I love springtime – the sunshine, warm weather and wild flowers all make me so happy!
The only downside is the cold-like seasonal allergy symptoms – the watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, difficulty breathing, itchy skin or hives and general discomfort – that he change in the seasons and increase in pollen count can trigger.
Fortunately, natural remedies, like my 3 best essential oils for allergies, can help calm allergic reactions by calming the histamine and inflammatory response at the root of most allergic responses.
What Are Allergies?
Allergies are our immune system’s reaction to a foreign substance, such as food, pollen or dust, known as allergens. Our immune system can become hypersensitive to certain allergens, mistakenly seeing them as a threat. In response to threats, our immune system releases histamine, which triggers swelling, inflammation and the leakage of fluid to protect the body from further invasion. We experience this histamine reaction as symptoms like inflammation of the skin, sinuses and nasal passages, airways or digestive system, including:
- Sneezing
- Itching of the nose, roof of the mouth or skin
- Runny, stuffy nose
- Watery, red or swollen eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Difficulty breathing or swelling of the throat
- Itchy watery eyes
- Sinus pressure or headache
How Essential Oils Relieve Allergies?
Essential oils help calm allergic reactions by calming the histamine and inflammatory response at the root of most allergic responses. Oils also help modulate the immune system (Read more about Modulating the Immune System with Essential Oils HERE) making your body less vulnerable to allergen triggers.
For example, histamine released in response to allergic reactions is a normal defense mechanism. It is the exaggerated histamine response –overactive histamine receptor cells that triggers numerous immune system reactions – that can contribute to chronic inflammatory reactions of nasal passages, sinuses, lungs and eyelids, causing many of the symptoms we experience with seasonal allergies like sneezing, runny nose, watery, red, itchy eyes, rashes, breathing troubles such as wheezing, severe coughs, asthma, or hiccups. (Read More about Exaggerated Histamine Responses HERE)
Histamine levels are designed to be kept in balance by two enzymes that break down excess histamine and prevent allergic reactions. One of these enzymes lives in the lining of our intestines and must be present to maintain balanced histamine levels in the gut. A damaged gut lining can compromise the production and secretion of this enzyme allowing histamine to build up and wreak havoc throughout the body.
The goal is to balance, not block, the histamine response as histamine performs critical functions in body, contributing to HCL production and neurotransmitter signals.
Essential oils, with their natural anti-inflammatory and immune modulating properties, can help balance histamine levels and naturally reduce inflammation, offering immediate and long lasting allergy relief.
Essential Oils for Allergies
The following are my favorite 3 Best Essential Oils for Allergies:
1. Histamine Balance™
Histamine Balance™ Histamine is a chemical substance that contributes to allergy symptoms. While the release of histamine is a normal defense mechanism, an exaggerated histamine response can contribute to chronic inflammation of the nasal passages, sinuses and lungs. The goal is to balance, not block, the histamine response as histamine performs critical functions in body, contributing to HCL production and neurotransmitter signals.
The essential oils in the Histamine Balance™ blend are uniquely suited to modulate excess histamine excretion; balancing histamine levels and helping to reset the immune response and reduce allergic reactions are decreased. Blue Tansy, in particular, is known for neutralizing histamine and helping to control allergic reactions. In addition, Ravensara is a powerful anti-inflammatory, containing a rich amount of 1,8-cineole, that has been proven in research to greatly reduce hay fever symptoms, including nose obstruction, sneezing, runny nose, and itchiness.
To help reduce over-active histamine reactions and allow healthy breathing patterns, apply 1 – 2 drops of Histamine Balance™ behind your ears, on the back of your neck, or on your sternum to open airways.
2. Sinus Support™
Sinus Support™ The sinuses make up the upper part of your respiratory tract from your nose into your throat. Any sinus-related issues that lead to restricted, congested or inflamed nasal passages can contribute to breathing difficulty. Sinus Support™ helps to clear and open the nasal passages and supports the relief of sinus pressure from chronic sinus infections and/or sinus issues related to allergies.
To help open sinus passages and improve breathing, apply 2 – 3 drops of Sinus Support™ to a Q-tip and swabbing the inside of the nasal passages 2 – 6 times daily. For optimal effectiveness, you can leave the Q-tip in the nasal passage for up to 20 minutes.
3. Breathe™
Our lungs inhale and exhale an average of 16,000 times a day. If you’re experiencing any respiratory problems, like allergies, you may have difficulty breathing which may leave you feeling mentally and physically fatigued and can compromise your immune system. Essential oils, with their natural anti-inflammatory and decongestant properties, can help you breathe easily again. Read More about How Essential Oils help Breathing HERE.
Breathe™ blend contains three different types of Eucalyptus oil, a potent antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant and decongestant that can help clear your sinuses, soothe a sore throat, reduce coughing. Breathe also contains Peppermint™ Essential Oil whose expectorant and antispasmodic properties may help clear your sinuses, relieve the pain of a sore throat, and reduce coughing.
To use, apply 1- 2 drops topically on throat and upper chest (Breathe™ contains a lot of hot oils and can turn the skin red. We therefore recommend diluting with castor oil, coconut oil or olive oil before topical application). Breathe™ can also be inhaled using steam inhalation (Place 2 to 3 cups boiling water + 5 drops of Breathe™ in a bowl, cover your head with a towel, close eyes and bring face close to the bowl and gently inhale the steam) or used with a hot wet towel compress to the lungs and throat areas.
Resources
Ready to get started? Click the links below to order today:
- Breathe™ available here
- Histamine Balance™ available here
- Peppermint™ available here
- Sinus Support™ available here
