Trees and Sneezes

April 27, 2020

Trees and Sneezes

I just discovered a website about pollens which displays a National Allergy Map on their landing page. Right now the map shows close to 60% of the USA in medium-high status, 7.3-9.6 on their 12-point scale, with big patches of red where pollen counts are up in the high 9.7-12 range. (The low and low-medium green zones only show up as tiny chunks of the Four Corners area of the Southwest and a bit of the upper Northeast.)

 

In springtime it’s mainly the tree pollens that tickle those seasonal sneezes, drips, coughs, itchings, and wheezes. Here in the Pacific Northwest we’ve been enjoying a drier than normal April, meaning less rain to clean that pollen up.

Allergy sufferers—you know who you are! Something like 67 million in this country alone, and more than 80% are sensitive to tree pollens. And yes, herbs can help!

Our go-to remedy for relieving allergy symptoms is Em’s Aller-Geez Tea blend:

• Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) to soothe the itchy, watery eyes; sneezy, drippy nose; and scratchy throat that come with springtime allergies.
• Nettles (Urtica dioica) to help quiet the histamine response.
• Sage (Salvia officinalis) to work with Eyebright in drying up those flowing secretions.
• Chickweed (Stellaria media) to calm the itchiness.
• Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) to reduce inflammation, and add sugar-free sweetness so the tea is tasty and easy to drink, without added sweetening.

Additional benefits for allergies may be provided by the amazing Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidis), a treasured medicine in Asia for millenia. It's a beautiful fungus that grows on trees!

Among a long list of benefits documented for Reishi, modulating the immune system—activating it to fight infections or cancer, and down-regulating it to aid autoimmune conditions including allergies—ranks very high. (Note that Reishi is best extracted using alcohol and hot water, separately, for extended periods of time—brief infusing the fungus in hot water won’t provide the optimal effect.)

The trees aren't going anywhere! Anyway, we need them. Making pollen is part of their life cycle... as breathing is part of ours. Aller-Geez Tea can be a great part of your program for living through the springtime allergy flare, and other seasonal episodes, or constant exposures, on your personal allergy calendar.

 

 

 

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