you’ll be much more comfortable after using these tips, and you’ll be able to enjoy your life during pollen season.  And that’s you,  Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

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Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   They are also available in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Franciscan Renewal Center bookstore and at the bookstore at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church. Or simply email us to order:  kebba@kebba.com .  Thank you!

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

UpBeat Living: Top Tips for Natural Allergy Relief

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allergies, allergy, allergy relief, energy, fulfilled, Health, natural allergy relief, stress, tired, vitality

© Kebba Buckley Button 2010.  World Rights Reserved

Pollens from Spring blossoms are making eyes watery and itchy.  People are sniffling, sinuses are clogged or runny, and some people have headaches or feel ill.  Not fun!  If antihistamines and antileukotrienes are not for you, then try these quick natural helps.

1.  Check your spice cabinet for ginger powder.  Mix ½ teaspoon ginger powder into a cup of warm, filtered (chlorine-removed) water.  Stir and drink.  Feel your symptoms improving in minutes.  Yes, fresh ginger root, grated and pressed through cheesecloth or a tea filter, is wonderful.  But when you are feeling bad, and you want immediate improvement, just add the ginger powder to your water.  The ginger is very yang, and it will balance out the yin symptoms of hay fever.

2.  Change your home’s air filter to one that has many accordion-type folds across its width.  Look for one that says it filters allergens.  This means it catches the tiniest pollens, which can be the most irritating.  Research has proven that this type of filter removes almost all of the provocative particles, so spend the extra $8 for this type.  Your improved sleep at night and your increased productivity during the day will be worth much more than that.

3.  Get a silent ionic air filter for the area where you work or relax the most.  This will remove even more allergens, again increasing the quality of your sleep, your productivity, and your recreation.

4.  Look around and honestly evaluate the dust/pollen catching quotient of your home.  Wearing a well-fitted dust mask or a kerchief over your nose and mouth, clear the paper stacks and dust the collectibles, using a slightly damp cloth.  Soap-wash the cloth often.  If you can, pay someone without allergies to do this clearing.  All those books should be dusted and go into cabinets, and the live plants should go out or to someone else’s house.  Replace those with silk plants or fragrance-free cut flowers, and commit to damp-wiping the silks and their vases regularly.  Use a high-efficiency or water-tank vacuum cleaner to sweep your carpets, or steam clean them every March and September.

5.  If the roof of your mouth is prickly, try drinking freshly squeezed orange juice.

6.  For allergenic fatigue together with sinus symptoms, try quick-acting natural stir-ins for your filtered (chlorine-removed) water.  Two widely available products are Emergen-C and Airborne.  Emergen-C is Vitamin C, as mineral ascorbates, plus B complex and special nutritive components for different conditions.  Airborne contains vitamins, minerals, and herbs.  Both products are effervescent and absorb easily in the body.  Try different flavors and varieties, to see which work best for you.  Add ½ teaspoon ginger powder to increase the decongestive effect.

7.  Place the palms of your hands to the sides of your neck and gently rock across the sore muscles.  Notice how tight your shoulder tops are, and gently stretch your shoulders in every direction for 2 minutes.  Notice your congestion calming and your head feeling less heavy.

8.  Have everyone leave their shoes by the front door, to avoid bringing pollens inside.  Have a non-allergic person brush the dog outside, before it comes in from play.

9.  Want more?  Mix 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 pint of warm water and breathe it in through your nostrils.  This rinses the sinuses.  Buy a neti pot if you like.  Notice you have fewer sinus symptoms and rarely get colds!

Set yourself up for success, with these shifts in your environment, nutrition, and habits.  Remember how bad you felt yesterday?  Now exhale completely and enjoy this beautiful Spring!

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Reach the writer at Kebba@Kebba.com