Natural Treatment for Seasonal Allergies (Allergic Rhinitis)

Do you have allergies? If you do, you are not alone. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) (see URL in references) estimates that the number of people suffering from allergic rhinitis (seasonal allergies) may be as high as 35 million. These allergies can be seasonal or chronic depending on the culprit and the individual. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, allergic rhinitis is responsible for 9.2 million medical office visits per year. NIAID says Americans spend $5.8 billion each year on health care costs related to sinusitis, a potential result of allergic rhinitis-allergies. These numbers do not take into account the numbers of individuals suffering from food allergies, which will be discussed in an upcoming article, Can Food Allergies Be Prevented?

What Causes Seasonal Allergies (allergic rhinitis)?

A good article to help in the understanding of allergic rhinitis is Fighting Seasonal Allergies from the National Institute of Health (NIH) (see URL in references). They have a good graphic and the language is basic, not too technical. In a nutshell (or a pollen grain), allergies occur when the body's immune system reacts to a normally harmless substance such as pollen. The body sees the pollen as an invader and sets the immune system to work on attacking it. The result is sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, sinus drainage and coughing. Allergies out of control can lead to sinusitis and respiratory infections, as well as more serious consequences such as asthma.

The Author's Allergy Story

Before moving to the Atlanta area, this author never experienced allergic rhinitis. It was a surprise to find that the Atlanta area was ranked number one of the worst cities for allergies according to Medical News Today. Who knew? This author's allergies grew steadily worse, moving from seasonal to chronic and eventually to the doctor. After a particularly bad allergy attack that just would not stop, a trip to the doctor seemed the only viable option. Inhalation therapy and an array of expensive prescriptions for medication left this author with a helpless feeling and a large bill. The bout subsided, but never really went away and left a nagging sinus drainage and an aggravating cough as a reminder. Eventually, it was back to the doctor with all the original symptoms in full force. That's when the doctor said that it is possible to become "immune" to the effects of certain allergy medications, that is, one may need to change medications from time to time, in order for them to work. This started to sound like something I would never be free of, unless I moved.

I tried all the medications and the preventions recommended by the doctor. I tried to keep track of when the pollen was high by using The National Allergy Bureau found on the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology website listed in references (aaaai) and The Weather Channel. I went outside as little as possible and I put an air filter in my bedroom. Nothing seemed to make a significant difference.

My children had children and the allergies became a plague for them as well as for me. Everyone was sniffling and coughing in the morning and respiratory infections seemed to visit regularly. Being an individual who resists being limited or held captive by anyone or anything, I went in search of knowledge to set myself-and my family-free.

Looking back on my life, I sought to understand why after many years of being allergy free, I was suddenly so susceptible. I grew up rural, on a farm. I was outside almost every day in the middle of a world brimming with pollen, dust and who knows what allergens, but I never had allergic reactions. I was hardly ever sick. When my children were young, we lived on a farm. We grew what we ate and my children and I were outside every day in the thick of the natural world filled with pollen and dust-fields and fields of it. My children were rarely sick and allergies just were not part of our life. So what went wrong? Lifestyle changes. We moved to the city, we no longer grew our own food; we spent more time indoors-with heat and air conditioning.

The Natural Treatment For Seasonal Allergies

I began looking for a natural way to control my allergies and I found one. I began taking organic bee pollen, twice a day. Bee pollen, as it was explained to me, primes your body to take on pollen and not react negatively to it. Whatever the science or non-science behind it, it has worked. After seeing the positive affect of the bee pollen, I looked for more opportunity-feeling better was something I craved. I began taking royal jelly with bee pollen and honey-yummy. This was when my craving for soda and sugar stopped. Since my body is no longer busy trying to fight pollen, it has more time to heal and revitalize itself. I have more energy during the day and I sleep much better at night.

Is it worth a try? What's to lose? Use only organic bee pollen. Take it twice a day, in the morning and before bed on an empty stomach with a small amount of water. Be patient, give it at least two weeks before you say humbug. If you are not seeing changes for the better with your allergies after the first week, you may want to change to the royal jelly with bee pollen and honey. My eldest daughter had the best results with this and it tastes great.The brand I use and whole-heartedly recommend is Y.S. Organic Bee Farms.

Go organic as much as possible with your foods and stay away from foods that are heavily processed. The fewer toxins and chemicals (bearing names that you struggle to pronounce) that you put into your body, the more ready your immune system will be to do the work it was designed to do-fighting germs and bacteria and keeping your body operating and feeling its best-instead of stopping up your sinuses.