Finally some nice weather! Getting outside to do yard work, prep the garden or just take a walk in the woods sounds and feels great, except for those suffering from spring allergies or mold sensitivities.
There are a few things from nature to help ease the stuffy head, sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes associated with allergy season.
For example, some folks like to use local raw honey. While it is a simple approach that does work, one should have been using honey starting in late February to be effective now. If you started late, it may not do much for you this spring, but you at least got a good start on your fall allergies.
For immediate applications and allergy remedies, here are some very simple suggestions:
Before you panic and try to get all these items individually, take heart. There are numerous formulas, combining these herbs in capsule or tincture form. We have one product called Sinus Blaster, and brother, does it ever. I demonstrated this on one of the hosts of WWLP’s Mass Appeal program, and thought the poor guy’s eyes were going to bug out of his head, and that was only three drops of the tincture. Seth was such a trusting soul.
For those who may be on numerous prescriptions, and are not sure about any interactions between the herbs and your medications, there are a number of homeopathic products that can help with relief from congestion, sneezing, headache, watery eyes and fatigue. One such spray is specifically designed for the Northeast United States.
Finally, let’s look at the “cup half full” for this allergy season. Because of our masking and using air purifiers in the home, it seems allergy problems are less severe this year. That is some good news.
On a totally different topic, at the time of this writing, it was announced that Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is being held up due to a rare blood clot condition.
The initial report caused all kinds of negative reactions. To its credit, NBC reported and interviewed their medical contributor who explained the rareness of the condition. Based on 6.5 million doses administered, there were six cases of the blood clot, mainly in young people, specifically women. The researchers don’t know why this occurred. Perhaps birth control pills or something else could be contributing to this problem. Hopefully by the time you read this, more accurate information will be out.
Please pay attention to real news, not editorials or fringe talking heads. (The irony of this being an editorial paragraph is not lost on me…)
Do the math - I did. Six cases of a rare blood clot in 6.5 million vaccines comes out to 0.00000092307 percent.
Granted, if you or a loved one is in that percent it is important, but if you don’t fit the at-risk profile, don’t panic. There are two other vaccines available.
If you are an anti-vax person, please don’t use this story to try to frighten others. You probably have a better chance of being hit by lightning during a volcanic eruption on a Thursday afternoon than having the side effect.
Instead of seeing this as a negative, remember we have two other vaccines that are effective, and offer protection for months (so far) without side effects. Add to the fact that the CDC and FDA are being extremely diligent and pausing the use of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine with only six cases should give you more confidence.
If you still have hesitations about taking the vaccine to protect yourself and others, let me tell you about the phone calls and emails my wife received from her students.
She teaches clinical aromatherapy to doctors and nurses all across this country and beyond. To a person, these dedicated frontline workers call crying, or write pleading, for people to get vaccinated. They are working two and three shifts watching people suffer, watching their patients being put on ventilators and dying. They are exhausted. If you don’t want to believe mainstream media, believe these people - they are living with the effects of COVID-19 and they hate it.
Look, we’ve made it over a year with the masks and other issues; we are a lot more resilient than we give ourselves credit for. Stop looking at negatives in this situation and others involving the vaccines and celebrate how far we have come. As my dear departed father used to say, “you’ll live”.
— Jonathan
Send questions on botanical remedies to: Natures Rx: Jonathan Evans at herbarium258@gmail.com, or by regular mail to: The Herbarium, 264 Exchange St., Chicopee, MA 01013. If requesting additional info, include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
