- Oh, woe is me!
- Simple, natural ways to beat the curse of hay fever this spring
- How to ease allergy symptoms with your thumb
I woke to hear that there is a Piriton shortage and also other allergy remedies in short supply too.
So I thought I would do my bit to help the struggling pharmacies.
You see, I love sunny Spring mornings, yomping across the fields with the dog in the early morning air.
Hearing the bird song from every tree and hedgerow serenading us on our way.
Then drowning them out as I sneeze and wheeze my way back home with eyes streaming!
Yes, it’s that time of year again…
Behold! Hay Fever season!
I’m guessing this isn’t a season that people are desperately looking forward to. No advance tickets or ticker tape parades. Not one to scrawl lovingly in a diary with a happy face next to it.
But hey, I’m sure I can make things a little easier with today’s letter – an allergy special in preparation for this Spring’s sneezefest.
With many over the counter remedies such as Piriton now being in short supply, I think the least I can do is share some of my personal approaches to controlling the symptoms.
Natural ways to beat the Piriton Shortage
So, without beating about the pollen-filled bush, here are some vital tips:
When you spot the first signs of hay fever, try inhaling steam. Make a hot cup of honey and lemon tea first thing in the morning. Pour the boiling water into the cup then inhale the steam for 2-5 minutes until it’s cool enough to drink. This helps clear out your tubes. The drink will also give your digestive system a healthy morning boost.
Likewise, before you have a morning bath or shower, let the hot water run and breathe in the steam first for a few minutes. Then let it cool enough so you can wash without scalding yourself.
An alternative to the above is to try a morning and evening ‘face steam’. Get a bowl of hot water, add a little eucalyptus or menthol oil, cover your head with a towel, then bend over the bowl, and breathe in and out.
Get hold of some petroleum jelly. When you need to go outside during a high pollen count, smear some around the inside of your nose. This filters out the irritants and helps you breathe more easily.
Try wrap-around shades when you go out. Don’t worry that you look like Bono from U2, or a giant fly. They block out all the nasty stuff that can drift into your eyes and tear ducts.
If you’re allergic to dust mites and indoor irritants, wear a dust mask over your nose and mouth when you do your spring clean or make the bed (and who hasn’t got a mask these days!). Or better still, persuade someone else to spring clean for you! Explain your allergy problem then stand behind them as they do your housework, barking orders and shouting ‘faster, FASTER!’ Great fun… clearly this is not something I really recommend, especially if you are married to someone like Lara… they say Arnica is good for bruises don’t they?
Remember a few weeks ago I talked about the Inhalo Salt Inhalers? You simply breathe into it for 5-10 minutes each day and allow the salt air to clean out your tubes and flush away impurities and irritants. There are some available here: Inhalo… plus if you already have one you can get refills here.
Try a jar of local honey. Some people believe that giving yourself a dose of the local pollen will help protect you from hay fever. On this final point, my advice is to find a local beekeeper or ask at a local farmer’s market. You’ll need properly raw honey to make this work, as the less filtered stuff retains the bee pollen. Overheated supermarket brands won’t do the trick.
How to ease allergy symptoms… with your thumb!
Dr Rob Hicks, the author of Beat Your Allergies (published by Infinite Ideas, 2005) claims that acupuncture can help overcome allergy symptoms.
This is something you could certainly ask your doctor about.
Or if needles make you run screaming for the nearest bottle of vodka, Dr Hicks also has an interesting tip you can try at home (but not if you’re pregnant, as this can cause premature contractions).
It goes like this…
You place your palm face down on a table. With your other thumb press firmly into the ‘v’ shaped bit between your index finger and thumb. The idea is that you should put direct pressure on the bone that attaches to your index finger.
He says this specific area is one of your ‘antihistamine points’.
You now hold this for a minute, breathing deeply.
Then do it on your other hand.
Give it a go, see what you think!
Or for more on hay fever and allergies, you should go to our website. I’ve covered this a lot during the past seventeen years, so there are plenty of tips to read.
Go here to have a browse: Good Life Letter