Herbal Solutions for Sinusitis & Hay Fever

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Herbal Solutions for Sinusitis & Hay Fever

 

Sue Frederick

 

Many people can barely enjoy a lovely spring day. Their immune

systems overreact to pollens drifting through the warm spring air.

 

Indeed, itchy watery eyes, runny noses, constant sneezing and

inflamed sinuses make being in the sunny outdoors a miserable

experience for allergy sufferers. And there are many.

 

It's currently estimated that over forty million, or 25% of

Americans, suffer from asthma, hayfever and other allergies.

While over-the-counter remedies can relieve symptoms such as runny

eyes

and sneezing, they often leave sufferers feeling dizzy or sleepy;

and these remedies do nothing to aid the body in recovery.

 

Herbs, such as nettles, eyebright and elder, can help

relieve symptoms as well as help the body reach a state of balance.

 

An allergy, whether to mold or pollen, is an inappropriate response

by the immune system to a substance not normally harmful.

 

The immune system is an intricate defense network of white blood

cells geared

toward fighting " foreign invaders. " Researchers aren't sure which

part of the system goes haywire in an allergic reaction. However,

the immune system wrongly identifies a non-toxic substance as an

invader and rallies an allergic response to protect you. Soon, the

allergic reaction, meant to protect you, becomes the disease in

itself.This brings on an allergic reaction of the nasal passages and

airways to airborne pollens. Allergies tend to run in families, and

it's believed that breastfed babies are less likely to develop

allergies as they grow up.

 

The classic allergic reaction goes like this: an allergen is

attacked by the immune system and bound

by an antibody produced by the body called IgE (immunoglobulin E).

The IgE-antigen complex then binds to white blood cells called " mast

cells. "

This binding causes the release of histamine, which causes

the body to flush and produce extra mucus, and causes tissues to

swell and eyes to tear.

 

The first approach to treating sinus infection is to reduce the

allergic

threshold. For example, reduce the airborne allergens you're exposed

to either by staying indoors or moving to another location. If these

alternatives aren't possible, the next step is developing healthy

habits such as eating a wholesome diet of whole grains and fresh

vegetables, lowering or eliminating alcohol consumption and

cigarette smoking, and reducing stress in your life.

 

All of these

steps can help reduce your levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE levels),

according to Michael Murray, ND, author of Natural Alternatives to

Over-The-Counter and Prescription Drugs (William Morrow & CO).

 

The sinuses are often involved in allergy reactions. The tissues

lining these air-filled cavities above, below and behind the eyes

can swell, which can block the outlets of the sinuses to the nose.

Mucus buildup in the sinuses can cause headaches, while mucus

draining from the back of the nose into the throat can irritate the

throat.

 

Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica)

 

Derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for " needle, " the nettle has been

regarded as a powerful medicinal herb for centuries.

 

In 16th century

England, nettle tea relieved many springtime maladies and was used

as a tonic to purify blood, stimulate kidneys and stop internal

bleeding. Around the third century BC, Hippocrates' Greek

contemporaries prescribed nettle juice taken internally as an

antidote to such plant poisons.

In this country, American Indian women believed drinking nettle tea

during pregnancy strengthened the fetus, eased delivery and helped

stop bleeding after childbirth. Nursing mothers used nettle tea to

increase their milk production.

 

 

 

Today, nettles is recognized as high in vitamin C and a rich source

of chlorophyll.

 

Constituents include histamine, formic acid,

chlorophyll, glucoquinine, iron and vitamin C.

 

Nettles acts as an astringent, a diuretic and a tonic notes David

Hoffmann, author of

The Herbal Handbook (Healing Arts Press).

 

" Nettles are one of the most widely applicable plants we have, " he

notes. " They strengthen and support the whole body. "

 

In a 1990 randomized, double-blind clinical study reported in Planta

Medica: Journal of Medicinal Plant Research, researchers noted that

stinging nettles relieved allergy symptoms in over half

of the participating patients.

Indeed, 58% of the participants taking two 300 mg capsules of

freeze-dried Urtica dioica for one

week experienced reduced symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

(Planta Medica 1990 (56):44-47)

 

James Duke, PhD, author of The Green Pharmacy, says we shouldn't be

surprised that nettle does, in fact, help relieve allergy symptoms.

 

 

For centuries, he notes, cultures around the world have used this

herb to treat nasal and respiratory troubles including coughs, runny

nose and chest congestion.

 

Stinging nettle's diuretic activity has been the subject of a number

of German studies. One study in the early 80s found that nettle

juice had a distinct diuretic effect on patients with heart

problems.

 

In 1989, German researchers Wagner et al, reported in the

journal Planta Medica that several fractions from nettles root

showed anti-inflammatory effects in animal trials and stimulated

human lymphocytes in vitro.

 

In Germany, the herb is used in modern

phytomedicine for treatment of kidney infections, inflammation of

the lower urinary tract and for treatment of renal gravel.

 

Toxic effects from drinking nettle tea have been recorded. These

include: gastric irritation, burning sensation of the skin, edema

and urine suppression.

And according to Michael Castleman, author of

The Healing Herbs (Rodale), nettles stimulates uterine contractions

in animal studies, and therefore pregnant women should not use it

internally.

 

 

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)

 

The elderberry tree is a medicine chest by itself, notes herbalist

David

Hoffmann, author of The Herbal Handbook (Healing Arts Press).

 

There have been few scientific studies of elder's medicinal

benefits, however elder leaves have been used traditionally for

bruises, sprains and wounds;

while elder flowers have been used to treat colds and flu, Hoffmann

explains.

 

 

 

 

" They [elder flowers] may be used quite safely in any catarrhal

(mucus) inflammation of the upper respiratory tract such as hayfever

and sinusitis, " he notes.

 

A 1995 placebo-controlled clinical study reported in The Journal of

Alternative & Complementary Medicine tested a standardized

elderberry extract in 40 individuals suffering from symptoms of flu.

 

 

Researchers found a significant improvement in symptoms in 93

percent of cases within two days, versus six days for the control

group.

 

The researchers also documented anti-viral activity for the

elderberry extract in vitro ; they concluded that elderberry extract

is active against influenza infections without adverse side effects.

(Zakay-Rones Z, N Varsano et al. Inhibition of several strains of

influenza virus in vitro and reduction of symptoms by an elderberry

extract during an outbreak of influenza B in Panama. Journal of

Alternative & Complementary Medicine 1995;1(4):361-369.)

 

 

 

The elder's constituents include: flavonoids including rutin,

isoquercitfrine and kampherol; tannins and essential oils, as well

as vitamins C and P found in the berries.

Hoffmann lists the elder's actions as: diuretic, purgative,

diaphoretic, anti-catarrhal and laxative.

 

Note: A good way to get elderberry is to look for the brand name

" Sambucol " at your local health food store. I believe this

formulation is by far the most effective of all!

 

Regards, JoAnn