I am an 18-year-old woman and for the last three years I have suffered tremendously from horrible allergies and sinus problems. I take over-the-counter medicine constantly — I believe that I am becoming immune to all of it. I can barely sleep at night, and I’m a wreck during the day. Is there an herbal remedy I can try?
Chronic allergies and sinus problems can be stubborn problems to treat even though in some ways they are simple problems. What makes it difficult is that in your daily life you are constantly exposed to so many things that insult your immune system — like foods, pollens, fumes, and particles that you may be hypersensitive to.
A good naturopathic physician can help you with a logical approach to identifying the offenders, and prescribe an orderly and comprehensive treatment plan. Naturopaths use different methods of detecting allergies than do conventional allergy specialists. We also use supplements and herbs to improve your immune system so your threshold of resistance is higher. Examples include vitamin C, Zinc, vitamin A, Echinacea and licorice. Other herbs and nutrients are used because they have an antihistamine-like effect — nettles, bioflavonoids and quercitin, for example. Other supplements help decongest the sinuses — like mullein and ephedra. N-acetyl-cystine helps thin the mucus secretions.
It sounds like you need a very specific naturopathic program to help you with your allergies. Contact the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians for a referral to a naturopath in your area.