It’s Fall Allergy Season, help with the “Secondary’s

by Penny Keay

Hay Fever has once again come around and if you are like many folks, you just dread this time of year.

I know I do. Mr. Ragweed and I are not the best of friends. He seems to be a pest for too many weeks each year. He has a tendency to ruin one of my favorite seasons of the year. (Oh by the way, I love all the seasons!)

I do not enjoy watery eyes, a scratchy throat or sneezing repeatedly. For the most part I have been able to keep the allergy symptoms to a minimum by diffusing (a Terra Cotta Disc by my desk and head at night) and inhaling (with a Personal inhaler) our Allergy Tamer blend or Roman Chamomile.

Seasonal Rhinitis the medical term for allergic reactions caused by pollen makes one miserable.

Dealing with the congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing and sinus pressures is just not fun at all. These are the most common symptoms of this type of allergic reaction.

The problem is if you can’t stop these primary reactions to the allergens the next thing you know you are dealing with what I call the ‘secondary’s’.

These are the sinus infection that starts from all the sneezing and swollen tissues that trap unwanted germs. Moreover, the repeated amount of coughing from the postnasal drip that can cause laryngitis, Tracheitis or bronchitis.

You might have sore nostrils from wiping the constant ‘drip’ or from blowing your nose.

Some folks will rub their eyes and I’ve seen ‘sty’s’ develop or other types of eye infections. Some folks will even run a fever or develop hives depending on their immune response to the allergen.

Therefore, although the original ‘culprit’ is the allergic reaction you are having to the pollen or dust, now they are making you miserable with the secondary problems they created. First if you have seasonal allergies now is the time to start using essential oils to help prevent some of these reactions.

Several essential oils have anti-histamine properties i.e. German Chamomile and Roman Chamomile.

Others help with inflammation such as Helichrysum and Lavender.

Using these in a Personal inhaler several times a day may help minimize the bodies’ response to the allergen.

Personally, I use starting in Mid-July. It helps my body prepare for the month of August and September.

Next – like now – I begin using Allergy Tamer blend which is a blend of German Chamomile, Roman Chamomile, Helichrysum, Lavender and Niaouli.

This combination seems to not only help with the allergic reactions but helps with congestion and prevent some of the other problems as it keeps fighting off other infections.

Now onto the ‘secondary’s’ and what to do.

Sore nostrils and nose from wiping: Use a mild soap and wash area, then apply your favorite lotion or carrier oil. Works great for some folks.

Years ago (like 41 years ago), my Family Doctor told me that for me personally, I should never ever blow my nose again. He told me I could ‘wipe’ my nose or ‘sniff’ in but not to ‘blow’.

I had had several repeated episodes of severe sinusitis due to my allergies and blowing my nose (even ever so gently) was making it worse and causing me to get the sinusitis.

Since I’m also very allergic to many antibiotics he was concerned there might come a time where there would not be any that would work and me. In addition, I did not like taking medications – especially antibiotics.

Remember this is 40 plus years ago and Al and I didn’t know about essential oils back then.

Anyway, I have heeded his words and since that time as long as I don’t ‘blow’ and only wipe my allergic runny nose I have not had sinusitis. Sinus congestion- yes – read on for how I get relief.

Sinusitis, Laryngitis, Tracheitis, Bronchitis: Congestion relief

– try inhaling a little Peppermint followed by one of the eucalyptus oils. This often times will help to open up the airways, so they can drain and relieve pressure.

Massage for Sinus Congestion

Eucalyptus globulus – 3 drops
Peppermint – 3 drops
Rosemary – 3 drops
Carrier oil – 1 tablespoon

Blend essential oils well and add to the carrier oil. Massage into your face around your eyes and onto your cheekbones.

Be very careful not to get too near your eyes, as this will sting badly if it gets into the eyes.

Massaging your eyebrows and forehead will help to relieve the pressure associated with the sinus congestion.

If coughing is part of your ‘secondary’ problems, you might want to think about a ‘steam’ bath.

You know the kind where you use a towel over your head, over a bowl of hot water and a drop or two of essential oils. The Eucalyptus essential oils being the most widely used to help with this.

Coughing when allergies are present is often due to the postnasal drip.

Mucous is trickling down the back of your throat and causing irritation that triggers your cough response. Usually a non-productive cough, but a ‘tickle’.

In some folks including one of our sons, you will cough so much and so often that you can end up with a tracheal or bronchial irritation that could turn into a full-blown infection. Once we were able to get his allergies under control, he never had bronchitis again.

For Inhalation over a Bowl of Hot Water Blend

Eucalyptus globulus – 12 drops
Cedarwood – 6 drops
Rosemary - 3 drops
Peppermint - 3 drops

Blend the above essential oils in a glass bottle. Then add 1-2 drops to a bowl you have added about 2 cups of very hot water (does not need to be boiling – just very hot).

Use a Glass or Stainless steel bowl for this ‘steaming’. Simply lean over the bowl. Inhale for as long as desired.

You can always add more hot water or more essential oil blend as you need.

Diffusing or using Four Robbers blend and Pure Cleansing blend will help if your secondary problem is weakening your immune systems and allowing the irritations become more infections.

On the other hand, because your immune system has been compromised you may be more susceptible to catching the latest viral infection. (Great, now you have to deal with both allergies and a cold!).

As for eye infections: sorry, but there are no essential oils that can be used for this. You will need to see your medical doctor should you develop an eye irritation or infection with your seasonal allergies.

Most folks don’t have problems with their eyes other than they seem to tear or are more watery and red.

We hope you can come through another year of Seasonal Allergies unscathed but if you should be caught off guard and develop problems with the ‘secondary’s’ you can hopefully find some help and relief for these ailments using essential oils.

We have several articles that may be of interest to you that will include many suggestions and a larger variety of essential oils to help with any of these ‘Secondary’ problems associated with your seasonal allergies.

Here are a few helpful links:

Allergy:

https://birchhillhappenings.com/allergy.htm

https://birchhillhappenings.com/v1002007.htm

Sinusitis:

https://birchhillhappenings.com/sinus.htm

Congestion:

https://birchhillhappenings.com/v812005.htm

Laryngitis & Coughing:

https://birchhillhappenings.com/aromatip/5309.pdf

https://birchhillhappenings.com/v802005.htm

Bronchitis:

https://birchhillhappenings.com/bronchit.htm

https://birchhillhappenings.com/v652004.htm

https://birchhillhappenings.com/v862006.htm

Allergy or Cold:

https://birchhillhappenings.com/aromatip/tip2808.pdf

Recipes for colds, coughing, bronchitis

https://birchhillhappenings.com/recipes/colds.htm

You can always use the ‘Search Box” at the top of the informational website pages at birchhillhappenings.com to put in a ‘key word’ or two to find previous articles that are not included above. They may help you find answers to more specific “Secondary” problems that aren’t listed above.

Penny’s Extra Note:

Essential oils may not work for everyone when it comes to help with allergies. For the most part for me, as long as I use the above essential oils and limit my exposure during the worse times of the season (like hot and windy days in August and September) the essential oils are able to help my body handle the Ragweed (mold etc).

Nevertheless, should I become over exposed or get an over load, unfortunately I do have to use an over the counter anti-histamine.

For me, if I get an overload it causes my airways to swell and I have difficulty breathing.

Typically, I have learned what to do, when to avoid the outdoors and when I need to use the over the counter medications I do, thereby avoiding things that could be much worse.

My point being here is that Essential oils may not work 100% all the time for this or other situations and for some folks may not work at all. In that case, seek advice from your Health Care Provider.

Remember aromatherapy and essential oils are complementary and sometimes an alternative to allopathic medicine.

Essential oils can help you feel more comfortable and help with many ailments but they are not a “Panacea”.

They don’t work all the time for everyone.

But for Al and I we like to use them first and for the most part they do what we need them to do and much more safely than all those ‘side effects’ you see with conventional medicines.

Recipes to Try

Soothing Throat Spray

Roman Chamomile - 2 drops
Lemon -1 drop
Tea Tree -1 drop
Apple Cider Vinegar – 1 tablespoon
Honey – 1-teaspoon
Distilled water (warmed) ½ cup

Add the essential oils into the honey then add the vinegar, next add warm water to this blend and shake well.

Using a bottle with a fine mist sprayer, spray 1-2 ‘spritzes’ onto the back of the throat. Do not drink this!

Try not to eat or drink anything for 15 minutes after spraying. You can spray as often as needed.

Sinus Congestion due to Allergies

Roman Chamomile – 5 drops
Peppermint – 3 drops
Rosemary – 2 drops

Blend the above in a glass bottle then apply several drops to a Personal Nasal Personal inhaler.

Simply inhale a couple times in each nostril as needed.

This should help to relieve the pressure, open the airways and the chamomile may help to control the allergy symptoms.

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