Herbal Allergy Treatment
About Herbal Allergy Treatment
Discover the benefits of herbal allergy treatment with several alternatives, including: quercetin, butterbur, eyebright, and stinging nettles. Learn to minimize the health risks associated with conventional allergy medication.
Everyone knows that having an allergy or even just having an allergic reaction can make life miserable. No one wants to suffer with a runny nose, itchy eyes, hives, sore throat or hay fever, which is why many people seek out various remedies to relieve the suffering of allergies. And although most people believe that they must take standard medication to relieve the symptoms of allergies, in truth, more and more people have come to rely on herbal allergy treatment over conventional medicine. The reason? One big factor in turning to herbal allergy treatments is because there are no adverse affects with herbs while conventional medications are usually associated with a list of troublesome side effects.
The Benefits of QuercetinPerhaps you have tried a number of different medications to ease your allergy symptoms, but to no avail. At this point, you are weary of the discomfort and are greatly dissatisfied with the treatments you’ve tried thus far. If you’re ready to try something different and effective, herbal allergy treatment is highly recommended.
As an outstanding alternative that offers the relief you desperately seek without dangerous side effects, one example of an excellent herbal treatment is quercetin. What exactly is quercetin and how might it help you? Quercetin is a phytochemical that is found in the skin of apples and red onions. To understand phytochemicals, very simply they are plant-derived chemical compounds that are scientifically researched for their health promoting properties. After much research, it has been found that quercetin is a very powerful anti-oxidant, but more important, it is a natural anti-histamine and an anti-inflammatory that has been very effective in treating allergies.
One of the most important benefits of quercetin is that it treats and prevents allergic conditions, including asthma, allergies, hay fever, eczema, and hives. One way to get more quercetin in your system is to increase the amount of apples and red onions you consume. But to get a higher dose and to increase your intake of quercetin, it is highly recommended that you consider taking a dietary supplement that contains quercetin. Once taking quercetin orally, the antihistamine action in quercetin can help relieve both allergic and asthmatic symptoms. In addition, the anti-inflammatory properties in quercetin may help reduce pain from disorders such as arthritis. In addition, it has also been found that quercetin may help reduce symptoms associated with fatigue, depression and anxiety.
The Benefits of ButterburAnother herb that has shown to be very effective is the treatment of allergies is butterbur, which is used successfully as an herbal allergy treatment and in allergic prevention. The herb butterbur is located throughout parts of Europe as well as in Asia and North America. Primarily, butterbur has been used for stomach conditions as it helps to strengthen digestion. Based on research and studies, butterbur has been also been found to be effective in the treatment of allergies. Working somewhat like an antihistamine, it blocks the action of the chemical histamine, which the immune system releases when it has an allergic reaction.
There have been reports that butterbur is as effective as some prescription medications in treating hay fever. It has also been shown to cause less drowsiness, which usually occurs when taking typical antihistamine medications. However, one must use caution when buying butterbur, as there are some treatments that contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA). When choosing butterbur, make sure the brand chosen has removed the pyrrolizidine alkaloids from the herbal treatment since pyrrolizidine alkaloids are potentially harmful. When purchasing Butterbur, look for herbs that are labeled PA free.
Stinging NettlesAnother excellent herbal allergy treatment that has a long history of medicinal use is Stinging Nettles, an herb that grows prolifically in Northern Europe, Asia as well as Canada and the United States. If you suffer from allergies and find that most over-the-counter or prescribed medications do not work effectively, you may find stinging nettle to be one of the best herbal allergy treatments available. To treat an allergy with stinging nettle, one can either drink stinging nettle as a hot or cold tea or it can be added to juice. Studies have shown that over 55% of participants using this herb for treating allergies found that it helped with sneezing and a runny nose.
The Stinging Nettle plant has been used successfully in the treatment of allergies for many years. In fact, books written in the 1920’s claim that nettle was used to reduce inflammation caused by sprains and arthritis. Scientists have found that nettle contains many different chemicals, one of which is histamines, a natural occurrence found in the body, which is blamed for allergic reactions. If there is an allergic reaction, the body releases histamines, which can cause hives or potentially irritate the skin. The way stinging nettle works is that it keeps the body’s histamines from attaching to the cells during an allergic reaction. Stinging nettles is much like taking a pharmaceutical antihistamine drugs only without the side effects. The pleasant tasting stinging nettle leaves are high in nutrients, plus the leaves can be cooked, crushed or chopped and mixed with other ingredients.
EyebrightAnother excellent herbal allergy treatment that is very popular in today’s world is called eyebright, an herb many herbalists recommend for treating coughs, colds, allergies, hay fever and sinusitis. Eyebright, taken internally is considered to be a highly potent treatment used to treat allergies and sinusitis. Eyebright is an annual plant common to Europe and is usually in full bloom from July to September. The reason for its popularity is because the properties in eyebright help reduce inflammation, which makes the herbal allergy treatment excellent for those suffering from allergy, colds and sinus symptoms. Because of the high demand of eyebright, the herb has been put in danger of extinction in some parts of the world. Generally speaking, eyebright is prepared as a tea although it is also available in capsule form as well as in extracts. Eeybright is also known to be very effective for eye disorders as well as mucous membrane problems. In ConclusionThe reasons people have switched to herbal allergy treatment over conventional medicine are many, but one of the primary reasons is to eliminate the potential for side effects. We’ve all seen the many advertisements on TV that talk about medications and their amazing benefits, yet at the end of the commercial, the assortment of side effects can be frightening and almost ludicrous. For that reason, herbal allergy treatment has become far more popular as people much prefer to use a natural treatment without the range of side effects so common in typical medications. Of course it’s always best to check with your doctor before trying any of the herbal allergy remedies since you want to be sure they are compatible with your particular situation, but in general, herbal allergy treatment is an alternative worth trying. |