Relieve Allergies the Natural Way

Relieve Allergies the Natural Way

If spring and fall send your seasonal allergies into a spin, many experts say look to Mother Nature for
relief that can be as comforting and easy as a day at the beach.

In addition to whatever natural treatments you try on your own, you may also find significant relief visiting
a practitioner of the ancient Chinese medical practice known as acupuncture. Based on the idea that
stimulating points outside the body can change or initiate reactions inside, in this case treatment is
thought to affect the immune system, where allergic reactions begin.

In a small but significant study of 26 hay fever patients published in the American Journal of Chinese
Medicine, acupuncture reduced symptoms in all 26 -- without side effects. A second study of some 72
people totally eliminated symptoms in more than half, with just two treatments.

"Acupuncture can be particularly useful if you are suffering from multiple allergies, since it works to quiet
the areas of the immune system that are overstimulated by exposure to multiple irritating factors," Dillard
tells WebMD.

Though many nontraditional treatments can be extremely helpful, allergist Marianne Frieri, MD, cautions
that natural doesn't always mean better -- or safer. She points out that it's possible to overdose on even
the most seemingly mild preparations, and it's important to remember that almost anything in nature's
pharmacy could cause a toxic reaction if you use too much.

More important, she says, is never to mix alternative treatments with traditional drugs without your
doctor's approval.

In addition, both Hardy and Frieri caution that if allergies are moderate to severe, you should not
self-treat -- even with seemingly benign natural products -- without checking with your allergist first. When
you are ready to try some alternative care, Hardy says one key to success is starting treatment before
allergy symptoms kick in. The ideal time to begin, she says, is "three weeks before allergy season is
scheduled to start."

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