Allergies can significantly compromise quality of life. You will often need to miss out on a lot of things so you can avoid the discomforts of an allergy attack. For example, during the spring, while others are heading out to enjoy the blooms and the warmer weather, you have to stay indoors instead.
Be that as it may, keep in mind that you are not alone in experiencing allergies and all their related conditions. According to the World Health Organization, around 235 million individuals suffer from allergy-related asthma.
Here’s another allergy fact worth knowing: Allergic rhinitis and sinusitis are among the major respiratory diseases in the GCC countries and all over the world. Because of this, pharmaceutical companies are continuously pursuing the development of effective allergy treatments.
Practicing Self-Care to Alleviate Severe Allergies
When it comes to alleviating the impact of allergies on people’s quality of life, taking allergy relief medication is the best step. Also, health professionals strongly recommend practicing self-care.
What exactly is self-care?
Advocates for this life enhancement activity simply define it as deliberate actions in taking care of one’s emotional, mental, and physical health. For people who suffer from severe allergies, self-care can make a whole world of difference in dealing with the discomfort and stress caused by allergies.
Self-Care for People with Allergies
Here are seven of the best self-care practices to prevent and reduce the effects of allergies.
Clean your house regularly and make the indoor air smell good.
Invest in devices that can create the coziest atmosphere at home. An air humidifier, purifier, and scent diffuser will do the trick. These can automatically improve the quality of the air you breathe at home.
Essential oils can make your home smell delightful. If you are suffering from congestion, a combination of peppermint and bamboo oils may help improve your breathing by clearing your air passage.
Another oil combination that is worth trying is eucalyptus and bergamot. These two oils have a cooling and soothing effect that may help you sleep better at night.
Enjoy a long, warm soak before bed.
Allergy symptoms can be quite stressful for the body. After a long day of sneezing, coughing, headaches, runny nose, and perhaps skin itching, you will enjoy the opportunity to wind down and allow your body to rest.
Add Epsom salts and essential oils like eucalyptus, orange, lavender, and maybe even tea tree to your warm bath water. These are known for easing pains and itching, and for clearing a stuffy head and nose. The lavender in the water may also help you sleep much faster and more soundly.
Treat yourself to afternoon tea.
There are tea concoctions that are particularly helpful for people with severe allergies. They contain bioflavonoids, natural antihistamines, vitamins, and minerals to calm allergies down.
Lemon and green tea, for example, is a perfect drink for people suffering from allergic rhinitis or hay fever. Licorice root, meanwhile, can bring relief to irritated respiratory passages. Turmeric or ginger tea can do the same. As for rosehip, it can block histamines.
Switch to organic ingredients.
Clean eating can boost the immune system, which is responsible for allergic reactions. So, make the switch to organic produce and you will surely get more of the nutrients these ingredients naturally come with.
The only problem with organic ingredients is that they are usually expensive. However, if the goal is to improve your health and overall well-being, do not feel bad about splurging. Paying closer attention to the quality of the food you consume will often cost less than the medical treatment for a severe allergy flare-up.
Get a massage.
Massages are arguably the most rewarding self-care methods. When you get a massage, you relinquish control and let expert hands work on your wellness. Massage has been proven to alleviate seasonal allergy symptoms. It can reduce the stress hormones in the body that aggravate allergic reactions. At the same time, it can help treat inflammation as well.
Getting a massage is also an immunity-boosting treat. An hour-long session is equivalent to eight hours of sleep wherein cells regenerate. The oils used can even clear air passages to improve breathing.
Go for a walk.
This light exercise is the perfect opportunity to just focus on yourself. Free your mind of worries and just let your feet take you where you need to go.
Light and moderate exercises in nature are actually recommended by doctors for people with allergies. It can strengthen and send a wave of endorphins and other health-boosting chemicals all over the body. However, it is best to hold off on outdoor walking during the allergy season. Just keep the activity indoors when there’s pollen in the air.
When You Have Allergies, Self-Care is a Must
Self-care is important for everybody, especially if you suffer from severe allergies. It is a reliable form of prevention and treatment that can enable you to live as normally and happily as possible, even with your allergies.