Are There Any Good Natural Remedies I Can Take For Seasonal Allergies Instead Of Antihistamines?

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Question: Are there any good natural remedies I can take for seasonal allergies instead of antihistamines?

Answer: Antihistamines are a very effective short-term treatment for seasonal allergies. However, many people find them sedating; even the so-called non-sedating antihistamines are sedating to many people.

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There are natural products that can be used in place of antihistamines. One commonly used herbal product is called freeze-dried stinging nettles, and this can be used every three to four hours as needed for allergic symptoms.

Another herbal product that's been well studied is butterbur, and butterbur is used at a dose of two milligrams, four times a day. And in a study that put it head-to-head with one of the non-sedating antihistamines, it was found to be equally effective.

Another strategy would be to use a natural mast-cell inhibitor, which blocks the release of histamine from the mast cell, and that's called quercetin. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid that has been used as a natural mast-cell inhibitor to help reduce the cause of the allergic symptoms -- the release of histamine.