Natural Allergy Solutions

Environmental allergies affect thousands of people, and they don’t discriminate by age or any other factor. And as allergy sufferers know, springtime can be a time full of sneezing, itchy eyes and other symptoms as the season gets underway.

If you have allergies, but don’t like taking pharmaceutical medications to combat them, there are natural options you can consider.

For instance, stinging nettle is a common alternative therapy. If you decide you need an antihistamine but want a natural option, stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) behaves in much the same way as many of the drugs sold to treat allergies, but without the unwanted side effects of dry mouth and drowsiness.

Nettle actually inhibits the body’s ability to produce histamine. It’s a common weed in many parts of the United States, but the most practical medicinal form is a freeze-dried extract of the leaves sold in capsules. Studies have shown that taking about 300 milligrams daily will offer relief for most people, although the effects may last only a few hours. You also can make your own tinctures or teas with stinging nettle. (Contact with the stinging hairs on fresh nettle can cause skin inflammation, so wear protective gloves when handling it.)

For full details on natural remedies used to fight allergies, see the article 6 Natural Allergy Remedies.

Looking for more resources on natural alternatives to common ailments and problems? Check out these guides:

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