Natural Allergy Solutions

Prep smart for a fresh spring start

Itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing—spring is definitely in the air. But relief from allergy symptoms doesn't necessarily mean dosing up with energy-draining drugs. A handful of natural remedies from homeopathic, nutritional, and herbal traditions can do the job without unhealthy side effects.

Head Start The symptoms of allergies can be stopped in their tracks if you block the body's production of histamine, the substance responsible for the maladies. Quercetin, an antioxidant found naturally in apples, onions, tea, and red wine, is especially effective at impeding allergic reactions to pollens. Stay clear-headed with supplements: 250 to 600 milligrams divided into several doses throughout the day.

Eyes Have It Soothe eyes naturally with homeopathic formulations that also counteract swelling, redness, and burning. Similasan Allergy Eye Relief addresses symptoms with herbs like sabadilla and euphrasia (eyebright), while PrimaVu Herbal Eye Drops Acuta does it with fennel, yellow sweet clover, and German chamomile.

Breathe Easy Stinging nettle may bite back if you bump into it on a hike, but taken orally in pill or tea form, the herb acts as a counterirritant, alleviating the sneezing, sniffling, and runny nose that signal an allergy attack. A daily dose of 300 milligrams was found to relieve the severity of symptoms in a study reported by the Alternative Medicine Review