Allergies, Hay fever and Rhinitis

Allergies, Hay fever and Rhinitis

Hay fever has become a more common occurrence than ever before, especially with young people and children. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (http://www.aaaai.org):

nearly 8% of American over 18 have hay fever
Caucasian children are more likely to get hay fever than African children
Worldwide, allergic rhinitis strikes between 10% and 30% of the population.
Among school children worldwide, allergic sensitization is reaching 40-50%
Close to 13% of American 18 and over suffer from sinusitis
It was found in 2010 that Black children suffered from skin allergies (17%) more than Caucasian (12%) and Asian (10%) children
In 2012, 8.8 million children were diagnosed with skin allergies that year

So what can we do herbally or naturopathically to offset these staggering statistics? A quick scan through the research suggests that there are many herbal and naturopathic remedies available such as stinging nettles, ephedra, peppermint, licorice root, feverfew, garlic, ginseng, andrographis, papaya, reishi mushrooms, Baikal skullcap, elderflower, eyebright, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Dosages:

Stinging nettle: 300 mg of freeze-dried nettle capsule 2-3x per day
Ephedra: 15-30 drops of tincture in water up to 4x per day or as directed by physician
Peppermint: steep 1 teaspoon in 1 cup of hot water for 15 minutes and drink tea
Licorice root: up to 4-6 400mg or 500mg capsules per day. DO NOT use longer than 6 weeks. Do NOT use if pregnant, nursing, have high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid, kidney, liver or heart disease.
Feverfew: 400-500mg capsules 3x daily
Garlic: 500-600mg capsules 3x daily (look for products with a daily dose of 4000-5000 micrograms of allicin)
Ginseng: as directed on product
Andrographis: tea from 1-5 handfuls fresh herb and drink 3-4x daily; or take powdered dry herb 1.5g 3-4x daily
Papaya: eat papaya fruit in the morning on an empty stomach
Reishi mushrooms: 420mg capsules 5x daily
Baikal skullcap: make a decoction and take 2 cups per day
Elderflower: make an infusion and drink 2-3 cups daily
Eyebright: make an infusion and drink up to 3 cups daily
Vitamin C: 2-3g daily in divided doses
Bioflavonoids: 500mg 2-3x daily
Omega-3 fatty acids: increase foods with high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids (foods like salmon, herring, mackerel, evening primrose oil, borage oil)