Seasonal Allergies ~ Part 3

This is the third and final part in my series on natural remedies for seasonal threats.  You can find Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.

Remember…when using herbs for medicinal purposes, it is essential to use organic herbs!

Ginger helps to reduce allergic inflammation.  You can take it in capsule form. The recommended dose, according to my books, is 1,000 mg 3 or 4 times a day. I also like to drink ginger tea.

Did you know that Rooibos Tea acts as an antihistamine?  Drink a cup of this delicious tea 2 or 3 times a day.

Inhaling the steam from Eucalyptus and Thyme leaves is known to help ease congestion. Pour a cup of boiling water over 1 ounce of your herb of choice, make a tent with a bath towel and inhale the steam.  I mentioned this method earlier using peppermint leaves to help relieve congestion. I grow Thyme in my garden each year but I purchase my Eucalyptus leaves from Mountain Rose Herbs (link on the right).

We also use essential oils to treat many health issues in our home including seasonal threats.  We use essential oils in a variety of ways.  One of those ways is aromatherapy which is an extremely important part of our family’s herbal healing protocol.

We use a diffuser to inhale essential oils of eucalyptus, peppermint or thyme to help open clogged nasal passages. This makes a huge difference especially in how we sleep at night. I know this picture is dark…I was trying to help you see the diffuser in action!

We use a plant based Vitamin C called Alma C.

During cold and flu season we take one a day.  However, when something pops up,  we increase our dose. This is one of the first things we do no matter what issue we are dealing with. Although studies are inconclusive on the effectiveness of using Vitamin C for allergy relief, we think it helps us and we know it certainly can’t hurt. As far as combating a cold or flu, Alma C has made a dramatic difference in how quickly we heal.  I used to purchase this at the health food store – and paid more than twice as much as this.  I was happy to find it on Amazon!

And lastly, I wanted to mention colloidal silver. This is very expensive to purchase – usually over $40 for 16 oz. at our local health food store.  And I’ve purchased many in the past that were brown in color once I opened the bottle and poured it out. This indicates that it was “cooked” incorrectly and very difficult for the body to utilize, rendering it almost useless.

I’ve been making my own colloidal silver for about 12 years now.  I’ve saved hundreds…probably thousands of dollars.  I make gallons every year for myself, my sons and their families and have given gallons away to those in need. I can control the strength of the solution and gear it towards what I am treating. I know how strong it is and that it was made correctly. It is highly effective!

I really encourage you to invest in your own colloidal silver generator.  Do some research on colloidal silver and the many ways it can be used.  I thought it fascinating that it was used in this country up until about 1940 by doctors, in hospitals, intravenously to treat a variety of infections.  Now the FDA considers it “quackery” because it “hasn’t been tested”.

My colloidal silver generator is no longer made.  There are many places on the internet that will teach you how to make your own generator for colloidal silver.  However, they can also be purchased.  After a quick review of several being offered, I recommend this one (because I knew someone would ask!).

My generator is old school.  I am constantly fighting the dangling silver rods to make sure they don’t touch and keeping tabs on the time. This one solves that problem and shuts itself off. Nice! This one is on my wish list should my other one ever give out.

So…why all the posts on seasonal allergies?

This year, I have been re-claiming my perennial herb garden from 2 years of neglect. A few weeks ago, I pulled a lot of weeds that I’m not familiar with. Within an hour, I was having a severe allergic reaction.  I wanted to claw my eyes out because of the itching and I was having difficulty talking because of the sneezing.  I was miserable!

I haven’t had much in the way of allergies for at least a decade. I’ve been treating myself this last week with a variety of herbal methods. Here are the things I’ve done to help bring relief: I’m drinking organic rooibos tea alternating with organic chamomile tea. I’m using colloidal silver in my eyes for the itching and using a nasal sprayer to inhale it. I’m taking a lot of Alma C. I’m using my Breathe Easy Chest Rub at night. I’m using either Eucalyptus or Peppermint essential oil in my diffuser.  I usually use Peppermint during the day (because it is stimulating) and Eucalyptus essential oil at night along with some Lavender essential oil (anti-itch and relaxing!). My house smells amazing!

I’m taking capsules I’ve made with dried Stinging Nettles when I’m away from home and using my Nettles tincture when I am home. I’ll have a post coming soon on how to make your own capsules and save a lot of $$$$!

I’m using our  honey several times a day (my favorite part of treatment!). I’m also increasing my intake of garlic which I do anytime we are dealing with sinus issues. I mince it and eat it raw on buttered toast in the morning.  If I meet you in the next 10 days, you’ll think I rolled in garlic!  I think I can feel it seeping from my pores!

I think the colloidal silver (oh how it helped my eyes!), the chamomile tea (this really reduced my allergic reactions), my Breathe Easy Chest rub (which I am only using at night to help me sleep) and the diffuser have been the most beneficial parts of my treatment protocol.  It has been about a week since I was in those weeds and I am just beginning to feel like I have gained the upper hand!

I hope these posts have been beneficial to those of you who suffer with allergies on a regular basis.  Please feel free to share what’s worked for you!

And, as always, consult your physician or health care practitioner before adding herbal remedies to your health care regimen!

Blessings!