This time of year, with the seasons changing and all kinds of pollen floating throughout the air, it’s no wonder we are living in a world of drug-fueled ailments to ‘help us breath’ during allergy season. Trust me, I have tried many of them. And I can say with certainty, I would still rather suffer from these common symptoms than the side affects of allergy medication:
- nasal congestion
- sinus pressure, which may cause facial pain
- runny nose/constant sneezing
- itchy, watery eyes
- scratchy throat
- cough
- swollen, bluish-colored skin beneath the eyes
- decreased sense of taste or smell
Reading the symptoms makes me wonder why I am ok with suffering through all of that. A friend of mine said that she was ready to take her second Claritin of the day last week. Even hearing that name makes my skin crawl a little. It just makes me think about all of those pharmaceutical commercials for drugs that give a laundry list of side effects and disclaimers. Western medicine, sheesh, it is pretty horrific to think about.
Doctors throughout time have been trying to convince me that everything is ok with these drugs. They tout sayings like, “does not cause drowsiness.” I don’t know if it’s psycho-sematic or realistic, but I always get drowsy on those medications, plus my mouth dries up like a plastic face, and I have trouble sleeping throughout the night.
Medications, or drugs in general, bring up a larger issue that is wrong with the western world. These options always just feel like plugging holes to find other holes elsewhere. The idea that you fix one thing but you break something else as a result really doesn’t sit well with me personally.
I take nothing. I take nothing for my bouts with allergies. I take nothing for my anxiety/depression. I’d simply rather suffer through it than plug holes. There are 3 exceptions to this rule — 1. menstrual cramps where I will take ibuprofren 2. migrane headaches where I will take aspirin. and/or 3. I will take antibiotics when I am really sick with the flu or have a UTI (which is about once every 3 years or so).
So if I don’t believe in conventional western medicine to help with my allergy symptoms, what are my options? There are other options that exist outside of drugs. I know shocking, right?
Now let me preface this by saying that I’m not a wellness coach, or in the healthcare sector AT ALL. And by no means am I an expert in these areas. I haven’t really researched essential oils or anything related to Eastern Medicine so there are more pieces to this puzzle here that I am leaving out here, folks.
Since I *DO* care a lot and know a lot about food, it seemed like a good place to start to try to solve these symptoms.
Foods That Help with Allergy Symptoms
- Fish
- Fruits, vegetables & nuts
- Hot drinks and soup
- Yogurt
- Raw fruits and vegetables
What works best for you? Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear what works for others.
