Herbal Allergy Remedies

Herbal allergy remedies appeal to many people who have a liking for nature and wish to use natural treatment options such as herbs. In addition many people are not satisfied with the results they get from Allergy Treatment by over the counter drugs and some of these folks turn to Herbal Allergy remedies too.

Hang on, What exactly is a herb?

Before we go into which  herbal remedies to use let’s stop one moment and ask ourselves, “What is a herb anyway?” The answer may surprise you, because there is no clear cut answer to the question.

My favourite example of this is a dandelion. These are well known to gardeners as weeds but herbalists know dandelion as traditional tonic for the Kidney and obesity.

And how about a cup of coffee, ever thought of that as herbal medicine? After a coffee we often feel more energetic and focussed due to the effects of caffeine on the nervous system.

My last example is Ginger. This is a wonderful food and is also a herb used in the form of a tea to treat nausea from travel sickness or even morning sickness while pregnant (If pregnant get your Health Care Professional’s advice on this).

So, a herb is any plant that we use in some form for it’s health benefits.

How Herbs Can Treat Your Allergy

Many modern day drugs are based on traditional herbs. A simple example is the traditional use of Willow Bark as a pain killer. The Willow bark was analysed chemically and nowadays we have Aspirin tablets as pain killers, which are based on the traditional Willow remedy. We can argue about which is better but many modern drug medicines are based on herbs.

If we look at the label of a drug used for treating allergy we may find chemicals which have antihistamine effects. This is what we need for an allergy remedy and so folks who wish to use herbs to treat their allergies just use herbal antihistamines and they will get the effect of reducing the histamine circulating in the bloodstream without giving us the possible side effects of the drug. Not to be a killjoy here but the herb you choose may have side effects of its own!

Which Herbs Can I use To Treat My Allergies?

There are many herbs that have an anti inflammatory effect and many with an anti histamine effect and it is important to consult your doctor especially if you are taking any other medicine to make sure the herbs and drugs are not interfering with each other!

That being said,  here are some herbs well known for their Anti Allergy benefits

1.    Garlic contains quercetin a well known natural anti inflammatory. Available in various forms including tablets and capsules.

2.    Feverfew - known  to combat migraines but also used for its anti inflammatory properties. Available as a tea too.

3.    Nettle - used as a tea or freeze dried preparation in capsules

4.    Peppermint used as a mint tea may help hay fever

I’ll add some more herbal options to this list but let me ask you – What is your experience with allergy remedies? What has been helpful? If there is anything in particular you’d like added to this article on herbal allergy remedies let me know and I’ll see if I can expand on it.