Health Newsletter #14

I love the spring season. Flowers blooming, tree leaves growing and the smell of fresh cut grass fills the air. That all sounds great for people that don't have allergies. However, if you do suffer from allergies, we have some remedies for you.

I thought it would be helpful to find out what our top searched allergy remedies were on AOL Search. Common OTC and prescription allergy medicines such as Zyrtec, Claritin and Sudafed can help treat most of your allergy symptoms. If these medications don't help your symptoms or medications are not your type, there are some other alternatives.

Natural allergy treatments such as the neti pot, quercetin and stinging nettle can be as effective as prescription allergy pills without the medication. Neti pot, also know as the nose bidet, flushes out all the debris clogging your sinuses and helps alleviate pain. Quercetin is a natural plant-derived compound (called a bioflavonoid) that helps suppress histamine production in your body. Stinging nettle is a weed, sold in capsules, that inhibits the body's ability to produce histamine.
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Surprising Secrets for Sinus Health
Here are some all-natural ways to gain freedom from sinus suffering.

• Clear your sinuses and your mind with a steamy stovetop spa. Add a few drops of wintergreen oil to a pot of boiling water and inhale the steam. Take care not to be burned by the vapor.
• Herbs and spices like ginger, scallion, basil, garlic, oregano, cayenne peppers, white pepper, horseradish and turmeric will have your sinus passageways unblocked in no time!
• The supplement bromelain - a papaya and pineapple-based enzyme - helps reduce histamine release, the body's natural allergic response.
• Clear your nasal passageway daily for healthy, happy sinuses. Add 1 tsp of sea salt, 1 drop of oregano oil, and 1 drop of wintergreen to a cup of warm water. Fill a small-spouted squeeze bottle with this warm solution. Squirt into one nostril at a time and blow out through the nose. Alternate nostrils.
• Press one clove of garlic, mix with 1 tsp of olive oil and soak a clean cotton ball with the oil mixture and place in nostrils after having washed the nostril with warm salt water. Leave in for 20 minutes and repeat three times a day until the symptoms clear up.
• These two simple self-massage practices that follow are incredibly effective for relieving sinus congestion. For both, sit at the tip of a sturdy chair with your back erect, spine stretched, and your head tilted slightly forward.

1. Inhale and gently press your forehead just inside the temples with your palms. Exhale and release. Repeat three times.
2. Cross your middle and index fingers by placing the tips of your middle fingers on top of the fingernails on your index fingers. Rub the sides of your nose 36 times in a circular motion, warming your fingers first if they're cold.
What you eat affects your sinus health
Avoid the foods that produce mucous and dampness: dairy products, corn (including corn syrup), and simple sugars.(2 teaspoons of sugar lowers your immune system by 50%.) Choose whole grains like quinoa, amaranth and brown rice instead of wheat, rye and barley, which are typically high allergy grains. Opt for papaya, cranberries, pear, pineapple, cherries, mango, and citrus fruits. Eat more green vegetables such as artichoke, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and spinach.
Both alcohol and smoking should be avoided during a sinus flare-up as they irritate the respiratory tract and worsen nasal inflammation. Also, sinus congestion is often worse with lack of quality rest so be sure to get plenty of sleep and keep your stress level low.