Seasonal allergies (also known as pollen allergies or hay fever) affect a wide range of people from all sorts of backgrounds and living situations. In fact, statistics show that in America alone, 19.1 million people have been diagnosed with one sort of seasonal allergy or another over the past twelve months alone. But if you're not too fond of popping pills every four hours just so you can feel like a human being come allergy season, then you may be looking for a more natural solution to this common problem. So if you're looking for a few natural remedies for your seasonal allergies, then here's what you need to know.

Nettle and Peppermint

This relaxing, delicious tea is perfect for early spring, when your nose knows that there's pollen in the air, but the weather still has the bite of winter. Nettle is known to act as an allergy reducer via its powers as an antihistamine, which blocks the tissues that swell in irritation when met with pollen, thus causing a clogged nose, throat, or ears. Combine that with peppermint's spice, which counteracts the slightly bitter taste of nettles and can help unblock your nose, and you have a recipe that pollen should fear. You'll need a ½ teaspoon each of dried peppermint and dried nettle leaf, which you should steep in 8oz of boiling water for about 10 minutes before straining and serving with a bit of local honey for sweetness and added protection.

Citrus Galore

Citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges are famous for their incredible amounts of natural Vitamin C, which helps to bolster your immune system—help that you sorely need this allergy season. To take advantage of this, commit to eating an orange every day or drinking a few cups of citrus juice every day. To make this simple concoction, you'll need a small lemon and two large oranges. Juice the oranges and lemon, then pour the drink into a glass with a bit of local honey. This drink is best served chilled, but if you prefer your citrus drinks to be a bit more like wassail, you can heat your glass up.

Dietary Changes

Changing your diet can help to cut down on your seasonal allergies, as it can help your body to run more efficiently and thus give yourself more resources to use to battle pollen with your immune system. If you swap out red meat, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol for dark leafy greens, yellow and orange peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger, you should start to see an improvement in the way your body reacts to those pesky seasonal pollutants.

Talk to a professional such as Northwest Asthma & Allergy Center PS for more information.