Curing Allergies Naturally

Living in central Texas there are several different airborne allergens that seem to strike different people at different times. For years I suffered with terrible allergies during the cedar (aka juniper) season. I would try a homeopathic one year, a couple sessions of acupuncture, honey, quercetin and some other helpful supplements. But every year I would end up double dosing on several prescription medications trying without success to prevent the inevitable sinus and lung infection by the end of the season. One season (because I know how effective they can be) I resorted to one of the worst things you can do to your body, a cortisone injection, which didn't even work.

After years of trial and error, I have finally discovered a solution to my own severe seasonal allergies. Last year with lower cedar pollen counts I made it through the season with a couple sneezes, and minimal fatigue without any prescription medication. This year with off the chart pollen counts I have taken a few over the counter medications on the really bad days, but have had very few symptoms compared to previous years. For those of you who seek to manage your allergies naturally, I will admit that it is one of the most difficult ailments to manage naturally. If you have constant allergies year around it becomes even more difficult to manage especially the older you get.


STEPS TO MANAGING ALLERGIES NATURALLY:
*Note: Even if your allergies are only seasonal, these steps are to be followed year around to be effective.

1) Decrease Inflammation - if you have gut issues, you have inflammation. If you have elevated cholesterol, you have inflammation. If you have joint pain you have inflammation. There are several herbal and dietary supplements that can be helpful with inflammation, I would suggest consulting myself or a natural care practitioner for your specific needs. Read my blog on food sensitivities, and avoid processed sugars for dietary modifications. Avoiding certain foods has been one of the most essential parts to my recovery.
2) Manage any underlying disease process - if you are diabetic, have parasites, Hoshimotos or any number of disease processes you will need to manage these conditions first for the best response to naturally managing allergies.
3) Exposure to the allergen year around (not recommended for children under 4 years of age)- this is the same principal used for those of you who get allergy shots. Allergy shots are great because the injection is concocted specifically to the allergens you react to. Homeopathic tree blends are also available over the counter. LOCAL honey and bee pollen exposure is also an excellent way to expose your body to allergens.
4) Detoxification - if you have developed new allergies with age, sometimes allergies will clear up with the right detoxification program. Nutritional detoxification can vary depending on each person's individual needs.
5) Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables - if you are unable to consume at least 8 servings per day (that's a cup of fresh per serving) you need to supplement with a whole food supplement like Juice Plus (multivitamins like Centrum are isolated nutrients with fillers in their supplements that can sometimes make allergies worse). Many people become toxic because their body does not have the basic nutrition that allows us to detoxify naturally.
6) Exercise regularly - like that doesn't help everything right?
7) Acupuncture - especially just before the allergy season starts.
8) Nutritional Support specific for allergies - what works depends on the individual. As mentioned earlier high doses of quercetin have been found to be helpful for some people, but my personal cure (after trying many) is a product called Albiza Complex made by MediHerb taken every four hours along with Allerplex.
9) Limit exposure - seems like a no brainer, but stay indoors as much as possible, clean your house often, wash your sheets often, use air purifiers, and take weekend trips away from your allergens if possible.