Self-care During Allergy Season in San Antonio!

It's that time of year, but here's what can you do to help alleviate and eliminate your symptoms - 

Fall in Central Texas sucks if you have allergies. Yeah, I said it!

The problem is the constant change from 80 degrees to 30 degrees. You don't know if you should wear your winter coat or a tank top. Think about how the plants must feel. Is it time to die and hibernate, or is it time to pollinate?! For Texans this means our whole winter will be a constant battle with pollen and allergies. But you didn't come here for a reason why, let's get down to business. Here's a some things you can do to help with your allergies this year.

• Neti Pot - it's a handy little teapot looking thing you can fill with sterile water to manually flush out your allergies. It's a little disconcerting if you've never done it before, but for those that like it, it's a game changer. A couple words of warning - if you're already extremely congested it can be difficult for the water to flush through the system so use it preventively or at the first sign of problems. Also, do not use tap water. Use sterile water like distilled water, as there are microorganisms in non-sterile water that you don't want in your nose.
• Local Honey - Make sure it's local though - bees made that using the pollen you're struggling with which is the theory behind why it works. put it in some hot tea, your morning coffee, or even just use it as a facial wash topically. Its antibacterial and antiviral properties will help during this flu season too!
• Acupuncture - It works wonders! Allergies are just a histamine response and the immune system going a little nuts. Acupuncture helps calm the system down, not only alleviating symptoms but even preventing them!
• Herbal Remedies - Chinese and Western herbs have both been shown to alleviate symptoms. If you have an acupuncturist already,  go in a month before you typically start sniffling and ask about Yu Ping Feng San or Jade Windscreen. This is a preventive formula designed to get your body rebalanced before anything even goes down! If you can't make it into an acupuncturist, or there isn't one near you, here are some over the counter herbs that work wonders:

Got some other tips? Comment below and let us know what worked for you!

​Stay healthy, friends!
​~The Red Raven