Avoidance

Although it can be difficult, avoiding known allergens is the best prevention for hay fever. One way to avoid bringing outside allergens in the house is to leave shoes worn outside at the front door.

Decreasing Other Irritants

You may have noticed that certain environmental factors make your hay fever worse. They can make hay fever symptoms worse by causing irritation to the nasal and sinus lining. Some possible irritants include perfumes and perfumed body products, household cleaning products and chemicals, dry cleaning and gas and diesel fumes. To avoid some of these irritants, you can use non-perfumed body products, use non-toxic household cleaning products and take your dry cleaning out of the plastic and let the clothes air out for a few days before putting them in your closet.

Sinus Rinsing

We wash the rest of our body, so why not wash our sinuses? Hay fever-causing particles can get trapped in our sinuses and cause irritation to the lining. Daily rinses of saline through your sinuses remove these particles and sooth irritated tissues. The easiest way to do sinus rinses is with a Neti Pot, which you can find at most health food stores, or even at some yoga studios and drugstores. You can make your own saline with one-quarter teaspoon non-iodinated salt and a pinch of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) per eight ounces of warm, filtered water.

Home Environment for Dust Allergies

Many people are allergic to dust and dust mites which can compound seasonal allergy symptoms. You can greatly reduce your exposure to dust and dust mites through weekly cleaning and dusting, as well as avoiding clothing and bedding that can accumulate dust and dust mites. Clothing and bedding with down feathers should be avoided because they attract dust. For reducing dust and dust mites in bedding, bed linens should be changed weekly and comforters, blankets and pillows should be run in a medium to hot dryer for 15 minutes every week. If your dryer is too small, then you can vacuum comforters, blankets and pillows with an upholstery attachment. The mattress should also be vacuumed weekly. You might consider buying allergy covers for mattresses and pillows. All carpets, upholstery, drapes, etc. should also be vacuumed weekly, especially in the bedrooms and main rooms used by the person with the dust allergies. Air filters and vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters also help reduce dust accumulation.

Some Natural Hay Fever Treatments

Please note that unlike prescription and over-the-counter antihistamines, natural hay fever treatments take longer to work and need to be taken for longer periods of time. Oftentimes they do not completely eliminate hay fever symptoms, but can help reduce the severity of the symptoms. Of course, as with any natural treatments, they tend to have fewer side effects than drugs.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C has been shown to have some antihistamine effect and has been used by many naturopathic doctors in reducing allergy symptoms. Dosage of vitamin C ranges from 200 to 3000 mg/day or more, depending on each individual's ability to tolerate vitamin C. Too much vitamin C causes abdominal cramping and diarrhea, which can help you determine how much vitamin C your body can take. Starting with a low dose, increase your vitamin C daily until you experience one or both side effects, then reduce your dose until you do not experience the side effects.

Flavenoids

Flavenoids are compounds found in many fruits and vegetables and generally have potent antioxidant effects. Although few scientific studies have proven the effect of flavenoids on allergies specifically, many naturopathic doctors use them as an antihistamine. The most potent dietary sources of flavenoids come from dark pigmented berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, acai berries, etc.). Eating one cup of berries per day loads your body with these flavenoids. A flavenoids named quercitin is also readily available in pill or powder form. You can take 200 to 400 mg one to four times per day in between meals to help reduce symptoms.

Nettles (Urtica dioica) leaf, freeze-dried

Some people have success in easing hay fever symptoms with to freeze-dried nettles (leaf, not root). Anecdotal evidence exists among naturopathic doctors as well as herbalists. For the best results, nettles should start being taken 1 month before seasonal allergies develop, and throughout the duration of the allergy season. Dosing ranges from 300 to 600 mg one to three times per day.

These are just a few general treatments that can help reduce your hay fever symptoms. However, as with any chronic ailment, you can benefit greatly from a more individualized treatment that is specific for your body and your lifestyle.