Allergies are complex, infiltrating every aspect of the sufferer's body. There are many types of hypersensitivity, and the immune system creates individual responses for each, but there are some things all of us can do to minimize the risk of an allergic reaction or quiet the symptoms. Instead of reaching for the antihistamine or steroid first, try making these healthy changes in your life:
Try Oolong TeaIf you suffer from nasal congestion and/or sinus problems, then you'll want to try Oolong tea. It's a semi-fermented tea with a mild taste, rich in flavonoids and phytochemicals that have been proven to reduce mucus and lower allergic response for its users. Drink it, and you'll be able to breathe more comfortably with less congestion. Based on Chinese and Japanese studies most participants saw results within the first weeks of drinking oolong tea. Drink a total of four cups a day in small batches; low doses of flavonoids are more effective than large ones. You'll wake up less stuffy, and won't get as many sinus infections. Get Rid Of Dust MitesDo you wake up every morning congested and full of goo? It could be a dust mite allergy. Most people with a "dust allergy" are just allergic to the dust mites. Dust mites like to hide in soft, warm places like pillows and mattresses, our towels, and even clothes. Only one gram of dust can contain up to 500 dust mites, and these bad guys contain a toxic enzyme that attacks your respiratory lining. Combining factors like dust mites, air fresheners, and old air filters are the ideal setting for people to develop asthma, eczema, sinus, and frequent headaches. The best way to fight back is with clean HEPA air filters and by dusting your home. Wash your sheets every week in hot water to kill dust mites and buy mite-proof covers for your mattress and pillows. You'll notice an almost immediate difference in your sinuses and your nose will thank you. Allergic To Mold?There are over one hundred allergens in various yeasts and molds, and most people who are allergic to airborne mold are also hypersensitive to it when they eat it. Fermented drinks like beer and wine, cheese, and dried fruit (everything you need for a good party) are the biggest offenders. Even coffee can have mold and pesticides in it, so buy yours organic and reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals. Believe it or not, just swapping your morning cup of joe and eating less toast in the morning can make a huge difference in how you feel. Get Rid Of Air FRESHENERSDowney undoubtedly makes the best fabric softeners and scented laundry supplies on the planet. Glade plug-ins seem to make a living room cozier, and bathrooms feel cleaner. But they're poisoning us. Air fresheners, fabric softeners, antibacterial soaps, and perfumes have a ton of poisonous chemicals that cause itchy noses, swelling of nasal tissues and respiratory problems. About 250 million people used air fresheners in their homes in 2017, and all of them became exposed to harmful chemicals that damage their nasal pathways and even the nervous system. Within one month of using air fresheners, you're promised to have built-up mucus and increased congestion. After several months of using perfumed sprays, damaging inflammation will begin to show in your respiratory tract. Kick your scented household goods out and exchange them for their natural counterparts. You can also try buying more plants to naturally clean and filter the air. Making small changes can lead to significant differences in how we feel and interact with the world. All of these tips will absolutely work in reducing your allergies, and I hope you try them!
1 Comment
Hope is not easily defined, but impossible to embrace without faith. The more we search for meaning in what seems hopeless; we realize that our "hopelessness" is a state of mind, not a reality. - Carol Bright No matter how bad things get, you always have a choice. Choice is a God-given gift that you can employ at any moment of your life. We have choice because we have free will; an even greater gift. When I'm mediating by my stream of consciousness, I have the choice of picking up my despair or allowing it to keep going. I may notice it, but I don't have to harbor that emotion. It's easier said than done and even as I've been writing this Series on Love, I've heard my voice bounce off of the bedroom walls. "…Sure I'll go stand behind some table at the grocery store so people can walk by me and ignore me, cause that's what's gonna happen. Nobody ever buys anything from me anyway! Nobody wants what I have to offer. It's stupid." Choice is a funny thing. When I make that sort of declaration I'm viewing the world through fear and then giving it hold over my future. You can just hear the defeat in my voice in the last two words. "It's stupid." In this moment I have a choice to make on who I'm going to be- the woman who's afraid of everything or the woman who's afraid and does it anyway. I have the power of choice on how I'm going to respond in any given situation and so do you. You don't have control over everything that happens to you, but you have power over how you respond to it. When you speak with low self-esteem it stems from your own fear. But, with the gift of choice, you can outsmart even the worst of what fear's got to dish out. Hope is the answer. Hope is the result of faith, and faith the result of love. If you can love, you can have faith in the future and the hope which transcends all fear. It's fighting darkness with light and it all starts with choice. If you choose to focus your thoughts on hope then you'll be hopeful. Seems a bit too simple right? Where ever your thoughts go, so will your actions. If I think people will laugh at me or throw tomatoes me, I'd probably end up hiding in my closet eating Nutella from the jar. But, if instead, I combat my fear with hope, I may just get enough courage to say hi to strangers and maybe, just maybe, make a sale. Examples: "It's never worked in the past and I look awful; it'll be a disaster!" "Everyone leaves in the end, I'll always be alone." "No matter what I've done, it's never been good enough. What's the point?"
Some other examples: "When I'm feeling unloved I want to go find people to share my love with." "When I'm afraid of failure I want to remember failure's okay as long as I don't quit. " "When I'm scared of the outcome I want to be at peace with myself." One version speaks from fear while the other from love and we have the choice to decide. If you ask me, that's a pretty powerful gift- to decide who we will be. Try the "When I'm ___, I want to ___." rule with your own fears to see how this equation stacks up against what fear uses. Don't let anybody talk you out of becoming who you want to be- even if it's you. Anybody who has ever struggled to plant his feet onto the floor in the morning knows that life can be hard; it can be stressful; it can be overwhelming. But each of those negative, less than optimal feelings immediately takes a back seat to the inspirational power of hope. - Shawn L. Anderson
"Out of clutter, find simplicity." |
Categories
All
Linda's BlogsArchives
October 2019
AuthorLinda Lavender writes articles to help folks with Auto Immune Disease, Depression, Anxiety and other health related illnesses. |