Home Remedies For Hay Fever

Hay fever is an allergy to the pollen released by grasses, flowers and trees in spring and summer. The pollen causes cells to release histamine which results in streaming eyes, runny nose, sneezing and a sore itchy throat. Allergic reactions can also be caused by house-dust mites or the fur of animals or feathers of birds.

Home remedies for Hay Fever

In the old days people chewed natural honeycomb, which was supposed to protect them from allergies of every type. You can still find it in some health stores and it is worth a try. Eating plenty of garlic is also thought to counteract allergic reactions. Chamomile tea is a natural antihistamine - add honey to build up your immunity to pollen.

You could grate some horseradish and sniff it to help to clear out the sinuses as well as to stimulate breathing.

You could try taking a teaspoon of English mustard combined with a tablespoon of molasses first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Elderflower tea or syrup drunk hot at bedtime will help keep the sniffles of hay fever at bay. Make your own syrup by mixing up elderflower heads, 450g (lib) of brown sugar, three lemons and two sliced oranges. Add this to 1.7 litres (3 pints) of water and 55g (2oz) of tartaric acid. Steep it in a covered bowl for 24 hours, strain into a big pan and bring to the boil until the sugar is dissolved. Cool, then bottle or freeze and drink as needed.

Garlic is useful for both hay fever and asthma. Chop it and add it raw to salads. A Russian remedy recommends inhaling an infusion of two or three cloves of crushed garlic added to a basin of hot water.