Sip a Cup of Green Tea
"Tea, especially green tea, with or without caffeine, is very good for people with allergies," says Murray Grossan, MD, an ear, nose, and throat doctor in Los Angeles. Tea contains natural antihistamines, he says, which makes it a great addition to your diet to reduce allergy symptoms.
Citrus juice: Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are power-packed with vitamin C, which supports the immune system and can help reduce allergy symptoms. Vitamin C, is a natural anti-histamine, and has been shown to reduce the amount of histamine your body makes.
For example, if you ingest something that causes your body to produce an allergic reaction, water can essentially help dilute the irritant and again, assist in regulating an appropriate histamine response. It's important to note again however that water can't prevent or interrupt serious allergic reactions.
Many types of natural remedies are thought to help ease allergy symptoms. These include exercise, nasal irrigation, probiotics, prebiotics, and various herbs and supplements. For many of these, research is still limited on how they affect allergies. Talk with your doctor first to let them know your symptoms.
Your allergies will last as long as your allergen exposure. Once you're no longer around allergens, your symptoms should go away after a few hours. However, if you have inhalant allergies, your symptoms may last for several days or longer due to ongoing exposure to pets, dust mites and pollens.
Drinks like red wine, white wine, cider, and beer may be more likely to set off allergy and asthma symptoms, whereas clear spirits like vodka and gin are thought to be more “allergy-friendly.” So stick with drinks that you know don't cause your allergies to flare and/or pick up a bottle of low-sulfite wine.
Citrus fruits, especially lemons, are extremely good for boosting immune response and preventing the symptoms of seasonal allergies.
Coffee won't relieve your allergies, but it might take the edge off some of your worst symptoms. Caffeine is similar to theophylline, a prescription drug used to control asthma; of course, the latter is more effective, but you still may feel a bit less stuffy after a strong cup of coffee.
Learn more about the four most common types of allergic reactions and how they can affect you. When your body is hypersensitive to certain stimuli, its negative response can be classified into four distinct types of allergic reaction: anaphylactic, cytotoxic, immunocomplex, or cell-mediated.
"GI symptoms, which are vomiting or diarrhea, can be part of anaphylaxis and part of the anaphylactic shock reaction," Dr. Mathai says. "If you're experiencing that along with a rash, you need to go to the emergency room. That's more than one system involvement."
Allergies occur at the same time every year and last as long as the allergen is in the air (usually 2-3 weeks per allergen). Allergies cause itching of the nose and eyes along with other nasal symptoms. Colds last about one week and have less itching of the nose and eyes.
What is the most powerful natural antihistamine? Researchers haven't yet established any natural product as the “best” or “most powerful.” Natural antihistamines with the most research backing their use include stinging nettle, vitamin C, quercetin, butterbur, bromelain, and probiotics.
Unfortunately, honey does not help with allergies.
Put a cold, moist towel on them or take cool baths to relieve itching. Put ice packs on hives, swelling, or insect stings for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice pack and your skin. Do not take hot baths or showers.
When experiencing a severe allergic reaction and skin symptoms are involved, people are often tempted to get in the shower to help with the itching and burning. If someone takes a shower during an anaphylaxis this can cause or contribute to a drop in blood pressure and worsening of the anaphylaxis.
Heat applied to the sinuses can alleviate pressure caused by colds and nasal allergies. Steam also helps unclog the sinuses. Drinking hot water may help mucous move more quickly. This means that drinking hot water may encourage coughing and nose-blowing to be more productive.
Epinephrine (adrenaline) to reduce the body's allergic response. Oxygen, to help you breathe. Intravenous (IV) antihistamines and cortisone to reduce inflammation of the air passages and improve breathing.