Awakening the Senses – How to Manage Allergies and Uplift the Body

 

How wonderful it is to see the first buds of spring, in all their glorious shades of vibrant green! Spring is a wonderful time of year, cheering the heart after the dull winter months and brining joy and hope for the rest of the year. But wait – if you suffer from allergies, this is when it all begins! Grass pollen, tree and flower pollen, along with drier dust in the air can bring misery in the form of asthma, hay fever and hives, not to mention stomach upsets and headaches.

The term allergy is used to describe a response within the body to a substance which is not necessarily harmful in itself but results in an immune response and a reaction that causes symptoms and disease in someone predisposed to allergic reactions. An allergy is everything from a runny nose, itchy eyes and palate to skin rash. It aggravates the sense of smell, sight, taste, and touch causing irritation, extreme disability and sometimes fatality. It occurs when the body's immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances.

There are many different forms of allergic reaction such as hay fever, rhinitis, asthma, eczema, urticarial rashes and anaphylaxis (in the case pf anaphylaxis, we call the ambulance and utilise the EpiPen usually found on the person).

In the cases of skin alergies, it is common practice to be given steroid creams that are primarily made from synthetic materials. These creams ‘cover up’ the problem rather than cure it – in fact the best ‘cure’ for an allergy is to avoid the allergen! However, essential oils and hydrolats can be very useful as there are quite a few natural essential oils that can help with allergic situations – and also to help prevent them!

Let’s look at a few of the conditions mentioned above:

 

Hay Fever and Rhinitis

In this case, prevention is definitely better than the cure. As soon as you feel any of the symptoms below, you need to start using essential oils!

·        Frequent sneezing

·        Runny or blocked nose

·        Itchy, red or watery eyes

·        Itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears

 

Penny Price Aromatherapy make an amazing blend for Hay Fever and Asthma, called Nurture Nose and Throat. The oils in this pure blend can be used in a vaporiser, a ‘smell-stick’ (like a Vic’s inhaler), or blended in vegetable oil in a rollerball to roll under the nose several times a day depending on the severity of the symptoms. This oil blend is composed of Eucalyptus, Lemon,Peppermint and Basil essential oils, and any of these can be used in your own blends, either singly or two, three, or all four. I recommend Peppermint as the main oil for you to try if you have a limited selection at home. Inhalation is definitely the most beneficial method of use for Hay Fever, but it is also an excellent idea to put 2 drops of undiluted oil or oil blend in the crook of each elbow, and then close the arm so that the oils goes into the blood stream beneath the skin. This helps enormously to keep the lungs clear of mucus.

 

Asthma

Asthma is an inherited condition, and is easily triggered by allergens in the atmosphere, as well as pollution and certain washing products and perfumes. If you notice difficulties breathing in springtime, then check out the symptoms for asthma below:

·        Coughing

·        Breathlessness

·        Inflammation

·        Phlegm

·        Anxiety

 

Strangely, Hyssop essential is the very best oil to help asthma as it is hypoallergic. I say strangely because many schools don’t teach it, as it has had bad press in the past for being strong. However, if used correctly, Hyssop is a beautiful oil that helps many respiratory conditions and is also beneficial for eczema. Penny Price Aromatherapy also make a beautiful blend, Nurture Breathing, which contains eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, and hyssop essential oils to help relieve symptoms of asthma. Hyssop is the main oil, but if you haven’t got that one at home, any of the other three would be great, and also pine oil can be useful. The methods of use are the same as for Hay Fever so it can be that you use an oil blend to help both conditions and treat both at the same time in your nasal inhaler, rollerball or vaporiser.

 

Eczema and Hives

Having itchy skin can totally take the joy out of spring for you, so if you have this or notice any of the symptoms below, you may be allergic to certain elements around you at this time of year:

·        Wet blisters

·        Inflammation

·        Redness

·        Itchiness

·        Scaly dryness

 

Chamomile Roman essential oil is marvellous for helping itchy skin. However, oils used for eczema and hives must be diluted as the undiluted oils can make the situation worse. By putting your oils in a 1% blend (20-30 drops in 100ml of vegetable oil or a bland lotion) can be really useful and is most effective for healing. Apart from Chamomile, I recommend Geranium, Lavender (French) and Bergamot, as these help the skin to calm, to regenerate, and to heal. Peppermint is also really good, but only add a couple of drops to your blend – it can help cool and relieve itching, but only in small quantities. Make a body lotion with the oils you choose, in the dilutions recommended (1% total) for twice daily application. You can also add a couple of desert spoons of the lotion to a bath to give all-over relief and reduce heat in the hives.

 

Although essential oils are useful to help allergic situations, Hydrolats can also help. Hydrolats are the waters from the distillation of the plant material and are perfect for helping to calm and reduce inflammation because they are extremely gently and non-invasive.

 

Hydrolats contain many natural steroidal-type molecules that naturally reduce inflammation and swelling. They are sometimes anti-allergic when applied to the skin or ingested and can help clients to control their allergic responses. Particularly useful for eczema-type skin, hydrolats can also be added to hand creams for contact dermatitis.

 

Geranium Hydrolat

Geranium is very soothing when added to skincare, geranium is balancing for all skin types, particularly eczema-type skin. It is also excellent for general health, mildly anti-inflammatory, promotes healing and is balancing to the hormonal system. To help contact dermatitis, add 30mls of geranium hydrolat to 100mls of hand cream, ensuring that the cream is not perfumed or coloured. A moisture lotion base can be purchased from your aromatherapy supplier for this purpose. Add 50ml – 100ml to the bath for an all-over calming effect, or use with a little peppermint hydrolat to relieve itching.

 

Lavender Hydrolat

Lavender hydrolat is soothing on damaged or fragile skin and can help relieve itching and inflammation in an allergic situation. Used in an atomiser bottle, it can be sprayed over large areas of eczema, hives, dermatitis and heat rashes for an instant calming effect. Add 30mls to 100ml of organic base cream and apply regularly to smaller areas of irritation.

 

Chamomile Hydrolat

Chamomile has been used for centuries to help calm the mind and help with inflammatory conditions in the body. It can be used in creams and lotions as above, or added to the bath for a calming effect.

 

Conclusion

Essential oils and hydrolats can help put the joy back into your spring time by relieving symptoms and helping you to enjoy wellness and health.

 

Note: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Consult with a healthcare provider for guidance on medical conditions and allergies.

 

 

                         

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Thank you for reading! Ellie X