Skin Care

Allergies, pardon the expression, are nothing to sneeze at. Countless people suffer symptoms triggered by things as harmless as spring blossoms. All the sniffling, sinus headaches, itchy eyes, and other symptoms of the season can add up to lots of work and leisure time lost. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Once you understand what allergies and have applied the 3Rs mind-body control technique–Recognize, Reframe, Reclaim–to help curb both your exposure and your body’s immune response to irritants, you’ll almost certainly have found some relief. Want more simple solutions to your allergy problems? Here are two additional methods of relief to add to your arsenal. Both are easy and natural, and both are given the stamp of approval by clinical studies and real patients alike.

Diet Dos: You may be familiar with a few allergy season “diet don’ts,” foods to avoid because they can cause your immune system to react even more strongly to allergens. Now here’s the other half of the story: Some foods can have the opposite effect, helping to suppress your body’s negative reaction to harmless substances. Foods rich in antioxidants, including dark-skinned produce like blueberries, green peppers, and red grapes, help control inflammation which in turn leads to relief of sinus pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects also, so try adding more cold-water fish, nuts, and flaxseed oil to your menu. And citrus fruits and local honey contain natural antihistamines that may suppress the effects of your body’s overactive immune response.

Acupressure-to-Go: Relieve your sinus discomfort by self-administering some acupressure. With your middle fingers, press on both sides of the face right below the outside edge of the nostrils. Hold for a count of 10. Then press the inside end of the eyebrows closest to the nose. Unlike over-the-counter sinus remedies, you can’t overdose on acupressure. Press against these points as often as you need to during the day.

There are plenty of natural, holistic solutions to the pain and discomfort of spring allergies. Take it upon yourself to learn, try out, and consistently apply them–then take back your joy in the glories of spring!