Allergies

General Environmental Allergies

Cleaning Products to Blame?

If you or a family member notice outbreaks of allergy-like symptoms while housecleaning (or the day after), you may be suffering from a tough-to-diagnose environmental illness. Excess exposure to detergents and cleaning solutions may be contributing to the condition. A new, and highly controversial, medical specialty-clinical ecology-has developed over the past 20 years to provide additional expertise to patients, allergists and other doctors. Patients are advised to substitute organic foods for commercially prepared ones, and natural­based cleaning products and homemade scrubs for commercial cleaners.

A Lymph Massage Boost

If your allergy symptoms such as sinuses and congestion are lingering, and you suspect that your condition is bogged down by poor diet and/ or an especially high pollen count, take a cue from Europeans who are similarly afflicted. Drs. Emil and Estrid Vodder developed lymph (or lymphatic) massage in the 1930s as a way to help detoxify the body. The light-touch, "feathery" massage technique is said to work on and in the body, between the surface of the skin and muscles, to help remove metabolic waste, toxins and allergens from tissues-quickly. You can request this type of massage from a growing number of massage therapists.

Acupressure Allergy Relief

An especially powerful acupressure point that is used to help clear the sense organs sits just beyond the fleshy part of your hand between the forefinger and thumb. Simply press one thumb against this point on the opposite hand (for 15 to 30 seconds) to help open up your sinuses.

A more direct approach favored by acupressure therapists is to press clean finger­tips to the sides of the nose, slightly above the nostrils, for about a minute at a time. Do the same to your sinuses, slightly above each eyebrow.

Bee Pollen Power

Besides its ability to boost energy, bee pollen is said to help prevent allergies. Naturopaths and others often recommend it. Try adding a teaspoon of the sweet granules (now widely available in health food stores) to your daily diet during allergy seasons. If you are especially sensitive to pollen, start with only a few granules. Caution: You should avoid bee products altogether if you are allergic to bees.

Detoxify for Allergy Prevention

Many naturopaths and Ayurvedic doctors recommend fasting between seasons to cleanse the system and prepare for the changing weather and vegetation. Complete abstention from food is not practical for many people, so consider doing a cleanse instead. Some painless ways to help detoxify include:

• Eating a large salad or plate of steamed vegetables for dinner each night.
• Drinking organic apple juice mixed with a scoop of psyllium seed husks in the morning and night. Psyllium seed husks are nondigestible and are exceptionally effective in cleansing the walls of the intestinal tract.

Another herb effective in cleansing the colon is cascara sagrada.

Fresh, Spicy Solution

Paying special attention to your diet during allergy season could alleviate your symptoms. Try cutting back on mucus-producing foods like dairy products and orange juice. On the other hand, pour on the salsa: Spicy foods help thin mucus and aid breathing. Finally, take your eating cues from what's growing-right now. Ayurvedics believe it is best, and most healthful, to eat with the seasons.

Potent Herbal Decongestant

If you suffer from stopped-up sinuses and bronchial passages caused by the first signs of spring and late summer, consider a natural decongestant: Ma Huang. This traditional Chinese medicinal herb contains a similar stimulant to many over-the-counter allergy medications found in the West and acts much like adrenaline to stimulate circulation. Caution: Because Ma Huang is a powerful herb that can raise your blood pressure and heart rate, check with your physician before taking the treatment. For hay fever relief, take no more than 0.6 g three times a day. For a milder effect, many naturopaths and herbalists suggest using formulations that contain the whole plant-not just the root.

An A-peeling Remedy

"I can't believe I ate the whole thing." That's what some are saying about an unusual allergy remedy that calls for consuming an entire orange-peel and all. The rind and pulp are loaded with vitamin C, essential oils and bio­flavonoids, making a combination antihistamine and decongestant. Select organically grown oranges to ensure that the peels will be pesticide-free.

Drowning Congestion

Feeling so stuffed up you can't even think straight? Take a break and drink to your health. Consuming extra fluids helps to Need Relief? Try Acupuncture thin mucus and drain sinuses. Water or herbal tea are your best bets. Experts suggest drinking at least eight cups a day during an allergy attack. Please note: Coffee and caffeine-laden soft drinks can have a dehydrating effect on the body.

Breathe Again- Thanks to Homeopathic Pulsatilla

Whether from seasonal allergies or congestion from the common cold, a homeopathic remedy may relieve sinus stuffiness. The powerful prescription? Pulsatilla, a circulatory aid, gets the body's fluids moving to break up congestion in the sinuses. Take a 30C dilution three times a day. You should feel your sinuses becoming clearer after just a few doses.

Go Ahead, Inhale

It's the minty-fresh allergy remedy: The menthol in peppermint or spearmint helps to relax and open air passages. To maximize the healing power of mint:

1. Put a few drops of essential oil in a pot of hot, steaming water.
2. Place your head covered with a towel about 10 inches above the bowl, and deeply inhale the scented steam.

A few minutes of this mint-based kitchen inhaler should provide marked relief.

A Preseason Plan

Long before allergy shots became common, practitioners of Asian medicine prescribed natural ways to prevent, or minimize, allergy symptoms. This two-step plan includes a tea and a digestive remedy, following the belief that many allergy symptoms go beyond the sinuses.

For the tea, combine one-eighth teaspoon each of cumin powder, coriander powder and fennel seed powder in one cup of water. Steep the herbs for five minutes into a tea and sip it after breakfast. (If you don't like the taste, you don't need to drink it hot; lukewarm is fine.)

The second part of the five-day plan is Xiao Yao Wan, a Chinese medicine herbal remedy that works to minimize symptoms of both sinus and hay fever, among others. Xiao Yao Wan is available at Chinese herb shops and pharmacies, and is becoming increasingly available at specialty health product stores.

Improve Your Air Conditioning

When suffering from allergies, you need all the allergen­free air you can get. That includes improving the air you breathe, courtesy of air conditioners. When using an air conditioner in the car, run it for at least a few minutes with the windows open. This is a quick-and-easy way to clean and improve the air quality you will be breathing in the enclosed space. At home, make certain you keep air conditioning filters clean, changing (or cleaning) them even more often than manufacturers suggest.

Itchy, Watery Eyes

A Watery Eye for a Watery Eye

Based on the homeopathic principle that a minute dose of what causes symptoms can help to cure them, once the immune system is activated and targeted, homeopaths suggest swallowing allium cepa tablets derived from the all­time greatest eye irritant" onions. Take a 30C preparation once or twice a day, and you'll see the difference-clearly.

Eyebright Solution

An herb from the figwort family, eyebright is also known as euphrasia. Homeopaths recommend this herb for the treatment of watery, red eyes associated ;with colds and allergies-even viral infections like conjunctivitis.

Note: Bacterial conjunctivitis should be treated with antibiotic eyedrops.

Eyebright is full of niacin, manganese, potassium and ascorbic acid, and is known to have astringent, antihistamine and antiviral properties. Take 35 drops of a tincture orally three times a day for relief, or a 30C tablet once or twice a day.

Take the Sting out of Allergies

Although taking freezedried stinging nettle may sound like it will cause sniffles and sneezes, herbalists swear by it. Stinging nettle provides relief not only for itchy, irritated eyes, but also for scratchy throats caused by seasonal allergies. (It is also rich in iron and trace minerals.) Take one 435 mg capsule every two to four hours as needed. Or, try drinking a few cups of stinging nettle tea, available from health food stores.