Do you seem to have year round hay fever? Wake up with that ‘all bunged up’ feeling? Are you constantly blowing your nose or fed up with sneezing all the time?
I see many people in my clinic who have been told they have to live with Rhinitis, meaning generalised inflammation of the upper respiratory channels. Most often this is put down to an unidentified ‘allergy’ which is causing inflammation! Whatever the cause, as a sufferer, you will know how irritating it can be.
Sometimes dietary changes can help. Whether there is an environmental allergen involved or not, identifying food intolerance can often lessen the load on the body if certain foods are eliminated from the diet. Dairy products and sugar are common mucus forming foods that can irritate any problems involving phlegm.
Diet may not be a problem at all, or may only be part of the whole picture. A detailed consultation with a professional herbalist is often helpful to piece together the symptoms and case history to identify patterns that you might not have noticed.
In terms of self help pure essential oil of tea tree (anti-septic) and eucalyptus smithii (decongestant) might be helpful to blocked sinuses if applied topically. Dilute a couple of drops of each in 25mls of carrier oil and massage into the painful areas. Elderflowers are anti-catarrhal, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic so can provide relief from a runny nose and sneezing whether allergy is implicated or not. These are often available in health food shops and best made into a tea from the dried flowers. You might be lucky and find a combination herbal tea with added eyebright and/or plantain – both these herbs also have anti-catarrhal effects and support the upper respiratory system in general.
Widely available nettle and chamomile possess anti-allergic properties so, whilst having no direct anti-catarrhal action may help if allergy is a feature.
Echinacea or elderberry may help as immune system support but it’s always best to seek professional advice if infection is present or the problem is persistent. Recurrent infection of the sinuses can be extremely painful and would call for more detailed help involving full consultation with a herbalist.
Lynda Jones BSc (Hons) Medical Herbalist
I am searching for a Nettle Blend for allergies.
While in Scotland, a few years back, I purchased this product at Napiers in Edenburgh. Works wonders! I am in need of more. Do you carry such a product?
Hi Mary, can you please email me on jones.lynda@yahoo.co.uk and we can discuss further 🙂 Thank you x