Herbal remedy for Colds, Coughs, and Seasonal Allergies

For colds, coughs, and seasonal allergies, try this herbal recipe.

10 Natural Ways to Prevent and Treat Allergies.

Don't suffer this allergy season. Edward Group gives ten natural ways to prevent and treat allergies.

While we should be enjoying the beauty of spring, many people suffer from seasonal allergies. From the birds to the pollen, there are many things that may cause suffering from the classic symptoms of an allergic reaction.

In fact, research shows that approximately 35 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, as well as hay fever. And, as the sneezing, scratchy throat and watery eyes become increasingly unbearable, many people will reach for pharmaceutical drugs to help lessen these symptoms. While these drugs may provide temporary allergy relief, drugs almost always come with undesired side effects.

Below, are ten natural methods for reducing the symptoms of allergies, as well as preventing them from happening in the first place. Read more

How to Beat the Dreaded Hay Fever Season

Craig McQueen tells how to beat the dreaded hay fever months, naturally.

IF your eyes are streaming, your nose is running and you're sneezing constantly, you'll know hay fever season has begun.

This week has seen high levels of tree pollen in most parts of the country, meaning months of misery ahead.

And as many of the 15million sufferers confirm, hay fever is more than just an irritation. The debilitating condition can make the summer months a real struggle for those who find themselves unable to spend time outdoors.

Hay fever occurs when the immune system mistakes pollen for toxins that need to be removed and produces histamines to combat them - chemicals which cause the sneezing, runny nose and itchy, streaming eyes.

Antihistamines are the most common treatment for the condition, blocking these chemicals and stopping the allergic reaction. But there are other methods which can be used to combat the problem. Read more

Are Your Allergies Raging? Try This Ancient Cure

More Americans (20 to 30 percent) claim some form of allergy -- and a Chinese herbal treatment may offer hope.

... Dr. Xiu-Min Li, the director of Mount Sinai Hospital’s federally funded Center for Chinese Herbal Therapy for Allergy and Asthma in Manhattan, has had success treating asthma with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) -- using an herbal therapy of her own devising. About 10 years ago, Li began wondering whether TCM might also be applied to food allergies since allergic asthma and allergic reactions to food have similar immunological blueprints. While there’s no actual mention of food allergy in traditional Chinese medicine, a complete medical system in which the taste of an herb helps determine its therapeutic function, there is talk of symptoms like those experienced during an allergic reaction.

"I found information about one formula in particular," says Li. "It dealt with parasites and was used when people got stomach problems, vomited, and lost sensation after eating. It sounded like what we now call anaphylaxis." The formula, called Wu Mei Wan, dates back nearly 2,000 years and was recorded in the Shang Han Lun, one of the classic tomes of traditional Chinese medicine and a basis for all of its future pharmacology. Li and her team of chemists, biologists and researchers modified this original formula by adding to its preexisting mixture of 10 botanical ingredients, an 11th called Ling Zhi, or, "wooden mushroom," so-called for its ligneous appearance. Read more

How to Overcome Allergy and Asthma Symptoms Naturally

Runny nose, itchy eyes, coughing, wheezing? Margaret Durst tells how to overcome allergy and asthma symptoms naturally.

Quercetin is a bioflavonoid, or part of the vitamin C family. Bioflavonoids are coloring pigments that are found throughout the plant kingdom. Bioflavonoids are antioxidants and are known for providing protection from environmental stresses.

Quercetin is known for inhibiting allergy and inflammatory responses. Allergy and inflammatory conditions are triggered by contact with allergens that are absorbed into the blood. When allergens meet special immune cells containing histamine, the cell wall of the immune cell becomes leaky and releases histamine into the surrounding blood and tissues. Allergen released histamine produces the familiar allergic symptoms of runny noses, blocked sinuses, itchy eyes, blotchy skin, coughing and wheezing. Read more

Easing Sneezing: Can Diet Help Season Allergies?

A reader asks The Times if diet can ease hay fever symptoms.

My annual hay fever misery has begun. I’m talking antihistamnines and using eye drops which the pharmacist advised. is there anything I can eat and drink that may just help to ease my symptons.

As you will know, hay fever is a seasonal allergic reaction to various pollens and can cause anything from a blocked and runny nose to itchy, watery eyes, copious amounts of sneezing, and if you are unlucky, all of these. Pollen has this effect in some people because the immune system thinks that pollen is the enemy (like a bacterial or viral infection) and stimulates it to release histamine and other compounds to fend it off. This triggers inflammation at the point where the pollen entered your body — the eyes, nose and throat. You have done the right thing in going to the pharmacist and if symptoms worsen, a trip to your GP may be necessary. Read more