**Tap Into Mother Nature’s Healing Energy To Treat Allergy Symptoms

For the millions of Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies, spring can be a difficult and miserable time of year. It’s hard to savor a beautiful spring morning when your eyes are watering, your head is pounding, your sinuses are clogged and you can’t seem to stop sneezing. Fortunately there are several natural remedies available to help you cope with allergies.

Before you can successfully treat the symptoms of allergies, it is important to understand what causes them. Basically, spring allergies are the body’s reaction to foreign pollen in the air. Pollens are tiny powdery grains released from flowering plants which are carried by the wind or insects. Pollen can land in a person’s eyes, nose, lungs and skin and cause an allergic reaction. Because your body senses that allergens are invaders, it will do everything it can to flush them from your system. Sneezing and watery discharges from the nose and eyes are some of the body's methods for flushing away allergen particles.

There are several natural supplements that can help treat allergy symptoms. One of the most frequently used is butterbur. This herb is believed to work as a leukotriene inhibitor because it blocks chemicals that can trigger swelling in nasal passages. Look for brands of butterbur supplements that are labeled UPA-free. Other supplements used to treat allergies include Echinacea, grape seed extract, pine bark extract, vitami
C, EPA, locally grown honey, cat’s claw, goldenseal, and spirulina. A natural nasal spray consisting of a saline solution can also be helpful. The saline helps to wash out pollen and reduce or thin out mucus.
Some allergy sufferers find relief through acupuncture which can stimulate points outside the body to change reactions inside the body. Acupuncture is believed to boost the immune system, which is where allergic reactions begin.

If you are prone to seasonal allergies it is important that you stay abreast of the pollen count where you live. You can find the outdoor allergen levels for seasonal allergies in most newspapers and on the weather channel. If the pollen numbers are high you should keep your windows closed both while at home and when in the car.
Maintaining a healthy diet helps your body resist and fight allergies. Saturated fats, preservatives, fried foods and sugar can worsen symptoms. Make sure your diet has plenty of protein, fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. People suffering from seasonal allergies should avoid milk and other dairy products because they thicken mucus and make it harder for the body to flush out the toxic substances.

Don’t let your allergy symptoms keep you from enjoying the bright and beautiful days of spring. This year, let Mother Nature’s natural remedies soothe your allergies so you can welcome spring with open arms and open nasal passages!