Get your hay fever under control with these home remedies

Allergy symptoms are signs that your immune system is reacting to normally harmless substances like pollen and ragweed. Combat the microscopic menaces that send your immune system into overdrive with these hay fever remedies.

People with pollen allergies have mixed emotions about springtime. Along with the awakening of nature come sneezing fits, red and watery eyes and, in serious cases, even allergic asthma. The good news: you need look only as far as your cupboard to find plenty of time-tested home remedies for relief from sniffling and sneezing.

• Black caraway (or black cumin) oils have been used for centuries to promote health and fight disease. They can help to balance your twitchy immune system. Over the course of three months, take two capsules three times a day.
• Watch what you eat. Nutrition plays an important role, especially in the lead-up to hay fever season. Vitamin C (fresh fruit, lettuce and vegetables) and magnesium (nuts, milk and grain products) strengthen your immune system. It may also help to eliminate meat from your diet.
• Use a simple soother. A nasal rinse with table salt may help clear your congested nose and remove trapped irritants. Dissolve five millilitres (one teaspoon) of table salt in 250 millilitres (one cup) of warm water. Put the salt solution into a container with a long, thin spout or a shallow bowl. Then lean over the sink and sniff in the liquid one nostril at a time, allowing it to drain out through your nose or mouth. Nasal rinses are best used before going to bed.
• Cider vinegar is a tried-and-true treatment for hay fever. Put five millilitres (one teaspoon) of cider vinegar into 125 millilitres (1/2 cup) of water and sip the mixture slowly, preferably in the morning.
• Apply a moist cloth to your itching eyes for fast relief — use cold or warm water, whichever feels better.