13 Simple Allergy Remedies For Surviving High Pollen Counts

Allergy Relief Made Easy

I’ve had my fair share of annoying health issues over the years, but seasonal allergies have never been a problem for me. (*Knock on wood!*) While I’m one of the lucky ones in this regard, suffering from allergies is quite common—around 20% of Americans suffer from nasal allergies, including my husband and 3 of our 4 kids.

There are plenty of prescription and over-the-counter medications that can help combat common allergy symptoms, but their side effects can range from intense drowsiness to nosebleeds and beyond. Plus, if you’re already taking allergy medicine daily, it may not help with acute symptoms that arise on windy and high-pollen days.

For those reasons, I’ve been researching simple and natural allergy remedies to share with Dave and kids that can help ease their symptoms this spring. Check out the 13 helpful tips I found below!

13 Simple And Natural Allergy Remedies To Use This Spring

1. Essential Oils

Certain essential oils have anti-inflammatory properties, which makes them a valuable tool for easing allergy symptoms related to inflammation, like stuffy noses and puffy eyes. Several anti-inflammatory oils, including tea tree, rosemary, and lemon oils, can be found in my All Clear Essential Oil Blend, along with other oils that help promote easy breathing, like eucalyptus and peppermint.

Jessie, our customer service guru for the By Jillee Shop, recently told me that All Clear helped her navigate an allergy flareup while helping her grandma move. Between the house itself being dusty and old and there being an abundance of cat hair around, Jessie noticed she had started wheezing and feeling stuffed up. Without her inhaler handy, she grabbed her bottle of All Clear, held it under her nose, and took several deep breaths, and said her symptoms started to ease almost immediately.

My daughter Britta suffers from seasonal allergies pretty much year round. Her favorite way to get the benefits of All Clear is in her diffuser. Not only do the oils smell wonderful, but Britta says she can often feel herself breathing easier in just a few minutes!

2. Check Pollen Counts

Many natural methods for controlling season allergy symptoms depend on your ability to limit your exposure to pollen during peak times and dates. But first, it helps to know when those peak pollen times and dates are! Luckily, there are several resources online that you can check for daily or hourly pollen counts. You can enter your ZIP code at Pollen.com to see a 5-day forecast for pollen counts in your area, and even sign up to get updates to your email!

3. Keep Windows Shut

Once you know when pollen counts will be high, make sure to keep your windows and doors shut as much as possible during those times. You can’t really avoid pollen when you’re outside, but this simple step will at least help keep it out of your house.

4. Change Your Air Filter

Your HVAC system has a filter that helps to trap dust, dirt, pollen, pet dander, and other allergens. But the filter can’t do its job if it’s already dirty, so be sure to replace it regularly. Choose a filter that fits your system and that is rated to filter out the allergens that affect you the most.

5. Wear Sunglasses

When you do go outside during the springtime (or whenever you’re suffering from seasonal allergies), wear sunglasses. Your shades can provide a barrier that may help keep pollen and other allergens out of your eyes, which can help reduce your symptoms.

6. Don’t Stress

Make sure to get plenty of rest and relaxation during allergy season, because stress will only make things worse! Stress itself triggers an immune response in your body, which can make other immune responses worse (like the ones that cause allergy symptoms like itchy noses and eyes.) Give your immune system a break by taking a bath, meditating, reading a book—anything that helps you feel calm.

This is another situation where essential oils can help. When I’m feeling stressed, I find that the scent of my Calm Mind Roll-On helps me feel more grounded and peaceful.

7. Exercise Indoors

Exercising is important, but doing it outside when you’re suffering from seasonal allergies is only going to make things worse. If possible, do your exercise inside at a gym, or even do it in your living room. If you do need to do it outside, try to avoid doing it in the afternoon. The afternoon is typically when pollen counts are at their highest.

8. Eat Probiotics

Probiotic foods are packed with good bacteria, and those good bacteria can be very beneficial. Not only do they aid in digestion, but recent studies suggest they may even help reduce allergy symptoms too. This link is still being studied, but increasing your consumption of probiotic foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi certainly can’t hurt! You can even make your own probiotic yogurt right in your Instant Pot.

9. Change Clothes

When pollen counts are really high, you may want to take extra measures to stop it getting tracked into your house. Remove your shoes and change your clothes near the front door, or at least before you sit down after you get home. It may seem a bit extreme, but anything that helps reduce your allergy symptoms is well worth the effort!

10. Rinse Off

You may even want to rinse off in the shower after being outside during when pollen counts are high. This can be especially helpful for those with long hair, since pollen can get trapped there and make your allergy symptoms worse!

11. Keep Pets Off Beds

As much as you may love to snuggle with your pets, this can do more harm than good where seasonal allergies are concerned. If your pets go outside during the day, they can get pollen trapped in their fur. If they transfer that pollen into your bed, it will likely turn you into an itchy, sneezy mess while you sleep. So fight the urge to snuggle in bed with your pets, at least until your seasonal allergies have subsided for the year!

12. Clean Regularly

Along the same lines as the last couple of tips, make sure you’re keeping up on your cleaning chores! Vacuuming regularly, washing your sheets, and keeping your home (relatively) dust-free will help reduce allergens in your home.

And don’t forget to clean the air as well! Diffusing certain essential oils can actually help clean your air — learn more about that by reading the post below.

13. Eat Local Honey

Another natural remedy that may be worth trying is eating a small amount of local honey (meaning honey produced locally in your area) every day. Some people believe that because local honey contains local pollen, that eating the honey will help your body develop an immunity to it. I can’t say for sure that it works, but honey is delicious and it’s always good to buy local when possible. So I say why not? :-)

As you can see, there are plenty of natural options for DIY allergy relief. With the help of these natural allergy remedies, you can spend less time focused on your runny nose and itchy eyes, and more time focused on the things and people you love!