Tag Archive for "Fish oil allergy"

11 Natural Anti-Allergy Remedies

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC Wednesday, April 10, 2013 Healthy Home, Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Wellness Allergic Rhinitis, Anti-allergy treatments, Fish oil allergy, Grass Pollen, health Permalink 0

By: Stephanie Heino

I don’t know about you, but I have certainly noticed that it is allergy season. My nose is running, and my throat is itching and I am consuming allergy pills like there’s no tomorrow. Hay fever is the most common allergic condition, where ragweed pollen accounts for about 75% of all hay fever cases in the United States. Other significant pollens that induce hay fever include various grass and tree pollens. I don’t know which one I am allergic to since I suffer in both spring and summer, but I guess it is tree pollen which develops in the spring, whereas grass and weed pollens develop in the summer. However, if hay fever symptoms persist year-round, this is known as perennial allergic rhinitis, and this form of hay fever may or may not be due to pollens. So make sure to see a doctor if you have problems year-round to get the right cure for you. Around 50 million Americans have allergies, and most Americans reach for prescription and over-the-counter antihistamines to treat their condition, as soon as they feel it coming. But hold on; natural medicines can offer significant advantages even in this case. Keep in mind that antihistamine drugs offer only symptomatic relief, and don’t solve the actual problem. The drug companies love these drugs because they only suppress symptoms, but don’t really effect a cure. Instead they create dependence, and of course, most beneficial to drug companies, the drugs are expensive, so they gain huge profits.

Before taking the easy way and reaching for OTC medications, try these 11 natural treatments:

1. Track the pollen count. With today’s technology you can actually track the pollen count in your area. You can use this info to know when to stay indoors when pollen counts are highest. Here is a great site you can use as an allergy tracker: http://www.weather.com/health/allergy/main

2. Showers. If you are prone to seasonal allergies and spend a lot of time outdoors make sure to shower when coming inside or before bed to remove pollen, especially from your face and hair where it’s more likely to get stuck.

3. Try nasal irrigation. Get a neti pot online or at your local pharmacy and wash your nasal passages with a saline solution once or twice a day to clear it out. If you find that your nose dries out after using a neti pot, follow irrigation with a drop of sesame oil in each nostril to lubricate the delicate lining of your nose.

4. Filter your air. Go to your nearest Home Depot and equip your home with HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters, which can be attached to central heating and air conditioner systems. The work wonders for allergies!

5. Clean your home & pets. Just like with our own hair, our pets also carry around pollen. So try to keep them out of your bedroom if you can and bathe them often. Pollen can also collect on furniture and in rugs, so make sure to vacuum everything frequently. You may want to use bedding made with Ventflex, a special hypoallergenic synthetic material. What I also recommend is to install an air purifier in the rooms you spend the most time in.

6. Immunotherapy. A popular treatment for seasonal allergies is immunotherapy, in which the patient receives a series of injections of the allergy-causing agent in minute amounts until the body builds up an immune response. At the end of three years about a third of patients will be cured. If shots aren’t your thing, the treatment can be performed with a liquid placed under the tongue, so no pain needed! It is not very fast, but you can usually see permanent results within weeks or months.

7. Quercetin. Quercetin consistently demonstrated the greatest anti-allergy effects among all flavonoids, according to a recent study. A highly bioavailable, enzymatically modified form of isoquercitrin (EMIQ) has been developed, which has shown significant effects in improving some of the symptoms of hay fever. The recommended dose of EMIQ is 100 mg twice per day.

8. Take polyphenols. A recent study showed that apple polyphenols reduced hay fever symptoms and had significant improvement in sneezing attacks and a runny nose. Take 100–250 mg of apple polyphenol extract twice per day. You can get similar results with extracts such as grape seed, pine bark, or green tree extract.

9. Use fish oils. Fish oil is great for pretty much everything, but usually known as an immune booster as well as reducing inflammation, therefore also inflammation associated with allergies, great! The best dosage is 2,000 mg of combined EPA and DHA per day.

10. Apple Cider Vinegar. As we’ve written about before, this is a magic cure-all, and healing the symptoms of seasonal allergies is just one of its many benefits. When you feel allergies start to come on, instantly pour yourself a glass of water with a tablespoon of organic, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, and shortly after I promise you will be totally fine. And the effects really last for the entire day! You can also start to drinking apple cider vinegar 2-3 times a day before allergy season hits.

11. Local honey. Regularly consuming local honey (and chewing on the honey combs too) helps to desensitize your immune system to the pollen in your area, effectively rendering it harmless to your body! Eat 1-2 tablespoons of local honey (raw and organic, whenever possible) every day starting two months before allergy season, and you’ll notice a big difference!

Nip Seasonal Allergies in the Bud

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC Friday, June 3, 2011 Diet and Foods, Healthy Home, Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Wellness allergies, Allergy, apple cider vinegar, Diet and Foods, Fish oil allergy Permalink 0

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Seasonal Allergies | The Organic Beauty Blog

After a blissfully allergy-free spring, I walked out of the house yesterday morning and instantly started sneezing and sniffling. I check the allergy report for Brooklyn and saw that the pollen level was labeled as high.. which definitely explained why so many other people on the train and in my office seemed to be suffering from similar symptoms.

Seasonal allergies affect nearly 40 million Americans, which becomes really apparent this time of year. There are over-the-counter medications, of course, but many people experience side effects (dry mouth and throat, fatigue, headaches, hoarseness, feeling jittery or spacey) that can be as bad as the allergies themselves. And long term use of prescription allergy medication is responsible for a whole host of unpleasant effects like high blood pressure, glaucoma, osteoporosis, and stunted or delayed growth in children. Luckily, there are steps we can take to treat the symptoms naturally, or prevent seasonal allergies altogether!

Neti pots are by far the most effective weapon against seasonal allergies, and can be used as both a preventative measure and as treatment. Basically, netis are traditional ayurvedic tools that look like little tea pots (traditionally ceramic, though commercial, store-bought netis are plastic) with a special spout small enough to fit in your nostril. When filled with lukewarm water and a powdered saline solution, the liquid irrigates and cleanses the nasal passages, and also thins the mucus built up in there, flushing it out of your nose. If you are prone to seasonal allergies, start using a neti pot daily a little before your symptoms would typically start. Regular use will strengthen your nasal cilia, improving their ability to remove allergens, bacteria, and other irritants from your nose before they start causing problems. If you’re already experiencing symptoms, you can start using your neti morning and night to flush out allergens and ease congestion.

Apple Cider Vinegar is a magic cure-all that I’ve written about before (see: The Magic of Apple Cider Vinegar), and healing the symptoms of seasonal allergies is just one of its many benefits. When I got to work, sniffling and sneezing yesterday, I instantly poured myself a glass of water with a tablespoon of organic, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, and I kid you not, an hour later, I was totally fine. And the effects lasted for the entire day! I started my day off today with the same formula before I even left the house, and had absolutely no sign of allergies.. even though the pollen count was even higher today!

If you’re lucky enough to have access to local honey (like, seriously, from-within-a few-miles local is best), that can be a huge boost to your allergy fighting powers. Regularly consuming local honey (and chewing on the honey combs too) helps to desensitize your immune system to the pollen in your area, effectively rendering it harmless to your body! Eat 2 tablespoons of local honey (raw and organic, whenever possible) every day starting two months before allergy season, and you’ll notice a big difference!

Lastly, the right supplements can help your system fight off seasonal allergies. Studies have found that high levels of vitamin C (around 2000 mg a day) significantly helps those prone to allergies avoid symptoms, due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant qualities. Omega 3 fatty acids (which are another general cure-all) have also been found to decrease inflammation and symptoms of seasonal allergies. Eating lots of foods like salmon (wild-caught) and walnuts, and/or supplementing with a high quality fish oil (around 2g a day) will help with allergies as well as a host of other health benefits.

So next time you start sneezing and sniffling, don’t reach straight for the OTC medications or sprays.. Try some natural solutions first that will boost your overall immunity and health, without any long or short term side effects!