Hayfever Remedies
Hay Fever Remedies You Can Try
Hay fever can make people feel a bit miserable so hay fever remedies are always going to be welcome. It is believed that a quarter of the population has this condition, and it is the most common allergy in the world. The fact that it is so common does nothing to make the unpleasantness of it any less so what follows are some of the best hay fever remedies that I can find.
Before we get stuck into the issue of remedies it will be a good idea to first talk about what causes the problem. As we have already mentioned hay fever is an allergy. An allergy is a disorder that affects the immune system. What happens is that an allergen (the thing that triggers the allergic response) causes the immune system to overreact because it believes that it is under attack. It responds by activating the inflammatory response and it is this that causes our symptoms.
The symptoms associated with hay fever include; sneezing, itchy eyes, nose, or throat, nasal congestion, rhinitis, tiredness, and cough. Most of the remedies available focus on treating these symptoms rather than on the case. The best way to fix the condition though, is to completely avoid the allergen that causes the problem to arise. This can differ between people but it most often tends to be from pollen trees, weeds, and grasses. It is also possible that people may have food allergies that are adding to the problem so it is a good idea to have a food sensitivity test to see if this is the case.
When it comes to hay fever remedies the first port of call for most people will be medicines. These mostly fall into two categories decongestants and mast cell stabilizers. Decongestants tend to work by causing vasodilatation in the blood vessels in the nose and throat and so reducing inflammation. Mass cell stabilizers work by preventing the release of histamine.
As well as the more traditional drug based remedies there are also some natural hay fever remedies available. Carotenoids come from plant pigment and these work because it is believed that one reason for so much inflammation in the airway is lack of carotenoids in our diet; you can find this in foods such as spinach and sweet potato. Butterbur is another natural remedy, and this is an herb with a long history of treating hay fever; although nobody is quite sure how it works. Another thing that might help is Omega-3 fatty acids. This works like by reducing the inflammatory response. A good diet might be a good natural way to deal with this problem. Making sure we eat plenty of vitamin C and reducing our intake of diary product is we use them excessively. It is important to make sure that we are always getting a balanced diet.
Aromatherapy is another one of the natural hay fever remedies. This can work really well for some people and is worth trying. This treatment works best when dealing with decongestion and overall stuffiness. The most popular essential oils for these effects are; eucalyptus, lavender, basal, and peppermint.
Allergies are never fun but hopefully the above hay fever remedies will make life a bit easier. The internet is a great resource for this type of information and you will find many more good tips and advice if you conduct a search. The best advice seems to be for people to avoid the allergens as much as possible and eat a good healthy diet.