natural allergy remedies

Slideshow: 5 Allergy Fighters You May Not Have Thought Of

You can ease your allergy ailments without prescription and over-the-counter drugs this season.

By Leah Zerbe

Topics: allergies

Put your neighbor kid to work, and don’t be afraid to rock the neti pot.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Just the thought of allergy season may have you reaching for a tissue. Or Claritin. Seasonal allergies are nothing to sneeze at, and more than two-thirds of people actually have symptoms year-round, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). Popping pills is easy, but we’re here to remind you of other tried-and-true (and often forgotten) methods of dealing with stubborn seasonal allergies. Avoidance is the best prescription, but that’s not always possible.

Find more allergy advice on our allergy topic page.

Here are your secret tools for beating allergies:

1. The Internet. Use your keyboard as a tool to combat itchy eyes and a scratchy throat. First, take the Relief Self-Test to figure out the severity of your problem. You can also keep an eye on pollen counts by checking with the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology every day (keep in mind, levels are usually highest during midday). If your Internet connection conks out, look to the sky and use this general rule of thumb: cloudy, windless days = less pollen. You can also shop online for that new vacuum cleaner, if you don’t already have one equipped with a HEPA filter, something essential for allergy sufferers.
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Allergen desensitization

Posted on June 3rd, 2009 by Linda from Southern Illinois

My daughter is a beekeeper and she swears by honey as a way to combat hay fever. She says you need to get local honey--produced no more than 20 or 30 miles from your house--so you get the local pollen which you are probably having trouble with. She says to start eating a tablespoon of honey every day starting in January. By the time the flowers start to bloom, you'll have some resistance built up to the allergens. It can't hurt, that's for sure, and it certainly tastes better than Claritin or Benedryl.

Goats

Posted on June 3rd, 2009 by Jean

Goats will mow your grass...but they love bushes, trees, and flowers even more than grass and will go to great lengths to get them instead. If what you have are brushy, steep hillsides or rocky terrain a Pygmy goat of two might be just the ticket. For your lawn a pet sheep would be a better choice, but you will still need portable fencing or a sturdy movable tether to keep the mower in the right place and away from other plantings...and a tolerance for free fertilizer chunks on your lawn!

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