Home Remedies for Allergies

There's a story in a medical journal about a guy who cleared his sinuses by humming loudly and often -- 60 to 120 times, 4 times a day. Hmmm. Fortunately for seasonal allergy sufferers and everyone around them, there are better -- and better proven -- ways to breathe easier:

Neti-pot your nose. If you feel like you're single-handedly keeping Kleenex in business, try flushing out your sinuses. The best way to do this -- use a neti pot -- sounds weird, but many people swear by it. You fill what looks like a genie lamp with warm salt water, stand over a sink, head tilted sideways, and slowly pour the liquid into one nostril; it streams out the other. It's not uncomfortable. Saline sprays also help (as measured by a test called -- in what must have been one of the lighter moments in the lab -- the SNOT-20), but not as much.

Keep pollen out. To keep your indoor air cleaner than your wallet before payday, try this: Leave your shoes at the door to avoid tracking in pollen; shower at night so you don't bring pollen to bed; buy a good air-filtering system, and change or wash the filter at least once a month; keep doors and windows closed; and don't hang clothes outside to dry or air out.

Take a mind trip. Picture yourself breathing easily on a snowy mountain. People who learn enough simple self-hypnosis to do this (takes a couple of hours) can see real improvements in hay fever symptoms. It takes practice (about a year), but it's free, and it knocks down your stress levels, too.

Discover 12 more natural allergy remedies to help relieve your seasonal allergy symptoms.

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