Symptoms Of Seasonal Allergies
Seasonal allergies aka allergic rhinitis or hay fever can cause several uncomfortable symptoms.
Your body releases chemicals when youre allergic to something in the environment.
These chemicals trigger the allergic response which is your immune systems attempt at protecting you from the allergen.
Seasonal allergy symptoms can differ from person to person, but common allergy symptoms include:
What time of year you experience allergy symptoms depends on what youre allergic to.
Seasonal allergies commonly affect people in the spring, summer, and fall, when grass, trees, and other plants pollinate.
Some people experience winter allergies or even year-round symptoms.
How To Use Essential Oils
Whether its for getting allergy relief or to soothe stress, its important to use essential oils properly. Not all oils are created equal, so its important to purchase a brand you trust.
There are several ways you can integrate essential oils into your routine. You can spray or diffuse oils in the air for aromatherapy. Alternatively, you can use them in topical treatments like lotions.
Make sure to use a carrier oil to dilute essential oils if youre going to put them on your body. Neutral oils often used in skincare productslike coconut oil, jojoba oil, and almond oilwork well. Make sure to patch test these mixtures before applying them to large portions of your skin.
Focus on identifying virgin oils, a term that describes oils that are extracted without added chemicals or additives. Other essential oils, like those extracted using steam or other techniques, often contain additives that can irritate your skin .
Never consume essential oils. Ingesting them enhances absorption, which can increase the risk of an adverse reaction with any medications youre taking. This is especially dangerous for children, who are more vulnerable to bad reactions from skin exposure to essential oils .
If youre pregnant, talk to a healthcare provider about whether using essential oils is safe and how they should be used.
Precautions When Using Essential Oils For Allergy Relief
Although essential oils are natural ingredients, they are very potent and should be handled with care.
If you are using the essential oils topically, always do a skin test first to check for allergic reactions.
Apart from tea tree oil or lavender oil, you should never put essential oils directly onto your skin. Even with tea tree oil and lavender oil, you can only use them undiluted to treat a very small area of skin.
Pregnant women and children shouldnt use essential oils unless directed otherwise by a medical practitioner or certified aromatherapist.
For more information about natural antihistamines, read my article: The Best Natural Antihistamines to Fight Allergic Reactions.
Read these related articles:
Recommended Reading: Can Allergies Cause Seizures In Children
What Is An Allergy
An allergy is an overactive immune response in your body to certain substances that are usually harmless. The response of the immune system is to release histamine that causes inflammation and irritation in your airways, eyes, ears and skin.
According to doctors on WebMD, common allergies are:1
- Seasonal allergies like allergic rhinitis which is caused by pollen, grass, weed, and molds
- Cat and dog dander allergies caused by substances in pets hair and fur
- Food allergies to nuts, shellfish, and dairy products
The American Association of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology says that smoke, strong odors, and changes in air humidity can also cause allergic rhinitis which results in inflammation in the nasal passages. The allergic response can also cause allergic conjunctivitis .2
Expert in immunology, Dr. Luqman Seidu says that typical symptoms of an allergic reaction are: itchy or watery eyes, hives, sneezing, rashes, fatigue, an itchy or a runny nose.3
Here are the top 15 essential oils for allergies that can help you treat the common symptoms of allergic reactions. At the end of the article, you will find instructions on how to use these essential oils to get allergy relief.
Apply Essential Oils Topically
Some essential oils for allergies can also be applied topically to the skin. However, Dr. Kim cautions that its important to ensure the essential oil you use is approved for topical use. If it is safe for topical use and not already diluted, you can add a few drops of the essential oil to a carrier oil such as coconut oil or jojoba oil and then apply to skin, she says.
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The Best Essential Oils Recipes For Allergies
The best Essential Oils recipes for allergies!
If you suffer from seasonal allergies and are fed up with medications, read this post to learn how you can use Essential Oils for a natural allergy relief.
Im going to share with you what Essential Oils are best for allergies and the different ways of using them.
Hope you find this post helpful!
The following post contains affiliates, which means Ill get a small commission if you decide to buy using the links provided. This will add NO EXTRA COST to you but it helps me to keep this blog up and running. Thank you. You can get more info by reading my Disclaimer page.
As I write, we are at the end of April and spring is truly well underway here in Ireland.
I find spring a most wonderful season of the year, with flowers blooming everywhere, new life being born in farms around the country, and of course with the sun shining on us and warming up our faces, after the long bone-chilling winter months.
As much as I love spring though, I appreciate that for many people around the world, this is a difficult time of the year, due to one big inconvenience: seasonal allergies and hay fever in particular.
In my family we are extremely lucky cause nobody suffers from any form of allergies. Unfortunately, this might still change in the future, and thats why Im so grateful I have Essential Oils in my home to help us in case we needed them.
What Essential Oil Is Good For Allergy Relief
Peppermint essential oil may also help to ease allergies that can affect the. used for its skin soothing properties and also for aromatherapy This is a commonly used essential oil from the botanical. However, it’s also an excellent choice for allergy treatment, especially if the .Opt instead for handmade products with good ingredients or truly natural products that contain essential oils and substances from nature. Many products that say .Skip the allergy medication , and use a more natural, holistic approach. Use essential oils! Not only are these oils potent .Allergy Relief Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint, Copaiba 2 drops in a capsule Young Living. .. Essential Oil Blend Recipes That Will Make You Feel Great.These components make many essential oils a great choice for allergy symptoms .. support, an important component of allergy prevention and treatment.
Also Check: Why Do Some People Have Pollen Allergies
Helpful Essential Oils And Their Allergy Fighting Properties
Combing the powers of lemon essential oil, peppermint essential oil, and lavender essential oil for allergies is the best way to tackle most allergic reactions. Combined, they work as one of the most powerful antihistamines to bring down inflammation and other discomforts caused by your body’s allergic response.
Can Essential Oils Treat Allergies
The use of essential oils as medical treatments isnt witchcraft or magic. Its science. Many compounds in essential oils naturally occur as antibacterial agents to protect plants against foreign invaders .
Of course, scientists wondered if these remarkable protective effects would work for humans. Could essential oils alleviate symptoms of seasonal allergies? Maybe, but the research is scarce.
Most allergies result from an overactive immune response to things our bodies perceive as invaders, even though theyre probably harmless. An example of this is dust or pollen. When a person with allergies is exposed to a trigger like this, their immune system starts releasing whats called histamine into the blood and tissues. Histamine is what causes symptoms associated with allergies, such as a runny nose, cough, itchy or watery eyes, and scratchy throat.
Recommended Reading: What’s The Best Over The Counter Allergy Medicine
Types Of Allergy Tests: Which Is Best
Nasal sprays that use corticosteroids are another good option since they quell inflammation related to allergy symptoms . If you have mild symptoms that mostly affect the eyes, eye drops may be enough.
Prescription options are available for those with severe seasonal allergy symptoms. These medications can bring down inflammation around your sinuses and nose.
Changes to how you clean and what products you use can also help you manage allergies caused by dust or mold. Washing your linens more frequently, swiftly dealing with wet spots where mold can form, and staying away from known triggers like cigarette smoke, dust, and pet dander are all tips for reducing allergens.
Use Essential Oils Internally For Allergy Relief
Only use pure essential oils from a trusted source when taking internally. Consider this when deciding on which essential oils to use.
Take a combination of lavender, lemon, and peppermint in a capsule or under your tongue. Learn more how taking this combination internally can help support your body systems during times of seasonal threats here.
Take peppermint essential oil in a capsule, or add a drop to a glass of water or tea to support your respiratory system when suffering from allergy symptoms. If youre a coffee drinker, you might be blown away by adding a drop of peppermint essential oil to your morning cup of joe. If youre a tea drinker, try adding some raw honey and a drop of peppermint essential oil to your favorite tea. Fair warning You might never want plain tea again.
Learn more about the internal use of essential oils in this free book, Internal Use of Essential Oils
Read Also: Can Allergies Make Your Joints Hurt
The Best Essential Oils For Hay Fever
After the bitterness of a cold winter, most of us welcome the brighter months of March, April and May with open arms. For hay fever sufferers, not so much! Here we share the best essential oils for hay fever and similar allergies and discuss how these wonderful natural remedies can help allergy sufferers embrace the joys of spring.
Using Tea Tree Oil For Allergies
How it helps: Anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, antimicrobial, immunostimulant, decongestant, antiseptic
Best for: Home allergens, skin allergies, runny nose, hives, bug bites, itchy skin, eczema, psoriasis, mold
Because it helps destroy all those airborne allergy triggers in the home – like bacteria, viruses and fungi like mold – tea tree oil is one of the most powerful essential oils to treat your allergies. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory properties of tea tree oil also help bring down sinus swelling to provide you with welcome relief from a stuffed or runny nose.
Studies have also found that tea tree oil significantly reduces swelling from histamine-induced skin inflammation – in some cases its been found to be more effective than prescription creams. It can be applied directly to bug bites, rashes, hives and eczema to help reduce itching, lessen the redness and calm the skin. No more discomfort or irritation
How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Allergies
Diffuse: Diffusing tea tree oil throughout your home will eliminate airborne bacteria and kill mold.
Topically: Use tea tree oil topically to treat skin rashes, allergic eczema and hives. Add 2-3 drops to a cotton ball and apply to the affected area. Do a patch test beforehand.
Cold compress: Soak a clean wash cloth in a bowl of cold water with a few drops of tea tree oil. Apply to the skin for 10-15 minutes to reduce swelling and redness. Repeat every few hours.
Recommended Reading: How To Make Your Nose Stop Burning From Allergies
The 5 Best Essential Oils For Allergies
Depending on the time of year, allergies can be such a burden to your day-to-day life. Runny noses, itchy eyes, congestion, dry cough, and skin irritation can all be related to seasonal allergies or allergic reactions.
These symptoms typically occur when something, typically harmless, has entered the body that is being rejected by the immune system. The symptoms listed prior are irritating and annoying, however, are seemingly harmless and can be treated with over-the-counter medications, or other natural remedies.
In instances where your body reacts with anaphylactic responses, the person should always carry an epinephrine injection with them as this response from the body can be fatal if gone untreated. Epinephrine is a drug form of our naturally produced hormone, adrenaline. It has been proven to reverse severe allergic reactions and save lives. If you are severely allergic to certain foods, medications, beverages, or other substances, you should bring it to the attention of a medical practitioner immediately and follow strict guidelines from a professional.
Allergy Relief With Essential Oils
An allergy is an over-reaction of our immune system to certain substances such as dust, pollen, animal hair, synthetic materials or foods. Common symptoms triggered by allergies include runny nose, sneezing, and red, itchy eyes. There are several essential oils for allergies that can help you to relieve and treat the common symptoms of allergic reactions. Essential oils serve as a natural and safe way to treat the symptoms of allergies, boost our immune systems, and to feel better. Below is a list of our favorites and how to use them!
1. Lavender Oil: it works as a natural antihistamine and possesses strong anti-inflammatory properties to treat and relieve most allergic reactions. It works great for treating skin rashes or headaches. Not only will it ease your allergic reactions, it has a calming and relaxing effect on both body and mind.
Diffuse: Lavender essential oil can be used in a cold-air diffuser to treat allergies. Diffuse for 15 minutes every hour for the best effect or diffuse next to your bed to promote a better nights rest.
Inhalation: Rub 1 to 2 drops of lavender essential oil into the palms of your hands. Cup them over your nose and take 4-6 deep and slow breaths.
To make a chest rub: dilute 2 to 3 drops in a carrier oil of your liking and massage your chest for a few minutes to ease your allergic reactions.
Quick Allergy Diffuser Blend:
Peppermint Essential Oil: 3 drops
Lavender Essential Oil: 3 drops
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Using Lavender Oil For Allergies
How it helps: Antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, sedative
Best for: Hay fever, mucus, asthma, headache, skin allergies, hives, itchy eyes, eczema, psoriasis, dog and cat dander, sleep
One of the most popular multi-purpose essential oils, lavender contains some powerful medicinal compounds that halt the production of histamine and effectively quash allergies like a runny nose, itchy eyes, hives and other related symptoms.
As a natural anti-inflammatory, it also reduces any swelling, redness and pain associated with conditions such as hay fever and asthma. In doing so, it helps – magic words to any allergy sufferer. And best of all, it even helps you sleep better when youre sneezing, wheezing and feeling all-round miserable.
But lavenders benefits dont stop there. Its one of the best essential oils for skin allergies like eczema, psoriasis and hives – and other rashes and bug bites too – as it soothes away itchiness and pain and helps speed up the healing process. And as one of the gentlest essential oils, its an ideal natural remedy to use for allergies in your baby or toddler just ensure you use it safely and correctly.
How to use lavender oil for allergies
Sleep easy: Spritz your sheets with a linen spray and tuck a lavender sachet under your pillow for a peaceful and restful sleep all night.
Bath: Add some genuine lavender bath salts to the tub for an all-over soothing anti-itch solution.
Why Are Allergies So Prevalent
This is a difficult question to answer, especially if we consider that the very same allergens that trigger allergies nowadays were present even thousands of years ago, but without the same consequences.
One possible explanation can be traced to inflammation, which is, as we know, the root cause for many diseases.
A sedentary life style, paired with a diet rich in processed food and with a high exposure to toxins in our environment, has caused our body to develop poor gut health and inflammation. Our bodies are already stressed as a result of having to deal with those problems. Therefore, when we are exposed to a trigger, our system overreacts.
In other words, if our immune system was not already overworked, there would be no abnormal reaction to an allergen.
Also Check: How To Prevent Allergy Attacks
So Why Are Lemon Lavender And Peppermint So Effective For Allergies
- Lemon has a cleansing effect on the body and the body systems and it helps the respiratory system work a little better.
- Lavender has a calming effect, which between the cleansing and the calming, now you have kind of a balancing effect going on.
- Peppermint opens those airways and makes it a little easier to breathe and helps the respiratory function work a little better.
Together Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint are amazing at cleansing the body system and protecting against your body being overreactive. Thats often whats happening in allergy season, your body has so many things coming at it and it is overreacting. The Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint work synergistically help to calm that reaction and keep your body from overreacting. These oils also helping your body to cleanse so that its not continually feeling so bombarded.
Using Frankincense Oil For Allergies
How it helps: Anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, immunostimulant, disinfectant, sedative
Best for: Hay fever, bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, runny nose, sleep, pet dander, dust mites home disinfectant
Another potent anti-inflammatory, frankincense oil is one of those wonderful multipurpose essential oils when it comes to treating allergies. It has been shown to help ease the symptoms of bronchitis, sinusitis, and even asthma. It even stimulates the immune system to help keep you healthy and well.
And if you thought a good nights sleep was distant dream during allergy season, think again. A landmark study found an anti-allergy blend of frankincense, sandalwood and Ravensara oils not only reduced annoying hay fever symptoms – itchy and runny noses, blocked nasal passages and sneezing – but people slept better, had more energy and felt happier.
As an air or surface disinfectant, frankincense oil can also help beat allergens like animal dander and dust mites.
How to Use Frankincense Oil for Allergies
Diffuse: Blend a mix of 3 drops frankincense, 2 drops sandalwood and 1 drop ravensara oils and diffuse for 30 minutes before you go to bed.
Disinfectant: Simply mix a few drops of frankincense oil in spray bottle with water for an all-purpose cleaner that smells amazing.
The Ultimate Guide on How to Use Essential Oils – Read More
Also Check: Can Allergies Cause Fluid In Ears
