It’s November and you would think we would be done with allergy season. Sadly, Ragweed is blooming and releasing pollen from August through November. I have to tell you, I’m miserable right now!!!
My sinuses are congested, ears are plugged, post nasal drip with that lovely gagging cough, and my eyes are red, itchy and swollen. Let me share with you some of the remedies I’m using to get through this.
Lots of water. It helps to keep hydrated, soothes the dry throat, and helps to keep the mucus thin.
Gargling with sage. You can use fresh from the garden or whatever you have in the cabinet. Make tea with two to three fresh leaves or 1 tsp of dried sage, let it cool, and gargle. This helps to break up the mucous and is soothing to the throat.
Local raw honey soothes the throat and breaks up the post nasal drip which in turns helps with that gagging cough sensation, especially at night. One heaping tablespoon is what I’ve been taking and it helps!
Ginger tea. I’ve been drinking a lot of our ginger rose tea. It’s warming, thins the mucus, and helps to break up the congestion in the sinuses. Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and a natural histamine blocker. So incredibly helpful!!
Lastly for the eyes, a cool compress. I usually encourage people with sinus issues to use a cooled tea bag made with chamomile. But since chamomile is a member of the ragweed family this would not be a good idea at all. I’ve been using a blend of plantain and calendula. This has been extremely soothing and helping with the swelling and itching.
Although it’s the LAST thing you want to hear, we need a few good frosts to get rid of the last of the ragweed and be home free from most allergies until spring. Ragweed season is almost over and you have what you need in your kitchen cabinets to get you through it. If you don’t, we can help!
Be Well, Susie