With the arrival of spring and good weather, brightly coloured flowers, birds singing and temperatures that make spending more time outside than inside the house more appealing, come to us. But not everything is so beautiful. Along with the joy and the upcoming arrival of summer, the many's greatest enemies reappear: allergies.
What are the most common allergies and their symptoms?
The most frequent allergies are usually those that are caused by pollen especially in plants like olive trees or arizoonics. These are followed by reactions to mites and dust that accumulate in damp places and on fabrics, in addition to environmental mold and mildew which also appear with humidity.
The most frequent symptoms are nasal congestion, coughing, the feeling of dry throat and skin irritation. They also cause a decrease in energy, itchy nose, eyes, throat and ears, as well as swelling of the eyelids. Some more severe allergies can cause other diseases such as asthma, rhinitis and conjunctivitis.
All these effects are aggravated by pollution, which makes some pollens more aggressive; due to climate change rainfall is reduced (so the air is not cleaned as often); and for improved hygiene that has been coming since the last century, which helps to reduce exposure to these allergens and, therefore, our immune system responds less frequently to them.
How do I fight these allergies with at-home and natural remedies?
Before treating these symptoms with at-home remedies, we advise you consult a doctor.
After tests that confirm allergies to certain elements, it is common sense to try to avoid those factors that promote allergic reactions.
However, if you have not yet had any type of medical test and you think that something may be causing you an allergy, it is recommended to do without having plants at home that may be the source of the discomfort and change the bedding and towels more often to avoid the accumulation of mites. It is also essential to change your clothes and wash them when you enter the house, especially if you have been in the countryside, eliminating any trace of possible allergens.
During the hours of 5 and 10 in the morning, try not to be in contact with the outside air much: do not ventilate your room at those hours and try to move your outdoor activities to the afternoon or after the rain. Keep your windows closed as much as possible so that no type of pollen gets in.
If you tend to have a dry throat or itchy eyes, try changing your cleaning products: many of them have many chemicals that promote these reactions.
Try to limit tobacco use (as it aggravates respiratory symptoms), alcohol and coffee.
Enough with the limitations: let's see what you can do.
- For a sore throat: gargling with warm salted water helps improving inflammation. You can also try horsetail, calendula or thyme infusions accompanied by honey to improve dryness. In pharmacies, they also have very beneficial honey candies for these pains.
- Itchy and stuffy nose: the same infusions mentioned in the previous point also serve to make nasal washes. This is very important to remove any traces of pollen that may have remained and to decongest.
- Stinging eyes: your best friend will be physiological saline. Not only does it decongest the nasal passages (just like any other saline solution), but you can also apply a few drops to the eyes to relieve itching
Take care of your diet. During the spring, and especially during the time of the rise of allergies, it is essential to consume vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins C, B and E, as well as in antioxidants. These minerals can also be found in dried fruits. Yogurts are a good option to consume probiotics too.