Allergies ! A huge percentage of American suffer from Allergies and there seems to be very little relief, so here are a few natural ideas.

Firstly, why do we have them ?

Our immune systems decide on who are enemies ~ an allergen ~ Could be pollen, dander or even dust, but when we inhale than substance into our bodies, an antibody is created. This specialized protein first detects the enemy then signals the immune system to disarm and destroy.

In order to destroy these enemies, our cells must release histamine and other chemicals that actually cause the classic symptoms ~ runny nose, watering eyes etc. When we then buy an over-the-counter anti-histamine for relief, we wind up doing more harm than good. This is because Anti-histamines treat the symptom and not the cause and sometimes we experience side effects like drowsiness or heart flutters.

There are several natural options

A cleansing bath for our immune systems acts as a detoxification.
Firstly shower to remove excess oils and dirt. Exfoliate your body with a rough washcloth and then rinse thoroughly. Then fill a bath with hot water, (making sure you do not burn yourself) submerge your body up to the neck for 5 minutes which forces the toxins out of your body through your skin.

Complete the process by another quick shower to remove the toxins that have been rejected through your skin. Take three baths/week following this process and increasing the time spent in the hot water.

Nettle
Reports have suggested that 70% of patients suffering from allergies find relief by using stinging nettle. Take 2x300milligram capsules of freeze dried nettle 3 times/day.

Quercetin
This bioflavoniod can be a powerful inhibitor of histamine release. Taking 250mg twice/day is usually sufficient to control most allergies. However, it takes 3 or 4 weeks to become effective.