How My Family Tackles Seasonal Allergies…Naturally!

There was a time when we were stuck in an endless cycle of Zyrtec, Flonase, and Allegra to fight seasonal allergies. We’d take these drugs faithfully and STILL end up with sinus infections that were met with antibiotics and steroids. Every allergy season seemed to be a little worse than the previous one with no end in sight.  But when we began to treat our allergies more naturally, ALL of that changed.  Keep reading to hear our story…

(Before I begin, I must remind you that I am NOT a doctor.  I am a mom and wife who attempts to take care of her family the best she possibly can.  The story I am telling is one of personal experience.  Consider this a conversation between friends. I can’t diagnose or treat you or your family.  You may need to seek professional medical advice if you are encountering an illness or disease.)

(This post contains affiliate links. You can read more about my affiliate policy here.)

There was a time when I took Zyrtec every single day just to try to keep my seasonal allergies under control.  Then, when things got worse, I’d add in Flonase and Tylenol Cold and Sinus. They helped a little, but I was still so miserable! I can remember struggling through my days as an elementary teacher, barely able to function, but trying my best to wear a smile for my students!

My husband was not much better.  I can remember him reaching for the Sudafed, as he was in desperate need of relief. And I can even remember him missing work due to sinus infections that kept him in bed all day. He was a little less stubborn than me, and he’d usually head to the local clinic for his steroid shot so that he could get back on his feet.

My son, who was not quite 2 at the time, was developing one ear infection after the other from the drainage associated with his allergies.  The pediatrician, in an attempt to be proactive, had us giving him a trio of Zyrtec, Flonase, and Allegra daily.  It seemed like a lot, but I was desperate to help him, and I really had no better plan.  Despite our best efforts, there were still a few more ear infections and the associated antibiotics involved. He was miserable many days, and I felt helpless as his mother.

But, praise the Lord, all of that has changed! Not long after my son turned 2, I started learning more about natural options.  One by one, I added in some new strategies.  And I’m happy to report that we no longer need ANY of those drugs to fight allergy symptoms!  We are a 100% prescription-free family. We haven’t needed antibiotics or steroids to address sinus infections.  And we haven’t used any over-the-counter allergy medications in years. So what do we do?  I’ll tell you!

The first thing we do is diligently take our elderberry syrup proactively during the fall and winter months.  We choose to take it in 2 week cycles (2 weeks on, 2 weeks off) to keep our immune systems boosted.  And to maximize its effectiveness, I make our own using organic elderberries and local honey. Because elderberry can reduce inflammation which can be caused by allergies, and it can boost the immune system it is a great foundation to build upon (source 1), (source 2), (source 3) . I make ours with local honey, which as been shown to help reduce allergy symptoms (source). And, bonus, elderberry has been found to be effective against 10 strains of flu (source). I’d call that the icing on the cake because I don’t really want to deal with flu either!!

There are so many options for homeopathic remedies to address seasonal allergies, but I’ll limit it to what helps us the most.  At the first sign of itchy nose or eyes, and that allergy tickle in your nose or throat, we start taking Histaminum 30.  We may take it 3-4 times a day, if needed.  Homeopathic Manufacturer, Boiron, describes Histaminium as an “alternative to antihistamines”.  You can read more about this remedy here.

If a runny nose comes along, I’m quick to give Allium Cepa 30.  Allium Cepa is made from a red onion, and so many times I’ve seen it stop a runny nose in its tracks!  You can read more about it in Dr. Boericke’s Materia Medica.

And if sneezing joins the symptoms line-up, I’ll add in Sabadilla 30.  Sabadilla is made from the Cevadilla seed and acts on the mucous membranes.  You can read more about it in Dr. Boericke’s Materia Medica.

The combination of these 3 homeopathic remedies usually keeps our allergies under control, but we may have to keep taking them a few weeks to get everything back to normal.  Boiron makes a convenient allergy blend that contains all 3 of these remedies plus a few more. Some people may prefer to take the blend rather than individual remedies.

I find that these little cups make it easy to dispense multiple remedies for my family. I just add the remedies to their cups, then they can quickly tip the cup into their mouth and take all of the remedies at once. And everyone in my family knows that if they see a homeopathy cup sitting on the counter with their name on it, it’s time for another dose! This strategy keeps me from chasing everyone down with remedies all day! They even come with little lids so that I can pack up extra doses for my husband to take to work.

These little cups with lids are so helpful for distributing homeopathic remedies!

Sometimes allergies can hit hard and fast!  So while we still attack them using the elderberry and homeopathics, we may also add in our nebulizer.  Home nebulzing can be a controversial topic, so I’ll refer you to a great article by Dr. Jockers.  He shares published research on nebulizing to fight respiratory illnesses, and he sites multiple doctors. He even shares a “recipe” for how to make your nebulzing solution. 

What does my family choose to nebulize when treating our seasonal allergies?  After gathering information from a variety of doctors, I’ve settled on a recipe for my family that includes saline, Food Grade 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, and Lugol’s Iodine.  We will nebulize this solution when we are fighting colds, flu, Covid, allergies, sinuses, and more! 

We find that not only does the nebulizer help prevent allergies from developing into some type of infection, but it is also very soothing.  It helps to moisturize the airways and makes breathing a little easier.  Because I usually let them watch a few minutes of TV while they are nebulzing, my kids don’t mind it one bit!

We grabbed a nebulizer off of Amazon, and it has served us very well! No need to get a prescription for one. You can find our nebulizer on my Master List.

When allergies are attacking, I also get very diligent with our supplements.  I’ll make sure my kids are getting doses of vitamin c throughout the day and zinc a couple of times a day.  Research shows that taking these supplements can boost the immune system in a variety of ways including antimicrobial activity, natural killer cell activity, and the inflammatory response (source).  And vitamin d has been studied specifically as it relates to childhood allergic rhinitis, and it has been found to reduce the overall severity of allergies (source).

So, that’s our 4-part plan to keeping allergies at bay!  I’m so thankful that we haven’t had to resort to pharmaceutical drugs and all of their possible side effects to address this recurring problem.  We’ve saved time and money by staying out of the doctor’s office and the pharmacy line.  But the best part?  Our allergies seems to be getting milder and milder each time they come around.  It seems our bodies aren’t relying on drugs to suppress our annoying symptoms, but instead, our bodies are learning to address the problem and overcome it!  How awesome is that?!

If you are ready to get off of the dreaded allergy season rollercoaster, I hope you’ll give some of these suggestions further research and thought.  I think they might just be game-changers for you!

Stay well, and stay diligent!

For more natural and homeopathic remedy ideas for your family, be sure to visit my Remedy with Diligence page!