Achoo! Natural Remedies for Seasonal Allergies

 

Well, first it’s important to understand that allergies affect our singing voice because the excess mucous created drips down our throats and onto our vocal cords.  Yuck, I know…

 This is detrimental to singing for a few reasons:
  It gives us the urge to cough which irritates 

  the cords

 The excess mucous on the cords affects our tone
 It makes it more difficult to sing
 

Also....
            Oftentimes the cords can swell because they are irritated from the allergens
            Sometimes the allergens can also give us a sore throat

Solutions!
There’s a long List here.  Try things one at a time to see what works for YOU.  Always avoid experimenting with new things the day of and the day before a show.
 
If your allergies are constant and not just seasonal, it might be important to see a doctor and figure out the causes – sometimes it can be food or environmental (mold, dust, etc.)

Seeing an acupuncturist can also be a magical cure.  And it’s a good way to go if you want to avoid taking prescription medications which are often very drying to your vocal cords.

Keep the Sinuses Clear
Use a neti pot.  This runs a gentle saline solution through your sinus passageways and clears out the excess mucous. It’s a simple miracle cure.

My favorite is the NeilMed NasaFlo – you can purchase this at any regular pharmacy.  It’s ergonomic and it comes with a pre-mixed saline solution that’s all natural and soothing. (Note: rinsing with plain water will burn – if you don’t have the pre-mixed solution you must add a little bit of salt to the water)

With any neti pot be sure to keep it super clean so that you are not introducing additional germs or allergens. Rinse it out with hot water, microwave it, or you can even put in dishwasher (be sure to rinse it well afterward).

Herbal Remedies
Quercetin
Nettles
Bronchial Soothe (for coughing)
Sambucus throat syrup – also helps build the immune system and soothe the throat.

Homeopathic Remedies
Sinusalia by Boiron to help with congestion
Sabadil by Boiron to help with all allergy symptoms
Roxalia by Boiron to help with a sore throat & hoarseness
 (Once again - start with one remedy at a time!)

Go To pollen.com and enter your zip code. The site will tell you what specific pollens are active on that day.  Use this site to figure out what allergens are most active on the days that you are most irritated. This process helps you to narrow down the particular grass, trees, plant, and pollen that you are allergic to. Then, you can find a homeopathic remedy formulated for that specific allergen at Whole Foods.

Also, I have just discovered these free IPhone Apps for Allergy Tracking!! Allergy Cast by Zyrtec and Allergy by Web-MD.  Both apps show the pollen count and specific allergens based on you location, as well as a simple system for tracking your individual symptoms.

Drink lots of water to help thin out the mucous build up
(That being said, avoid dairy which produces excess mucous in the body.)

Gargling gently with warm salt water can be soothing & help the throat with excess phlegm.
Lemon can also help to balance phlegm on the cords, use sparingly in a glass of Water. It can also make you too dry.

Keep your immune system strong
Take vitamin C or you can also try a mushroom complex (comes in a pill form).

LOCAL Honey (preferably raw)
Local Honey contains local pollens – it might seem counter intuitive but….
It will raise your body’s immunity to the local pollens.
Some Honeys will list that they contain traces of particular local vegetation i.e.: red clover. In some cases, that might be a match for your particular allergen.  If so, opt for that type of honey. Generally a tablespoon each morning is best.  You are okay to take a few teaspoons throughout the day too. :)

LOCAL Bee Pollen
 Comes in little granules that you can add to a salad, smoothie or cereal or just take ‘em straight. In Nashville, you can usually get this at the Farmers Market.

*All of these products are available at Whole Foods/Whole Body - if they don't have them on hand you can always ask them to order a specific product for you and there's no extra charge*

Try to Avoid Using
These things will make your cords way too dry and make it difficult to sing
Nasal Sprays
Prescription and most OTC drugs
Mucinex
Nasal cleanse drops (these will drain the mucous right onto your cords)
I have found that regular original, nothing fancy Claritin is the least drying

Remember, your body is fighting off invaders which takes extra energy, so be sure to get plenty of rest!

Everyone is different!  So it might take a few tries to figure out what works best for you!  Be patient.  The relief will be worth it, once you figure it out.


So….. What’s your favorite remedy?

Wishing you love and not too much Kleenex
xo