Allergies
Spring is almost here and that means that many people will be struggling with allergies soon.
Allergic rhinitis is the inflammation of the nasal membranes caused by the body's response to an allergen.
The symptoms of allergic rhinitis include sneezing, nasal congestion, nasal itching, and rhinorrhea and can be seasonal or chronic. There can also be associated symptoms such as allergic conjunctivitis and a non-productive cough.
The response to the allergen occurs within 5-15 minutes and the immune response causes the release of histamine. Histamine stimulates the mucous membranes causing a runny nose as well as sneezing and other immune mediators are released that trigger nasal congestion.
Treatment
Avoid triggers if possible such as dust mites, animal dander
Urtica dioica also known as Stinging nettle can be used to relieve allergy symptoms acting as a natural anti-histamine
Quercetin is a compound that is found naturally in apples and onions that is anti-inflammatory and acts as a natural anti-histamine.
A neti pit can be used
References
1 Akhouri S, House SA. Allergic Rhinitis. [Updated 2022 Jun 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538186/
2 Anon. Quercetin. Alt Med Rev 1998;3:140-3.