When it comes to treating your seasonal allergies with home remedies, there’s usually more fiction than fact. There are healing claims about everything from apple cider vinegar to local bee pollen. The doctors at your local American Family Care understand that not everyone wants to grab a drug off of the pharmacy counter, but people want to be able to breathe too! So are there any proven natural remedies that the doctors here at AFC can get behind? You bet! And what’s more, you may already have the ingredients in your food pantry.
THE FYI ON SNI
SNI, otherwise known as saline nasal irrigation is a natural therapy with roots in Ayurvedic medicine. The rinses come in several forms including over-the-counter saline sprays and mists or nasal cups, sometimes called a “neti pot.” Sinus rinses have proven to be so effective that theAmerican Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology actually recommends them as a way to bring relief to seasonal allergy sufferers as they’ve proven to help remove and thin out excessive mucus. But their benefits don’t end there. The rinses can also bring relief by removing allergens from the nostrils and sinuses.
THE NOSE KNOWS
Saline nasal irrigation devices are fairly easy to use, but they may feel a little weird at first and take some getting used to. There are several ready-to-use devices that are available without a prescription at your local pharmacy, or you can make your own rinse at home with three simple ingredients:
- Pickling or canning salt with no iodide, anti-caking agents, or preservatives
- Baking soda
- 8 ounces of lukewarm distilled or boiled water
Basically, you use a nasal bulb (like you might use for a baby!) and draw up some of the solution. Next, stand over a sink and gently squeeze the solution into one nostril. Breathe through your mouth and tilt your head and the solution should come out through the opposite nostril. Then repeat on the other side.
KEEP IN MIND
One of the biggest benefits of using SNI is the side effects: basically, there are none. TAKE CARE, THOUGH: You’ll want to make sure you use a sterile water source with zero chance of contaminants. You’ll also want to make sure your delivery device (neti pot or nasal bulb, etc.) is well sterilized too. Physicians with AFC also stress that if you experience allergy symptoms for more than a few days, you should come in to your local American Family Care and get checked out. Our extended hours and seven-day-a-week schedule means “right now” is a good time to start feeling better.
