Ask a Pixie: Seasonal Allergies and Remedies

Howdy, folks! I’ve been getting lots of reader questions and comments sent to my inbox, and so I’m beginning a new feature called “Ask A Pixie” where I will answer your queries anonymously as a blog post.  Got a question?

Now, bear in mind that I am an herbalist, but not licensed to offer medical advice. What I can do is share experiences, open topics for discussion, and hopefully point you in the right direction to learn more about whatever you need help with, okay? Okay. 

So, Lois wrote me and said:

My teenager has seasonal allergies.  Any suggestions for natural ways to help him with a runny nose, watery eyes, and general feeling of “yuckiness”?

Oh, Lois. You know, I have had to learn a lot about seasonal sinus allergies since my love and I got together so many years ago. He suffers a few times each year – pine season, oak season, and a few other heavy pollen trees and plants – and we use a few different methods to help him out.

Nettles

Stinging nettles are great for allergies. They are a strong anti-inflammatory when taken internally, and works to relieve all of those sinus symptoms that you mentioned! He might feel better if he drinks one or two cups of nettle infusion per day, or takes 2-4 500 mg capsules, or 1-2 dropperfuls of the tincture in water. Start taking nettles when the pollen starts to appear!

How to make Nettle Infusion:

Put one ounce of dried nettles in a quart mason jar, and pour in boiling water to fill.  Cover and let it steep for a long while – I tend to pour teas at night and let them steep while I sleep!  Strain it, and drink it throughout the day. You can get dried nettles online, or grow them yourself! If you have one nearby, give some love to your local herb shop!

Local Honey & Bee Pollen

Raw, local honey is a wonderful boon for someone suffering from pollen related allergies.  Consider it this way – the bees go from flower to flower, and it is the pollen that they collect that becomes honey and propolis. Ingesting a small bit of local honey, or adding bee pollen into a smoothie or granola, helps the body to build up, and adapt to the pollen of the native plants.  It takes time to have an effect, though, and only raw, local honey will work – if you aren’t sure where to find some, try doing a search online for your zip code and “beekeeper’s association” to find folks near you!

Find your local beekeeper’s association!

Goldenrod

If your son’s allergies kick up in the fall around the time Ragweed is blooming, the answer might be goldenrod!  I’ve written about goldenrod before, and how it is often mistaken for the cause of allergies when it is actually a cure!  Like nettles, it is useful as a tea or infusion, capsules, or tincture.  If you can’t find any at a local shop, you can find some online.

A few other options:

I know my husband has gotten great relief by using a neti pot when his sinus kicks up, although I’m a wuss and can’t stand to use it myself!

I put out the call to some fellow bloggers that I know, and they’ve shared their posts about seasonal allergies – check it out!

• This Path Less Traveled has a few options for sinus allergies that also work for cold and flu. Check it out!
• Common Sense from Home has a few other sinus cures than what I mentioned, but we both agree on nettles as a rockstar remedy!  Read it here.
• Is it allergies, cold, or flu? Mom Prepares looks as spring sickness myths and cures over here!
• The Not-so-Modern Housewife guides you through making your own nasal spray for neti pots and other irrigation sinus treatments in this post!

Does anyone else have advice for Lois? What is your favorite remedy to treat seasonal allergies?