While it’s often a great idea to get your allergy relief from prescription or over-the-counter medications, home and natural remedies can be a big help in beating your allergies, too.

The Cleared team will be discussing some of the best home remedies for allergy symptoms. But before we start, let’s quickly cover the basics of seasonal allergies, causes, and symptoms.

Seasonal Allergies Explained

When you’re allergic to something, it means your immune system is reacting to what it perceives as a threat to your body. Your body releases histamines in response to what it believes is a foreign substance. While allergens aren’t trying to hurt you, your body misperceives them and kicks its immune response into gear.

Seasonal allergies are caused by an abundance of specific allergens during certain times of the year. These allergies can cause a wide array of symptoms, including the following:

• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Itchiness
• Congestion in your nasal passages
• Swelling
• Red patches of skin
• Postnasal drip
• Coughing

If you suffer from allergy symptoms during certain parts of the year, you’re likely dealing with an adverse reaction to one of the following allergens:

• Dust mites: These tiny organisms are relatives of spiders and ticks. They feed on dead skin cells and make their homes in carpets, bedding, and upholstery.

• Mold: This fungus thrives in dark, damp environments and can cause allergy symptoms for many people. It’s often found in abundance in homes with poor ventilation, high humidity, and water damage.

• Pollen: This fine powder comes from trees, flowers, and other plants, which fertilize the soil and keep growing. There's also bee pollen. For many people, pollen causes allergy symptoms due to the immune system misidentifying it as a threat.

What Are The Best Treatments for Seasonal Allergies?

In many cases, seasonal allergy sufferers can find relief from a combination of daily medication, immunotherapy, and supplements. At Cleared, our allergists specialize in prescribing a treatment plan that helps you manage your allergies based on the specific allergens causing your symptoms.

Cleared uses a personalized treatment plan to help you tackle your allergy symptoms. We recommend starting with an at-home allergy test, which is carefully overseen by a health care provider on our team. With the results of this test, an allergist will recommend medication to both manage and treat your allergy symptoms.

While a large portion of our treatment strategy focuses on prescription or over-the-counter medication, we also love home remedies for easing allergy symptoms and boosting your immune systems. Our daily support system includes natural ingredients like zinc, vitamin C, and more to complement your daily allergy management regimen. Now, without further ado, let’s discuss some of the best home remedies for allergies.

1. Try an Air Purifier

Air purifiers are typically outfitted with high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) air filters like this one offered by Sans, which stop pollen, dust, and other allergens in their tracks. By keeping an air purifier running in your home, you can provide yourself and your family with a buffer against allergens and stop them from making your life miserable.

2. Take Probiotics

A thriving gut microbiome plays an essential role in keeping your immune system functioning properly. In many cases, your allergy symptoms can get worse if your immune system is weakened. This is because your body needs the buffer provided by your immune system to keep allergens from causing an adverse reaction.

One of the best ways to strengthen your immune system is to eat a diet rich in probiotics or to take them as supplements. Probiotic foods contain good bacteria that help to nourish your gut and add to the population of beneficial microorganisms living in your GI tract.

It might sound weird – and a little gross – to think about billions of microscopic organisms living in your gut, but these little guys are your friends. Good bacteria, the kind that you get from probiotic foods and supplements, can be a huge help in strengthening your immune system and building up your resistance to allergies.

Some of the best sources of probiotics are:

• Kombucha: A fermented tea drink that has a unique, sparkly mouthfeel and a pleasantly vinegary taste. Some love it; some hate it – the only way to find out if it’s for you is to try it!

• Natto and Tempeh: These fermented soy foods are rich in protein and packed with probiotics. They’re relatively uncommon in the US, but you can often find them at Asian food stores.

• Yogurt: Full-fat Greek yogurt (and other yogurt dairy products) is an excellent source of both protein and probiotics.

Similar to probiotics, you can also consider eating fermented foods, which have the same effect on your gut. Try things like kimchi and sauerkraut.

3. Add a Vitamin C Supplement to Your Daily Routine

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for a healthy immune system. Taking around 2000 milligrams of a vitamin C supplement each day may be helpful for your allergy symptoms, too. In addition to taking a vitamin C supplement, you can also get more of this crucial nutrient from certain foods, including carrots, oranges, pineapple, broccoli, cauliflower, and many other fruits and vegetables.

Cleared’s specially formulated daily support lozenges and drinks include a hefty dose of vitamin C, as well as several other beneficial nutrients. We’ve carefully chosen these ingredients to provide your body with a buffer against allergens and build up your immune system. To pick up a set of daily support lozenges, drinks, or both, click here.

4. Try a Natural Antihistamine

If you’re looking for a natural supplement to add to your allergy-fighting routine, give these a try.

• Stinging nettle is an herb that has been found to act as a natural antihistamine. While the herb itself can cause an uncomfortable reaction, as the name suggests, it’s harmless when used as a supplement. This herb has been a staple in natural medicine for centuries, and its benefits go far beyond just allergy relief.

• Quercetin is a component found in several fruits and vegetables, including onions and apples. It has been found to reduce allergy symptoms in some cases, and it can be taken as a supplement, but you can also add it to your diet by eating an apple a day.

• Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapple.

5. Stay Away From Your Allergy Triggers As Much as Possible

As you can imagine, the most effective natural treatment for allergies is to avoid environments where the sources of your symptoms abound. For example, if you have a mold allergy, you may want to steer clear of areas with a buildup of dead leaves in the fall – piles of leaves can quickly become a breeding ground for mold.

If you’re not sure what the cause of your seasonal allergies is, it’s a great idea to book an at-home test with Cleared. Once we get your results, we’ll get started on formulating the best treatment plan for you.

Conclusion

We know allergies can be a pain sometimes, but no need to fret. We got you covered when it comes to getting your allergies under control. If you’ve got more questions about dealing with allergies, make sure to check out the Cleared blog or contact our support email at support@getcleared.com. There, you’ll find a wealth of information about a wide variety of allergy-related topics.

Reviewed by Dr. Payel Gupta

Sources:

A systematic review and meta-analysis of probiotics for the treatment of allergic rhinitis | NCBI Nettle extract (Urtica dioica) affects key receptors and enzymes associated with allergic rhinitis | NCBI

Quercetin inhibits transcriptional up-regulation of histamine H1 receptor via suppressing protein kinase C-δ/extracellular signal-regulated kinase/poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 signaling pathway in HeLa cells | NCBI

Seasonal Allergies Are Worse This Year—Why and What You Can Do About It | Yale Medicine