Home Remedies for Allergies
It looks like home remedies are making a huge come back in the US. Latin America is a great place to turn to for advice on this because in Latin America, in addition to medicine when necessary, home remedies are a part of daily life.
With the arrival of spring, people are sneezing, coughing, suffering headaches, etc. And everyone is looking for relief. Here are a few ideas:
Increase your garlic intake. You'll not only breath better through your nose, it'll help with the nagging cough as well. I've also heard that chewing a raw clove of garlic will open nasal passages almost immediately.
Drink OJ and honey. In Mexico you'll easily find naranja agria (bitter or sour oranges). They're tangy and sweet. Squeeze them and sweeten them with honey and your throat should feel much better. I've also heard natural apple juice and grape juice with honey works well, too.
Eat spicy foods. The idea is that they make your nose run, which helps flush out the allergens.
Wash out your nasal passages. There are several solutions, but the most common are sea salt and water solutions. BTW, if you have a grandma that washed your eyes and nose with chamomile tea, while it does works for sinusitis, it's not recommended when you have allergies.
This last one is not a home remedy, but it is a natural one. And it works so well that I have to share: Take papaya enzymes. I discovered it thanks to the great advice of a Whole Foods employee.
They're normally taken during meals to improve digestion, but when you take them between meals they can reduce your allergy symptoms. In the States I find them mostly in capsule form, and in Mexico they are commonly seen in powder form. Just head to any natural food shop (look for the word "naturista").
If you know of something great (or something to seriously avoid), share!
April 1st, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Hola Laura, Any home remedies for sun burns and chapped lips?
Luv your blogs, keep them coming …share
Besos,
Mary
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Just for you Mary, I posted “Help for Chapped Lips.” Let me know how it works for you.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
I liked your home remedies for allergies post. It gave me a better insight on remedies.
December 5th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Glad to hear it Phyllis.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:26 am
I use garlic every day to protect from infections
July 3rd, 2010 at 12:57 am
Allergies can be called a haywire response of the immune system. Normally, the immune system guards against intruders that it considers harmful to the body, such as certain viruses and bacteria. That’s its job. If you’re an allergic person, however, the immune system goes a bit bonkers. It overreacts when you breathe, ingest, or touch an ordinarily harmless substance. The benign culprits triggering the overreaction, such as dust, pet dander, and pollen, are called allergens.