When hay fever season arrives, you may be looking for relief from allergy symptoms. What are your choices? Medication may treat symptoms after exposure to an allergic trigger, like pollen. But with antihistamines and decongestants come side effects that can interfere with day-to-day activities. In an effort to avoid side effects, as well as to try something new, many people are turning to complementary care: therapies, treatments, and products outside the field of Western medicine, used in conjunction with your regular treatment plan.

Are these treatments proven effective in clinical studies? Most often not. Evidence is anecdotal — in other words, people say it helps, but science has not confirmed the results. Most widely known complementary care treatments are safe, provided they’re used alongside proven allergy treatments (like environmental control). Talk to your health care provider before starting any complementary care treatment. Ask how it might affect your allergy medication and about the safety of the treatment in general.

Free the mucus!

There’s just no polite way to talk about mucus. Irritating pollens can get trapped in it, so freeing it from your congested nasal passages can help ease post-nasal drip. The National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver recommends using a nasal wash to get the job done. In this self-care procedure, the nasal passages are irrigated (as often as needed) with salt water solution. Since this technique introduces fluids into your nose, be sure to ask your doctor how to do nasal irrigation safely. Hot showers offer the same benefit. The steam and water vapor moisten and loosen mucus to help clear mucus from your nose.

Relieve sinus headaches

Several non-Western treatments offer drug-free solutions to sinus headaches. Massage can encourage congested sinuses to start draining and acupressure can offer relief for headaches. Wearing a sinus mask can relieve headaches or just help get the mucus moving, depending on whether the mask is worn cold or hot. Masks are filled with either a liquid solution or a dry grain (like buckwheat). They can be either heated in a microwave or chilled in the freezer. The first time you lie down with one draped across your face, you may feel a little silly. Relax and give the mask a chance to work. It’s a safe, noninvasive technique that may help relieve symptoms naturally.

Brew an herbal decongestant

Herbs can act as effective natural decongestants, but be careful. Just because a product is “natural” doesn’t mean it is nontoxic or safe to use. Herbs can interact with allergy (and other) medications, and in some cases can trigger an allergic reaction. Furthermore, herb potency is not regulated by any government agency (like the Food and Drug Administration, for example). Before you try any herbal product, talk to your primary care provider.

Packaged herbal teas usually include clear dosage limits. Don’t ignore them. Inhaling herb tea vapors can immediately loosen mucus and start nasal drainage. The initial effect of inhalation is followed by the internal action of the tea you’ve swallowed. Consult a reputable herbalist before you try herbal therapy and follow instructions (just as you would when consulting with any health care provider).

How many more kinds of complementary care therapies and techniques for hay fever exist? Probably hundreds. Before you try any of them, check in with your doctor first. He or she may suggest something else to complement your treatment plan.

Complementary care for hay fever doesn’t work for everyone, but when used with the knowledge and guidance of your allergy doctor, it may work for you.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 12th, 2008 at 4:57 am and is filed under Allergies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.