Hay fever season is the worst time of the year, and if you have allergies, you know that it can last all the way from March to October. It can’t be good for you to continuously take Benadryl and other antihistamines, and studies have shown that constant use can increase your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. But it’s also no fun to lay in misery with extreme congestion. If you feel hay fever coming on, but you don’t want to load up on the allergy medication, try these natural remedies instead.


Honey
A spoonful of local honey can help relieve allergy symptoms. Local honey will contain local allergens that will help you become less sensitive to pollen over time, just like allergy shots. While there have been no real data to support this claim, it’s worth a try. However, make sure that you are not allergic to honey before consuming it in large quantities, and never give honey to infants under 1, as the bacteria can cause infant botulism. If you are trying this route, start taking it a few weeks before hay fever sets in.

Chamomile
Chamomile is a natural antihistamine, and can help relieve allergy symptoms. During allergy season, drink 1-2 cups every day. If you don’t like the taste, you can add a teaspoon of honey to the mix to sweeten it up. It can also help relieve stress and soothe the mucus membranes in the nose and throat. However, if you are allergic to ragweed pollen, it’s probably best to stay away from chamomile, as there are some proteins in chamomile similar to the proteins in ragweed.

Ginger
Ginger has been used to treat allergies for hundreds of years. It is a natural antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, and also has many antiviral properties. You can either eat it plain (although be careful because it’s very spicy), or you can make a ginger tea to help with your symptoms. However, you should be careful when taking ginger in association with blood thinners, as it can have adverse side effects.



Essential Oils
You can use different essential oils during hay fever season to ease allergy symptoms. Common allergy-fighting essential oils include: lavender, lemon, and peppermint. Lavender is a calming anti-inflammatory, typically aiding to ease bronchial inflammation as well as calming nerves. Lemon is a citrus fruit, known for its cleansing and anti-inflammatory properties. Peppermint can help clear your sinuses, as well as relieve headaches.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. Citrus also contains bioflavonoids that enhance vitamin C. These can also boost your immune system. You can also find vitamin C in broccoli, kale, papaya, strawberries, etc. You should take at least 1,000 mg of vitamin C every day when you are trying to get rid of your allergies.

Garlic
While garlic doesn’t actually ward off vampires, it can ward off infections, such as colds and the flu as well as relieve allergy symptoms. This herb contains allicin (a anti-fungal and antibiotic ingredient) and diallyl sulphides (a substance good for the blood and cholesterol). In order to reap the most benefits from garlic, make sure that you dice or juice the garlic to release the allicin and diallyl sulphides, and eat a few cloves raw (mix it into a salad if you don’t want to consume just garlic). If that doesn’t sound appealing, you can take supplements, but they’re not quite as good as the raw herb.



Onion
Right alongside garlic in curing allergies, is the onion. Onions contain quercetin, a natural anti-inflammatory and antihistamine. There is more of it in the skin, so don’t throw it all away just yet! You can also find quercetin in kale (although onions have a higher quercetin content). Again, onions are best raw, but they can be cooked into your food if you don’t like the taste of raw onion.

Massage
You can use massage techniques to drain your sinuses and relieve your allergy-induced headaches. Place your index fingers on your nasal bones, and apply gentle pressure for 30 seconds. Firmly slide your fingers across your cheekbones up to the temples. Repeat about 10 times. Press your thumbs upside down into the middle of your brow bone in the inside corners of your eyes. Slowly slide your thumbs across the bottom of your eyebrows towards your temples. Repeat 10 times. Take two fingers and massage your temples in circles for about 30 seconds. Your sinuses will clear up in no time.

Peppers
It’s no question that eating peppers will clear your sinuses, whether or not the effects are pleasant. Peppers contain capsaicin, the ingredient that makes them hot. Capsaicin causes an endorphin rush, blocking the heat and pain caused by the substance, in effect helping your body treat problems such as heartburn, arthritis, prevent prostate cancer, and allergies. However, eating too much capsaicin can cause stomach ulcers, as well as digestive system trouble. Lastly, remember that an essential oil diffuser makes a great gift during allergy season.