5 Natural Remedies for Hay Fever

Hay fever is an increasingly common condition that many New Zealanders suffer from every day. In fact around 1/3 of kiwis are estimated to be affected by hay fever.

I have to admit I've been lucky, I've never had hay fever. Until this year. This year I got hit with an awful case of hay fever. My eyes were so scratchy I couldn't help but rub them which made them so much worse. It hurt to keep them open, it hurt to keep them closed. My nose ran like it was a fountain, my throat hurt from my nose running constantly and my head felt foggy. This all led to not being able to sleep properly, and after a few weeks of this I was struggling to work on my computer and struggling to get through my days.

For those who struggle with hay fever constantly, this must be truly awful!

I love natural medicine, but sometimes it can be hard finding that solution that works for your body and your lifestyle. After spending weeks trying different things I almost gave up - I told myself on a certain Friday that if this last thing I tried didn't work, I was going to the chemist on Monday. Luck for me, my final attempt worked amazingly and I now no longer suffer from hay fever.

Below, I'm sharing the five different natural remedies I tried, and how effective they were or weren't for me, and the one that resolved all my hay fever symptoms.

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What is Hay Fever?

Hay Fever is an allergy, a reaction of your body to allergens in the air around you. Some of these allergens include:

• Dust mites
• Pollen
• Pet dander from cats and dogs

What are the Symptoms of Hay Fever?

Hay fever causes cold like symptoms, where the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose are inflamed. It is not caused by a virus though, and cannot be transmitted to someone else.

Some of the symptoms of hay fever include:

• Scratchy eyes
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Sneezing
• Sinus pressure

5 Natural Remedies for Hay Fever

1. Essential Oils

For those who know me, they'll know how much I love essential oils. Essential oils are extracted from plants and tress grown all around the world. They are highly concentrated and amazing for a huge range of things - from natural health to mood to cleaning.

Essential oils were my first go to for my hay fever symptoms, but I'll admit, I didn't have a lot of luck...at first! I have diffusers in most rooms in my home, including beside my bed. So I was constantly diffusing a range of oils known to help with hay fever and its symptoms. While eucalyptus definitely helped with breathing, it wasn't making any of my symptoms go away.

Then I found that doTERRA have a hay fever capsule that is equal parts Lavender, Peppermint and Lemon essential oils. I had some empty capsules so I started by putting 2 drops of each, diluted in fractionated coconut oil, and taking this each morning.

After around 2 days I noticed a huge difference, it actually worked! When I ran out of my capsules, the routine stopped and my symptoms came back. Now I pop 1 drop of each oil in a large glass of water each morning and drink that. This works perfectly for me, and I am hay fever free!

Essential oils to help with hay fever include:

• Lavendar
• Lemon
• Peppermint
• Eucalyptus oil

Shop pure essential oils here.

2. House Plants

It's suggest that certain house plants can help reduce hay fever symptoms. Some of these include:

• Aloe Vera
• Peace Lilly
• Areca Palm
• Philodendron
• Dracaena

I have aloe vera and peace lillies in my bedroom, and throughout my home. However, if they help it's not enough to reduce severe symptoms. They do look beautiful though and I think everyone should have aloe vera in their home. This amazing plant has so many health benefits!

3. Drink Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is natural anti inflammatory plant that has long been used in natural medicine for a huge variety of conditions. Some sources list chamomile tea as being great for helping with hay fever, however I drink chamomile tea every night and did not find any significant help here personally.

Chamomile tea is however amazing for many health benefits so is a great addition to your diet.

4. Colloidial Silver

Silver has long been known to have medicinal benefits. Colloidial silver is tiny silver particles in liquid form that many claim to have helped a huge variety of health conditions.

I always have a bottle of colloidial silver in my medicine cupboard, it is my go to natural remedy for eye infections and scratchy eyes. I used a drop in each eye to alleviate the awful itch/pain from my hay fever and this worked amazingly well.

I also love the gel form of colloidial silver and use this topically for heaps of things - try it on itchy bites!

5. Identify and Reduce or Remove the Allergens

It's helpful to know what allergens you are reacting to, however this would involve a trip to the doctors and some allergen tests to be sure. For me, the one thing that had changed was that I now have a lovely long haired golden retriever who lives in my house and leaves a fine coating of dog hair over every single thing in my home.

If your cat or dog are causing your symptoms, you can help reduce dander by regular deep cleaning, professional carpet cleaning and pet grooming.

For many, hay fever is caused by plants in your garden or carried by the wind from neighbouring area.

Some of the biggest culprits include:

• Plantain
• Privet
• Ryegrass
• Dock
• Gorse
• Pine trees
• Macrocarpa
• Mould spores in the lawn

If you are able to identify any of these plants in your yard, you may be able to remove them and lessen your discomfort.

Summary

If you are one of the approximate 1/3 of kiwis who suffer from hay fever, there are natural remedies that might help alleviate your discomfort. I found symptom relief using eucalyptus essential oil and colloidial silver, and complete relief using lavender, lemon and peppermint essential oils.

Do you suffer from hay fever? I'd love to know what works for you. Connect with me on Instagram and let me know!