Home remedies for hay fever – which ones really help?

The most important things in brief

• Anyone who suffers from hay fever needs help - if not always medically, then at least in the form of medication.
• Nasal spray and eye drops are not always available when we need them. And the nearest pharmacy is not just around the corner.
• Now it's time to try some of the home remedies recommended for allergic reactions
• Home remedies are usually unsuitable for severe hay fever patients.

Anyone who is sick does something about the symptoms. Whether cough syrup, lozenges for the throat, nasal spray, fever syrup or fever tablets, blood-thinning agents such as ibuprofen or aspirin for headaches and body aches: there is something in the medicine cabinet to counteract almost all the effects of a cold. If you are showing severe symptoms from your hay fever, you can also take medication - but there are also some effective home remedies.

If left untreated, there is a risk of allergic asthma

Because ignoring the signs of hay fever is actually not an option. If left untreated, irritation of the upper respiratory tract can develop into much more unpleasant symptoms - such as permanent allergic asthma. But what to do if you don't have the medication you need in the cupboard at home? Or if you have an intolerance to any of these remedies?

With the right home remedies, you can effectively combat the symptoms of hay fever. Let's start with nutrition. The healthier it is, the better for our immune system and the better the body's defense against pollen works. Drink a lot, eat spicy food - preferably with garlic, ginger, chilli and Co. - and additional capsules or tablets with black cumin oil can provide significant relief.

Ginger, honey and black cumin to help

Black cumin inhibits inflammation that often develops as a result of pollen pollution, which soothes the mucous membranes. At the same time, black cumin oil strengthens the immune system. Ginger is also an anti-inflammatory and helps relieve the itchy throat that hay fever also causes. The essential oils of onions are also not to be scoffed at. Honey can prepare and desensitize the immune system to the pollen due to the pollen it contains.

But back to the essential oils. They are also helpful in another way, namely as a bath additive. They clean the airways or can have a decongestant effect. Peppermint, lavender, fennel, eucalyptus and others are recommended. If you don't have a bathtub, you can also inhale these extracts - simply with a pot of boiling hot water and a towel over your head. That helps too. It is often enough if you simply dissolve a teaspoon of table or sea salt in the hot water instead of the essential oils.

Homemade nose douche and hair wash

If you don't have a nasal spray and the hay fever symptoms are severe, you can mix your own nasal rinse at home - from water and salt. This clears the airways and you can really take a deep breath. If you have the feeling that the symptoms of hay fever are not getting better despite the windows being closed, then why not change the clothes you might have been wearing in before. Pollen may have settled here.

Speaking of being stuck, shower if symptoms don't improve. And wash your hair as often as you can, because the pollen also likes to get stuck there.