I have suffered with hayfever, or summer allergies, for 39 years. I have some tried and true remedies that I use to alleviate the suffering that accompanies my allergies. If you have itchy eyes, a runny nose, itchy ears or throat, or a cold that doesn’t want to go away, you might have seasonal allergies.
When I first had symptoms of seasonal allergies, I did not have health insurance and I bought over the counter antihistamines, none of which worked very well for me. A few years later, when I did have health insurance, I visited an allergy specialist who used the “scratch test” method to determine what I was allergic to. It turned out I am allergic to grass, trees, weeds, feathers, cats, molds, and mildews. My husband jokes that I am allergic to summer, and for years it surely seemed that way.
Allergy Desensitization Shots
My second attempt at treating my allergies was to get weekly allergy shots from my allergy doctor. These shots aimed to desensitize my system by injecting an allergy extract that actually contains tiny amounts of the antigens my body was allergic to. I endured allergy shots for six years, and many times they made my arm swell up and become very painful and sore. Because I had such a bad reaction to the shots, I never fully reached my maintenance level, but I really did receive a lot of relief from these shots.
It definitely wasn’t convenient getting to the Dr. once a week for my shot, and I always had to wait in the Dr.’s office for 30 minutes after the shot to be sure my body would not go into anaphylactic shock. When I became weary of the weekly shots, I gave them up, six years is a long time to endure that. I was symptom free for two years, but then my allergies came back with a vengeance.
While I am on the subject of “allergy shots”, I will briefly mention another form of “allergy shot”. I had one Dr. who said she could give me almost instant relief with an “allergy shot”, and I let her give it to me. When I got home and looked up the medications that were in the shot (which were listed on my patient invoice), I realized that I was given steroids! Yes, they worked like a miracle, and they gave me about 6 weeks of blessed relief, but I don’t think they were good for my body. Allergies are the result of the bodies immune system over reacting, and steroids work because they suppress the immune system. I really didn’t want to treat my allergies by suppressing my immune system. So if a Dr. tells you he can help you by giving you a single “allergy shot”, ask some questions about what is in that shot. I wish I had.
Antihistamines
There are a wide variety of antihistamines on the market today. Some are available by prescription only, while others can be found over the counter. What works great for one allergy sufferer may not work for another, so you might have to experiment with different classes of allergy medications until you find the one that works for you.
Keep in mind that some antihistamines will make you very tired (in fact the ingredient in some allergy medications is the same ingredient that is used in sleep aids), so never drive or operate machinery until you know how the medication will affect you.
I have tried almost every allergy medication on the market, and the product that works the best for me is Benadryl. If the brand name is too costly, there are store brands that contain the same ingredients, so read labels and compare to save money. (When I was seeing my allergy doctor in the 1980’s, Benadryl was a prescription drug and my doctor actually refused to refill my prescriptions because he said it was too drying).
Nose Spray vs. Breathe Right Nasal Strips
In my desperation to be able to breathe freely, I have actually become addicted to nose spray. This is not something you want happening to you. As my Dr. explained, nose sprays should not be used more than a week. After that they can start to have a rebound action, meaning they will give temporary relief, but the spray itself will make the nasal passages swell. I ended up with nose bleeds and a continual stuffy nose, and had to stop using all nose sprays. What works the best for me, and is all natural, are the Breathe Right Nasal Strips. Just be sure you clean you nose well with alcohol to remove all oil from the face so the strips will adhere securely.
Itchy Eyes
Suffering with itchy eyes is the worst ever symptom of seasonal allergies. If I rubbed my eyes I received temporary relief (only while I was rubbing), but when I stopped my eyes were more swollen and more itchy than ever! Rubbing the eyes is the worst possible thing to do.
Sometimes using a simple eye drop will work, but I like to use an eye drop that contains an antihistamine, such as Visine A. After comparing Visine A to prescription eye drops, I feel that the Visine actually worked the best for me. I couldn’t live without my eye drops. If you don’t want to use antihistamine eye drops, you can buy artificial tears, which can help rinse the eyes of pollens and allergens.
If all else fails and you don’t have any eye drops on hand, try this simple remedy for relief. Wet a wash cloth with cool or cold water and then ring it out. Lay down and place the cold cloth over your eye or eyes, and try to relax. When I do this it generally gives me almost instant relief. There have been nights that I was able to get to sleep only because I had a cold wash cloth over my eyes! My daughter just started to have itchy eyes last week and the eye drops did not help her. After I gave her the cold wash cloth tip, she called me the next day and told me how grateful she was for this advice, it truly helped her get through the night.
There are a lot of “natural” remedies on the market for allergy relief, and believe me I have tried most of them. I have spent hours perusing the internet for information on how to treat my condition naturally. I have used bee pollen capsules, combination of supplements like quercetin and vitamin C, and liquid chlorophyl. To tell you the truth, none of these worked as well as Benadryl.
Then about six years ago I picked up a book on MSM and started taking 2000 mg a day, and that changed my life. MSM is an organic sulfur, and it is said to help the body in many ways because is an anti-imflammatory that supposedly coat the mucus membranes, reducing allergens ability to cause symptoms. Some friends who started taking it for allergies claim it has helped their joint pain, but I have noticed a vast improvement in my relief of allergies. I take my MSM with vitamin C, because MSM works better when taken in conjunction with vitamin C.
Nasal Rinse
One natural remedy that provides relief from a stuffy nose is a nasal rinse. My ENT gave me a NeilMed bottle and pre-measured saline packets. Other people use another method, called a Neti Pot, to rinse their sinus cavities. I watched videos on YouTube to get an idea of how to use these products. I hated it at first, but it provides relief. My ENT has me using this method twice a day, and it is a must after I mow the lawn as it flushes any pollens from my sinus’s.
To Conclude
If you have seasonal allergies, there are several roads you an choose to deal with the symptoms. You can try one, all or none of my suggestions. This is my version of what has and has not worked for me over the past 39 years.
