Anyone suffering from seasonal allergies can tell you that they are no fun. More than likely, you won’t have to ask around much because approximately 50 million Americans suffer from allergies every year. Unfortunately, it looks like allergy season is only getting worse. A USDA study showed that between 1995 and 2009 the pollen seasons lengthened by 13 to 27 days. This is likely due to climate change related warming.
According to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, roughly 75% of allergy sufferers take some sort of allergy medication. But medication may not be the only option to help beat the season. Many doctors are suggesting daily nasal irrigation on its own or in conjunction with other allergy treatments.
Nasal irrigation is a technique that can be traced back to the practice of cleansing the sinuses with a neti pot in the ancient system of medicine from India known as Ayurveda. To this day, this doctor recommended process still uses a simple saline solution that is introduced to the sinus cavities through the nose to wash out excess mucus, pollen and other allergens.
Slightly updated versions of the traditional neti pot are available from your local health food store or can even be found in many drug stores. Though the more traditional neti pot can still found, I prefer either a squeezable style nasal irrigation bottle or a syringe style irrigation device for ease of use.
Many newcomers to nasal irrigation can be quite intimidated by the very helpful, but somewhat daunting technique of pouring or squirting a saline solution into one nostril and letting it wash through the sinuses and come out of the other nostril.
No need to worry; though the first time or two might feel somewhat odd, once you have the technique down it will be a very easy and quick addition to your daily routine.
Something as simple as washing out the sinuses daily can make a big difference in what seems to be an ever-worsening allergy season. See if this easy addition to your daily routine makes as much of a difference in your allergy symptoms as it has for so many other allergy sufferers that have given this doctor validated ancient technique a try.
Travis Lemon is a certified herbalist and co-owner of Tulsi at The Market in Huntington. He has worked in the natural health and wellness industry for over 14 years. He can be contacted at travislemonmh@gmail.com.