Natural Home Remedies for Allergy Relief

How to Stop Allergies Immediately Without Medicine

Like a lot of you, I’ve fought with allergy symptoms for most of my life, itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and that really yucky stuff that coats the back of your throat. I remember going to the doctor when I was in college. He said I was allergic to everything, pollen, dust, mold, pet dander, and a whole list of foods. He told me never to go outside. 

I was on every kind of over-the-counter, under-the-counter, side-of-the-counter, medication you could think of; Benadryl, Sudafed, Nyquil, Advil Cold & Sinus. But I never got relief and they just made me drowsy or gave me medicine-head.

Then, I switched over to home remedies and natural remedies to try to solve my health concerns and my allergies. And it made a huge difference. I loved that they were all-natural, effective, and didn’t have any side effects. I got a lot of relief from my allergy symptoms. One of the most effective home remedies I tried was radish microgreens. I was blown away. It was like suddenly I had a personal allergy shield, and I live in Austin, the allergy capital of the world.

In this post, we’ll look at radish microgreens and some of the other more popular home remedies for allergy relief, the ones that work and the ones that don’t work. 

Anthocyanins The Super Antihistamine

When you have an allergy attack, think about it like a soccer game. You get exposed to something you’re allergic to, like pollen or mold; and your body releases something called histamines. Think of histamines like soccer balls, and all these soccer balls are trying to land in a soccer goal (those are your histamine receptors).

When you take an over-the-counter antihistamine, it’s like releasing a bunch of goalies into the game. They try to block the histamines from scoring on your histamine receptors. So, basically, when you’re looking for an allergy remedy, you’re looking for the one with the best goalies 😁.

But, radish microgreens, while they do contain natural antihistamines, have something way better. It’s called anthocyanins. Think of anthocyanins like a referee, and this referee has the power to stop the game before it even starts. You see, anthocyanins prevent the release of histamines in the first place, so you never have the allergic reaction. 

While radish microgreens are packed with anthocyanins, you can also find them in fruits and vegetables that are red, black, or blue in color. Things like red cabbage, blue and blackberries, and even in black beans.

Natural Remedies for Allergies and Sinus

Not only do radish microgreens contain the super antihistamine, anthocyanin, but they also have a host of other properties that help with allergies.

Anti-inflammatory & Antioxidant

Radish microgreens are also high in something called glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are compounds that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. That means they reduce inflammation in the body (a common symptom during allergic reactions); and, at the same time, they protect against cell damage by eliminating free radicals.

Natural Antihistamine

Radish microgreens are a good source of vitamin C. Vitamin C acts like a natural antihistamine. This can help soothe itchy, watery eyes and reduce inflammation in the nasal passages, helping to relieve a runny nose. Incorporating radish microgreens will help reduce the amount of histamine in your body and reduce your allergy symptoms.

Other Health Benefits of Radish Microgreens

Along with the allergy-fighting substances we mentioned above, radish microgreens are also a good source of iron, calcium, and fiber, helping to support your overall health. These benefits make radish microgreens a smart addition to your allergy relief regimen.

What are Radish Microgreens Anyway?

Microgreens are tiny, nutrient-dense greens that are harvested just a few daysafter sprouting. They are small in size but pack a big punch in terms of flavor and nutrition. Radish microgreens are some of the most effective microgreens that we’ve ever grown. In fact, these little guys were the greens that tipped us off to the health benefits of our microgreens in the first place.

Back in the beginning, we were just growing our microgreens to sell at farmers' markets. And we were tweaking our growing process just to try to make the best-tasting microgreens. But then people started coming back, and saying things like, “I ate your microgreens and all my allergies went away. And I’ve had serious allergies all my life.” After that, we really started paying attention to the health benefits of all our microgreens, trying to coax the best health effects from each one.

We tested dozens of different types of radishes to come up with a blend that we think gives you the best mixture of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; including anthocyanins and glucosinolates. Our customers keep telling us it’s the best allergy symptom relief they’ve ever gotten, and we think you should check it out and let us know if it worked for you.

Radish Microgreens: A Natural Anti Allergy Food

Not only are radish microgreens really good for you, but the flavor will knock your sox off. My wife likes them on salads, and I’ll put them on every sandwich or burger I can get my hands on. They’re also great in smoothies. And they’re a perfect topping for soups, stews, eggs, tacos, or pizza. The options are endless!

We’ve been growing our own for years, and have the process down to a science; but, without too much work, you can grow them at home. It’ll be one of the easiest in-door gardens you’ve ever kept. All you need are some radish seeds (I’ll give you hint, dikon is one of our favs), good quality soil (don’t skimp on the soil), and a container. In about 10 days you’ll have a load of delicious, nutrient-dense greens to incorporate into your meals.

What Helps Allergies at Home?

Well, that’s enough about radish microgreens. I did promise to talk about other home remedies for allergies; although, as you can see, I’m a little biased. Let’s take a look at some of the more common ones, and the ones I’ve tried out personally.

Herbs for Allergies

I’m a big fan of herbs and have grown a sizeable collection that my wife always gives me the side-eye for. But I’ve gotten pretty decent at addressing my own health needs, and don’t have to go to the doctor much. Many natural herbs have been shown to be effective in reducing inflammation, boosting immunity, and relieving symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes. Some commonly use herbs for allergies are:

• Nettle: Nettle is an anti-inflammatory herb that can help reduce symptoms of allergies.
• Butterbur: Butterbur has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of seasonal allergies, such as sneezing and runny nose.
• Quercetin: Quercetin is a flavonoid that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, making it a great herb for those with allergies.
• Yin Chiao: This is one of my personal favorites. I’ve always been a fan of Chinese herbs, but it can be hard to find out which one will work for you, as they are very specific to the type of ailment they are meant to treat. Yin Chiao is a good all-purpose remedy for allergies and colds. 

Honey for Allergies

A lot of people suggest using raw local honey as a way to build up immunity to allergens. Unfortunately, this is not great advice. First of all, honey is one of the strongest allergens in nature, so eating honey may be making your allergies worse. Also, it has not been shown to help people build up an immunity to local pollen or other allergens. And, if you’re using honey as a sugar substitute, it’s actually metabolically worse than sugar. That being said, I love honey. I eat it all the time. I think it tastes great. Just don’t fool yourself into thinking that it’s helping your allergies.

Home Remedies for Itchy Watery Eyes, Sneezing, and Runny Nose

There are a few hygienic things you can do to reduce itchy watery eyes, sneezing, and runny nose. My allergies were always too severe for these things to work, but I’ve met many people who swear by them, so I wouldn’t mark them off your list before giving them a try.

Neti Pot

 A neti pot is a small pot that looks like the lamp from Aladdin. You fill it with water and use it to flush out your nasal passages and relieve symptoms of allergies, such as sneezing and runny nose. It mainly works on gravity to run the water through your passages, so if your sinuses are severely clogged it may not work.

Waterpik

This is a machine that basically shoots a high-pressure stream of water, and people use it to floss their teeth. If you’re really stopped up, and you have a stout heart, you can buy a nasal attachment for it, and blast that crud outta there. I haven’t tried it, but I know some really love it.

Steam 

Some say, inhaling steam can help relieve symptoms of allergies, such as itchy eyes and runny nose. It’s never worked for me, and I don’t know anyone it has worked for. I think people just like to put this remedy on their blogs so that they can have an extra bullet point, like I did here 😁.

Saltwater Rinse

If you’re using the Neti pot or Waterpik, this is a way you can amp up the effects. Instead of using regular water, use salt water. Again, other people have had more success with this one than I have. But let me tell you, it will sure wake you up in the morning, sheesh. One thing I did try, on the advice of a very mischievous friend, was snorting cayenne pepper. Oh my gosh, I can even begin to tell you what it’s like to inhale chili powder into your sinus cavities. It did clear me out, but I can’t say that it was worth it. And my symptoms came back pretty quickly.

Some Other Lame Tips for Allergy Relief

Like the doctor who told me never to go outside, I feel like there is a lot of lame advice floating around out there about allergies.

Avoid Triggers

All my life, I’ve been told to stay away from allergy triggers like pollen, dust, mold, pet dander, and smoke. Here are some recommendations I got from doctors.

• Stay indoors on days when pollen levels are high
• Keep windows closed and use air conditioning
• Vacuum regularly to remove dust and pet dander
• Keep humidity levels low to prevent mold growth
• Use odor-free and allergy-free cleaners.

But unless you want to live in a bubble, breathing filtered air, most of these things are impractical. The last one though, about using allergy-free cleaners, I feel like that is the one piece of good advice that I got from doctors. Using all-natural cleaners is something we do in our house, and it seems to make a big difference.

Create an Allergy-Friendly Environment

Creating an allergy-friendly environment basically involves cleaning the crap out of stuff and using hypoallergenic products. Here are a few other things I was told.  

• Use hypoallergenic bedding and pillows
• Wash bedding and pillows regularly in hot water
• Keep pets out of the bedroom
• Use air purifiers to remove allergens from the air

While I do believe in using hypoallergenic products (it just seems dumb to bring something into your house that you know will trigger your allergies), trying to clean the allergies out of things just never seemed to work. I mean, the biggest problems your going to have are floating around in the air. 

Improve Immune Health

While I did find that improving my overall immune health did help me cope with allergies, it didn’t do enough. I got into ripping good shape in college, vastly increasing my lung capacity and lowering my heart. The doctors were always amazed, saying I should be asleep with a heart rate that low. Improving your overall health will give your body a boost in fighting allergic reactions and reducing inflammation. Here are a few things you can try to increase immune health.

• Eating a healthy, balanced diet
• Getting regular exercise
• Getting enough sleep
• Reducing stress

Conclusion

How to Cure Allergies Forever!!!

Ok, maybe "forever" is pushing it a bit, but, radish microgreens can be a powerful natural remedy for allergies. By taking radish microgreen supplements or incorporating them into your diet, you can get more glucosinolates, which reduce inflammation and boost antioxidant levels, and get more anthocyanins which have been show to stop the production of histamine. These can help relieve allergy symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes. You can even grow radish microgreens at home. Then, add them to a variety of dishes for a burst of flavor and nutrition.

Final Thoughts on Allergy Relief

In addition to radish microgreens, there are a lot of other home remedies and tips that can help relieve allergy symptoms. By using natural herbs, all-natural cleaning products, and improving your overall immune health, you can get relief from your allergy symptoms and feel better fast. Whether you choose to use radish microgreens or another natural remedy, the most important thing is to find what works best for you and your body. With the right tools and techniques, you can overcome your allergies and enjoy a healthy and symptom-free life.

Coauthors

Droo Higgins: I’m an educational writer and strategist. I worked in the fields of public and corporate education as a content developer, trainer, and consultant for the past 12 years. I’m also an advocate for the health benefits of microgreens, as I’ve seen them work firsthand. Find me on LinkedIn.

Beata Lerman PhD: I am a biochemist and an Immunologist with a passion for improving health in the most effective ways possible. I have been in many roles over my 23-year biomedical research career from academic Research and Drug Development to industry consulting and Medical affairs. I strive to bring you the most evidence-based and reliable educational content to put you back in charge of your health. Find me on LinkedIn, and try some of my gourmet, sugar-free chocolates at Sinless Treats.