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Hay fever Home Remedies

Sophianne Durand
Jun 25, 2018
4 min read

Summertime can be a blessing or a curse. Most Hay fever sufferers dread the thought of the runny noses, constant sneezing and an itchy throat when the sun comes out and it's lawnmower season. I feel you, I've had hay fever since no age and it doesn't seem to be budging for me. Often I believe that those one-a-day anti-histamine tablets just don't do the job, not after fits of sneezing and looking like you've had a big cry after a breakup. Truthfully, I am fed up of feeling this way, even walking my dog down the lane is a chore sometimes, as I know when I come back, the pollen will take its toll. I've tried many different remedies for this issue, however here are the top things I believe work best for me. Some people may disagree but it's worth giving it a go to find what works best for you too.

Homemade Tea Recipe

This recipe works wonders not only to soothe your throat but also the hot steam from the cup can clear out that blocked nose and make you feel a bit more calm. Most of these ingredients you can find in your kitchen cupboard so it's pretty easy to make yet effective. I will explain the properties of each ingredient and how it can help in different ways.

Ingredients

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (I recommend Bragg Organic Apple Cidar Vinegar)

2-3 tbsp honey (local honey works best)

1 or 2 Lemons

4-8 slices of ginger

Any loose leaf/bag tea of your choice

1-2 tsp turmeric

Brown sugar (to taste)

Method

1. Add your choice of tea to a teapot along with juice of half a lemon then add apple cider vinegar, ginger slices, turmeric and honey. Add hot water to the teapot and let sit for 4-5 minutes.

2. Pour into your cup through a tea sieve (or any sieve will do) to filter out the tea particles and then add slices of lemon. If you find it a little poignent with the apple cider vinegar simply add some more honey or brown sugar. You can also make this an iced drink (perfect for a hot day) by letting the brew cool and add some ice cubes...delicious!

Taking this twice a day can soothe symptoms, it may not completely get rid of them at that moment, but having a bit of a relief can mean the world on a hot day. This drink is filled with medicinal properties that not only help hay fever symptoms but can build your immune system to fight colds and bugs.

Apple Cider Vinegar- this is a pretty smelly ingredient that is sworn by, by doctors and dietitians alike. The benefits include clearing a blocked nose, soothing an itchy and sore throat and also boosts energy.

Honey- preferably local honey works wonders as it is local bees inducing local pollen into the honey. This counteracts your symptoms as it builds immunity over a long period of time, in addition to that, soothes your sore throat during the process.

Lemon- the perfect source of vitamin C is also an 'antioxidant' thus protecting cells from damage (it's the word used by Youtubers and Bloggers as it sounds pretty technical and looks good as a benefit for an ice cold drink in a fancy glass jar).

Ginger- this helps ease allergies such as asthma and eczema, which can be linked to hay fever.

Turmeric- Boosts metabolism and the immune system, is also helpful for aches in the joints.

As well as a nice brew, there are other ways in which symptoms can be treated such as...

Vaseline

This multipurpose little tub can work wonders to trap any pollen entering the nose to help clear the airways.

Local honey

Like I've mentioned previously, local honey is effective as it counteracts symptoms by building immunity from local pollen. All you need is a spoonful a day, everyday for all year round along with taking anti-histamine tablets.

Eye relief

If you feel like eye drops are a little awkward or don't help, cold cucumber slices or cold tea bags can be a great relief for those puffy and irritated eyes.

Shower regularly

I'm definitely not suggesting showering every time you have a sneezing fit but taking showers maybe after being outside or being in contact with pollen can get rid of any little particles that have stuck to your body.

Change clothes

Like showering, changing your clothes can help by removing any particles attached on the clothes away from your body.

Herbal tea

Teas such as chamomile and peppermint have anti-histamine properties which can relieve symptoms.

Long-term diet

Anti-inflammatory diets over a long period of time can work wonders for your health. Including or increasing things such as garlic, leafy greens (spinach, kale and salads), avocado, green tea, coconut and olives. Excluding or decreasing things such as white bread/pasta, sugary drinks and gluten can not only help your immune system but also help gut related conditions such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), colitis or Crohn's disease.

I'm not saying that every single one of these methods will work as everyone reacts in different ways however if you feel that absolutely none of these are working in your favor, I would suggest seeing your doctor as stronger medication could be prescribed.

Despite the curse of hay fever, I believe that no matter how bad it gets, don't let something like that get the better of you. I know many can say "well it's easier said than done" but ultimately, if you're avoiding going outside to enjoy the sun, hop yourself up with anti-histamine and homemade tea and just grin and bear it. Because let's face it, how often do we get to enjoy a nice, hot day in the UK. So pick the flowers, get some vitamin D, go for walks and enjoy yourself.