How to Clean-up Your Allergies with 2 Easy Home Tips
It’s that time of year again when people who have allergies complain about nasal congestion, coughing, and wheezing, itching, shortness of breath, headache, fatigue, hives and other skin rashes. Many people experience allergies due to pollen from outdoors combined with foods and indoor stagnant air carrying dust, mold, and other air pollutants.
So how can you stop this yearly cycle? What can you do at home to end this increased intrusion of allergy problems. Where can you go for relief if your allergies have gotten out of hand.
Would you like to:
• Enjoy parks and other outdoor public areas
• Have pets that you can live with
• Eat foods you have avoided
• Feel great without fatigue
• Sleep better than ever
• Relieve stress – often allergies increase stress to your system.
Keeping your body detoxing (self-cleaning) is one of two important steps you can do at home. A simple Yoga pose done correctly can keep your own personal cleaning crew (your immune system) in tune.
Sit on the floor as in the picture on your heels with feet 2 inches apart. Exhale as you slowly bend forward toward floor with your upper body. Try to have your forehead touch the floor in front of you. Place your arms on floor place with hands under your feet and index finger in the valley or web between the big toe and the 2nd toe. Breathe in deeply. Breathe in and out slowly for 1 minute. Your goal is to work up to 2 minutes. After each time relax on your back and allow your muscles to relax for a few minutes. This pose stimulates the body’s ability to cleanse itself. It helps detox the liver, lungs, stomach, spleen and bladder.
Secondly, how clean is your environment? Clients often come to me to treat their allergies however, if your home and office need a good seasonal cleaning allergy treatments only will work for a short time – even if your problem is food centered.
Many foods contain natural molds, for example bananas, grapes, and most other fruits. Or their own dust such as anything than can made into a ‘flour’ like wheat, corn, potatoes, and more. So keep your home and office as clean as possible. The accumulation of dust and mold in your office or home and on foods can actually “create” allergy intolerance. Here are a few tips:
Detox your home and office. Use Organic products found at the local health food market.
Dust using a damp cloth. Safe organic dusting products keep your environment toxin free.
Use machine washable curtains and clean regularly. Natural laundry soap is best.
Don’t store things under the bed. Dust or vacuum under beds weekly.
Do not allow stuffed animals in the bedroom – inside materials often contain sawdust.
Remove dust catchers like pennants, pictures, trophies, books, models and dried or silk flowers from bedroom.
Use an air filter and clean filters regularly.
Vacuum furniture and carpet regularly. Use a newer vacuum that doesn’t use bags and comes equipped with a self-cleaning air filter system so dust doesn’t go into the air.
Limit birds, animals or reptiles in the house.
Bath your household animals often. This means every 7 to 14 days.
If you have a pet allergy do not sleep with your pet. Provide them with their own bed right outside your bedroom door for both your comfort.
Don’t groom animals in the house.
The Author:
Dr. Debra Novotny L.Ac, D. Hom; ND
