Got Allergies? A Surprisingly Simple and Natural Solution…

It’s that’s beautiful time of year again! The weather is getting warm and you’ve packed up all of your sweaters and parkas.  Your snow boots are in the garage somewhere forgotten and lonely.  Time for picnics, BBQs, lots of time outdoors…and tree and plant pollen!  Lots of it!  There is a great deal of pollen in the air around this time of year and people with allergies are sneezing and sniffling through it!  The immediate thing that comes to most people’s minds is to pop a pill like Benadryl or Zyrtec, or even go to the doctor for a prescription.  And while a pill or prescription sometimes is needed, especially in the case of severe allergies, there are other solutions that don’t have as many advertising dollars thrown at them as pills and medicines do.

The amazing thing is that there is a solution that is natural, cheaper than pills, and it works!  You may or may not have heard of it, but the Neti Pot has been increasing in its popularity over the years.  It’s a ceramic, plastic, metal, or glass pot with a spout on one end that you use to rinse out the nasal cavity by pouring a saline water mixture through your nostrils to clean them out all of the gunk and junk that can build up over time. It’s basically like cleaning out your nasal passages, and the official term is “nasal irrigation.”  It may sound difficult or even strange, but the Neti Pot has been scientifically proven in several studies to help greatly reduce the symptoms of and prevent hayfever, allergies, colds, the flu, and sinus infections. In fact using the Neti Pot when you feel symptoms coming on even helps with sinusitis and other chronic nasal conditions!  And the best part is that it’s cheap, safe, and very effective with little to no side effects!  (Check out a very interesting article by the Mayo Clinic here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/neti-pot/AN01755)  The Neti Pot can be bought from health food stores or even most pharmacies for around $20 and it will last for years!

The Neti Pot is actually a quite old and time-tested technology that is actually a part of the Ayurvedic medicine system from Ancient India.  Ayurveda is practiced still today all over the world, not just in India!  It’s called “Jala-Neti” in Hindi, which literally means “to clean the nose with water.”  Saline Nasal Irrigation is widely accepted in medicine by medical doctors all over the world as well, so it is used outside of Ayurveda as well!  As always, be sure to consult your doctor before you start any new health practice, including the Neti Pot.  You can use the Neti Pot alone, or in combination with taking an allergy pill or other medication. You and your doctor together can determine what is best!  Check out the book The Neti Pot for Better Health by Warren Jefferson for more information.  Try Amazon.com to find it or your local bookstore!

Using the Neti Pot can be part of an overall holistic way to take care of your health and help combat your allergies.  There are also complimentary things that you can add to an overall holistic lifestyle.  Movement has also been proven to increase healthy breathing and to positively affect and help with allergies and other nasal problems, as well as boosting the immune system.  Here at SmarterBodies are experts in helping you to create a healthy and holistic life through different movement classes, including yoga .  Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns that you might have!  And don’t be afraid to give that Neti Pot a try!  Get out there and have a great summer!