Since the last few months, I’ve been sneezing very frequently. Also getting either a blocked or runny nose at least 3 to 4 times a week. We tried all the possible remedies foe cold but the sneezing and itching in the nose and throat just did not seem to reduce.
After consulting with the doctor, we concluded that it is some kind of an allergy. Allegra – the tablet was giving temporary relief but within a couple of days, it got back to square one.
Since I had never suffered from any kind of allergies before nor did we have anything as such in the family, I thought of going back to my naturopathy books to learn more about allergies and try out the remedies.
As we all know, an allergy is an abnormal or altered tissue reaction after an exposure to an allergen or an antigen. The allergen reaches the tissue in the following ways
- By direct contact through the skin
- By direct contact through the mucus membrane of the organs
- By entry into bloodstream after absorption (through food)
Common causes for the allergies
- Allergens like dust, pollen, cosmetics, hair sprays, vaccines etc.
- Physical agents like heat, cold, sunlight, humidity
- Foods – milk, citrus fruits, wheat, shellfish, strawberries and chocolates are among the common foods that cause allergies
- Emotional or physical stress
- Dietetic errors or faulty lifestyle
The symptoms of allergies
It is not so easy to detect an allergy by the symptoms since these symptoms are also a result of other causes. For e.g. A runny stuffy nose could be due to a viral infection as well as an allergy. The difference is that the symptoms caused by allergies keep recurring till the allergen is detected.
Typical symptoms are
- Headaches, migraines and/ or dizziness
- Irritability, nervousness and/or depression
- Conjunctivitis, eczema and/or hay fever
- Stuffy and/or runny nose, constant sneezing
- Digestive disorders – vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation
- Swelling of face, eyes, hands and/or feet
- Asthma, breathlessness
Treatment
For allergies of GIT, nasal passage and skin : 5 drops of castor oil in ½ cup of fruit/ vegetable juice or plan water to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach.
For digestive disorders, Asthma and skin rashes : 1-2 yellow elaichi bananas (small bananas) a day.
For itching sensation : Daily take 2-3 ml of honey in cold water.
A good anti toxic and anti allergic agent : ½ a lime squeezed in a glass of lukewarm water with 1 tbsp of honey early morning for 6 months. This wont work for those allergic to citrus foods.
For stress related allergies :
– Pranayama – anulom vilom
– Yoga asanas like ardh matsyendra asana, sarvangasana and shavasan
– Meditation
– Minimum 8 hours of sleep
For diet related allergies :
Follow the following steps to help detect the allergen
– For first 3 days fast on fresh fruit juice
– After this introduce one food item on a daily basis. In case the introduced food produces allergic reaction then discontinue it.
– If by doing this at home you are unable to detect the allergen, there are tests available at all pathology laboratories
Coming to my personal experience on these remedies, I have been trying 5 drops of castor oil with water every morning. Am noticing a slight reduction in the frequency of the recurrence as well as a reduced consumption of Allgra.
Would love to hear of other anti allergy tips that have worked for you
Would love to hear of other anti allergy tips that have worked for you
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