The RLE Group Newsletter
April 2014 Volume 14, Issue 4
achoo!
Home Remedies for Allergies: What Works?
1
Spring brings plenty of delights: warmer weather, longer days,
blossoming trees. But these seasonal changes aren't welcomed by
everyone. For many of us, they're eclipsed by the itchy eyes,
sneezing, and congestion of hay fever and other spring allergies.
neti pots
Neti
They may look exotic, but Neti pots are fast
becoming a mainstream remedy for allergies
and stuffed-up sinuses. The treatment, which
involves rinsing your nasal cavity with a saline
solution, flushes out allergens (like pollen) and
loosens mucus.
Using a Neti pot is simple. First, fill the pot
with a mixture of salt and warm water (you
can buy premeasured kits or make your own).
Then tilt your head to the side and pour the
solution in one nostril until it flows out the
other, repeating the process on the opposite
side. (Important note: Use boiled or distilled
water only, as tap water can introduce
potentially dangerous organisms into your
system.)
2
saline spray
Prepackaged saline nasal sprays function much
like Neti pots, but some allergy sufferers may
find them easier to use. Sprays deliver saline
solution a bit more gently and evenly, whereas
pots can sometimes be a little “sloppy,” says
Robert Graham, MD, an internist and integrative
medicine specialist at Lenox Hill
Hospital, in New York City.
Saline sprays should provide comparable results. Although Neti pots have been studied
more extensively, and in some cases may prove
more effective, sprays too have been shown
to help with allergy symptoms and other sinus
problems.