Such a peaceful view, out my the window into my back yard. A natural remedy for peacefulness. The ducklings from the neighbors’ pond loved to waddle over into our yard with their momma. I could stand there all day watching the little guys toddle around. But suddenly,
Ah-Ah-Achoo! Achoo! Achooey!
They always seemed to come in threes. My husband was at it again. The poor little ducklings had no idea what just happened. They ran in terror in every direction but mainly back into the pond. And, I think, never to return. Our family loves telling this story… at my husband’s expense.
These sneezing attacks have arrived often for all the years I have known him. But recently they have worsened. Medications were just not solving the problem. So our doctor finally decided to send him for some allergy testing.
16 our 20 allergens ain’t bad?
Michael tested positive for 16 out of the 20 allergens: Pet dander, dust mites, grass, all kinds of trees, cockroaches. I can’t remember the whole list.
So What’s Next?
Allergy Shots?
The doctor prescribed two shots a week but the problem came in the expense. According to our insurance, we should only be paying $2-$3 for the shots, but what they don’t tell you is that they are also going to charge you for an office visit. At the time that was $40 for us. There’s no way on earth that we have $120-$160 extra per month. This option was quickly thrown out.
We Tried Some All-Natural Remedies
1. Nasal Wash
It’s an aggravating routine to get into but it does work. The most recommended product is Neilmed Sinus Rinse. It’s basically a salt rinse for your nasal passages. My ENT has developed his own nasal rinse called ChitoRhino. It has an extra ingredient which seems to be a healing agent. I had a sore in my nose that kept returning but after a month of using ChitoRhino, the sore has not returned.
I say that it’s aggravating because every morning and every evening you will need an extra 15-20 minutes to do this. But I never have drainage issues anymore. No more post nasal drip and coughing.
Be sure you use distilled water in your rinse. Tap water is not safe enough. Find more detailed instructions from the FDA here. Be sure to clean your bottle or neti pot with boiled or sterile water.
2. 100% Pure All-Natural Bees Wax Candles
Actually this one, I had been doing. You see, God has placed everything we need on His green earth. Beeswax candles are amazing. Not only does it smell refreshing, but it also deionizes the air.
Regular paraffin wax candles are made from petroleum products. When burned they release toxins into the air. 100% beeswax candles actually remove toxins from the air.
Pure Beeswax Candles on the other hand burn with almost no smoke or scent and clean the air by releasing negative ions into the air. These negative ions can bind with toxins and help remove them from the air.
https://wellnessmama.com/4629/clean-indoor-air/
For our family, I would start burning the candles as soon as anyone started coughing or sneezing. Their symptoms would stop almost immediately. I’ve read about others who owned cats. They would begin burning the candle about an hour before their granddaughter arrived (She is allergic to cats). And the granddaughter would have no problems breathing while in her home.
You must be careful that the candles you purchase are 100% pure beeswax with cotton wicks. I trust these providers of beeswax candles: Pure Light Beeswax. For tapers and pillars, try Holy Nativity Convent
3. Salt Lamps
Add a salt votive to your candle and double your allergy help. They also purify the air and have the added bonus of beauty. Kind of a romantic feeling. I love them. You can find them on Amazon. Here’s my affiliate link.
4. Change Your Linens Often
I know, this is a big pain. And who likes dealing with those fitted sheets? I just wash them and put them right back on. Bedding is a haven for dust mites, thousands of which can feed, breed, and live on a single gram of dust. So wash your sheets, pillow covers, and blankets weekly with hot water.
It may also be helpful to purchase an allergy-free mattress cover and pillow covers. Some studies say that it isn’t that helpful but then there are loads of people who would swear about how much they help. They aren’t too expensive, so I say, give them a try.
5. Vacuum Regularly
One of the first things we did was purchase a new vacuum cleaner. If yours is old, it’s not working well enough. We were amazed at the difference this made and confirmed our thoughts the old one was literally throwing the dust and debris back out into the room. We spent only $70 on this fabulous bagless vacuum with washable filters. It’s lightweight, too!
So check out the Bissell PowerForce Helix Bagless Vacuum at Walmart.
6. When you vacuum, DUST… the furniture, baseboards, walls
I used to think it was futile to dust. It seems to just float around and land right back on the furniture. Until I found microfiber cloths by Norwex. These cleaning products are amazing. Learn more about Norwex here!
First of all, they use NO, that’s right, NO toxic cleaners. Just plain water. Think of all the money you will save when you no longer have to purchase all those different cleansers.
They offer everything: kitchen cloths, mops, window cloths, bathroom cleaners, dusting products. You name it, they have it. And they are all amazing. Check out this video where they clean up after raw chicken.
You can contact my DIL to order your Norwex products.
7. Air Purifier
This was our first big purchase. We waited for our tax return for this one. I must say that it was worth the price. You can seriously feel the difference within on hour after turning it on.
We couldn’t pull off purchasing something for the whole house so we settled for the bedroom. It is actually pretty portable. So, you could take it into whatever room you are in. When you are purchasing, do be sure to know your room size. It won’t be helpful if your room is too large for the air purifier. Here’s the one we purchased.
Additionally, there was a certified refurbished one available at the Winix company website. We talked at length with them to be sure of guarantees. It saved us a few bucks and it has worked like a dream. Winix also offers an Allergy Buyers Club where you can sign up to have your filter replacements shipped automatically and at a discount. This site also sells many of the aforementioned items.
Well, these are the all-natural remedies we have implemented and found to be very helpful. Try them. I think you will like the results.
Pastor’s Wife (retired) & Chronic Pain Warrior blogs about how to make it through anything by relating her own life experiences to her writing. She is passionate about her love for the Lord and desires to spread that passion to others. She has a great desire to encourage women who are following behind her.
I’ve never heard of some of these! We got a quality vacuum (Dyson) last winter, and it’s kind of horrifying to see what gets sucked up ;).
I know what you mean. Yuck!
Mandy, Thank you for all the tips. I just noticed pollen all over my car and thought yes this is the reason for the itchy watery eyes and stuffy nose! These are great natural tips. I prefer to use the things God gives us for natural healing! Appreciate this. Your neighbor at FMF
The pollen seems to be really off the charts this year, at least here in Savannah. We’ve all been sneezing and hacking away. And the pollen on the car… it won’t even come off with a quick rinse.
Thanks for coming by!