How do I reduce allergies/congestion?

Question

I don't have access to over the counter medicine. I sniff a lot and my throat is itchy and sore...

Are there any foods/liquids that help with congestion? or a natural way of relieving it?

Answer 1

Fresh ginger, sliced up and made into tea helps...add a little fennel. Don't over do it though...too much ginger can cause other problems. There's a homoeopathic product called AllerPhase which I take that works better than any over the counter drugs I've ever taken. I have pretty bad allergies...but it's expensive. $40.00 for 30 capsules taken twice a day. But it does work without side effects or weird feelings.

Answer 2

1- Stay away from what you are allergic to, if at all possible, or minimize exposure.
2-Nasal congestion could be helped by breathing moisture, vapour and it helps if it has some oil in it like menthol, camphor, eucalyptus. Try some boiling water with a drop of oil or two.
3- Avoid ephedra, although a herb, it contains ephedrine and it has many adverse effects, few deaths were reported with it, including some professional athletes.
4-Discuss with your Doctor/ pharmacist. here are few good products over the counter (OTC) you can get without a prescription.

Answer 3

To me it is more of an annoyance, then pain... Chew some gum and swallow saliva frequently.

Answer 4

Try butterbur. It has been shown to have similar efficacy as OTC antihistamines.

Answer 5

A Introduction to Allergies

Sneezing is not always the symptom of a cold. Sometimes, it is an allergic reaction to something in the air. Experts estimate that 35 million Americans suffer from upper respiratory symptoms that are allergic reactions to airborne pollen. Pollen allergy, commonly called hay fever, is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. Worldwide, airborne dust causes the most problems for people with allergies. The respiratory symptoms of asthma, which affects approximately 15 million Americans, are often provoked by airborne allergens (substances that cause an allergic reaction).

Overall, allergic diseases are among the major causes of illness and disability in the United States, affecting as many as 40 to 50 million Americans. This article summarizes what is known about the causes and symptoms of allergic reactions to airborne allergens, how these reactions are diagnosed and treated, and what medical researchers are doing to help people who suffer from these allergies.

What is an allergy?
An allergy is a specific immunologic reaction to a normally harmless substance, one that does not bother most people. People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one substance. Types of allergens that cause allergic reactions include pollens, dust particles, mold spores, food, latex rubber, insect venom, or medicines.

Why are some people allergic to these substances while others are not?
Scientists think that people inherit a tendency to be allergic, meaning an increased likelihood of being allergic to one or more allergens, although they probably do not have an inherited tendency to be allergic to any specific allergens. Children are much more likely to develop allergies if their parents have allergies, even if only one parent is allergic. Exposure to allergens at certain times when the body's defenses are lowered or weakened, such as after a viral infection or during pregnancy, seems to contribute to the development of allergies.

What is an allergic reaction?
Normally, the immune system functions as the body's defense against invading agents such as bacteria and viruses. In most allergic reactions, however, the immune system is responding to a false alarm. When an allergic person first comes into contact with an allergen, the immune system treats the allergen as an invader and mobilizes to attack. The immune system does this by generating large amounts of a type of antibody (a disease-fighting protein) called immunoglobin E, or IgE. Each IgE antibody is specific for one particular allergenic (allergy-producing) substance. In the case of pollen allergy, the antibody is specific for each type of pollen: one type of antibody may be produced to react against oak pollen and another against ragweed pollen, for example.

These IgE molecules are special because IgE is the only class of antibody that attaches tightly to the body's mast cells, which are tissue cells, and to basophils, which are blood cells. When the allergen next encounters its specific IgE, it attaches to the antibody like a key fitting into a lock, signaling the cell to which the IgE is attached to release (and in some cases to produce) powerful inflammatory chemicals like histamine, cytokines, and leukotrienes. These chemicals act on tissues in various parts of the body, such as the respiratory system, and cause the symptoms of allergy.

Some people with allergy develop asthma. The symptoms of asthma include coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath due to a narrowing of the bronchial passages (airways) in the lungs, and to excess mucus production and inflammation. Asthma can be disabling and sometimes can be fatal. If wheezing and shortness of breath accompany allergy symptoms, it is a signal that the bronchial tubes also have become involved, indicating the need for medical attention.

This site is designed to help you understand the immune system along with different problems, failure and ailments of the system. Also it introduces 4Life Research & Shaperite which offers medical breakthrough Transfer Factor XF which has been tested to be 248%-500% more effective than any other nutrient for your immune boosting ability and to kill live cancer cells in your body. 4Life & Shape Rite also offers breakthrough supplements for the ailments, allergies and infections displayed on this site mainly that of being Transfer Factor and TF Plus. Please enjoy the information and be sure to come back anytime needed for additional researched health information.

My 8 year-old daughter is over her allergy problems after 4 days on 4Life™ Transfer Factor™. Kevin O.

Along with bronchitis and laryngitis attacks, I have suffered from allergies all my life. 4Life™ Transfer Factor™ showed me immediate improvement during a very bad allergy season. Marilyn K.

4Life™ Transfer Factor™ helped my allergies and stopped my snoring. Les W.

My wife of 44 years has had all her allergies clear up since taking the 4Life™ Transfer Factor™. Ed L.

"My kids baby-sit and are exposed to runny noses, viruses, etc., yet don't get sick. This gets me excited about 4Life™ Transfer Factor™ and the opportunity. I have also seen results on ADD and allergy problems. Ray M.

"For the past fifteen years I have suffered from chronic bronchitis, regular sinus infections, and severe allergies. I suffered from fatigue, migraine headaches, joint pain, and an overall weakening. After eight months on Transfer Factor™, I am a new person. I feel like Transfer Factor™ saved my life. I tried every nutrient that I could find, but only Transfer Factor™ made the difference." Naomi Jackson, Kansas.

"I am a registered nurse, 64 years old and respect what medications can do. However, prescriptions were not helping my severe allergies or my psoriasis. Allergic episodes usually resulted in a mega-infection of bronchitis or a sinus infection. My psoriasis did not respond to either of many medications. Both of these health problems are in the auto-immune category. I included 4 capsules of Choice 50™ and 3 Transfer Factor™ in my daily supplements. Both the allergies and psoriasis have totally disappeared. Choice 50™ and Transfer Factor™ are a dynamic combination that have truly improved the quality of life." Doreen Lassiter