Dr Oz: Essential Oil Allergy Relief & Iced Golden Turmeric Latte

Dr Oz: Relief From Summer Allergies

Summer is here and along with it are those dreaded summer allergies. Approximately 50 million Americans suffer from allergies which means a lot of wheezing, sneezing, runny noses, and more. Summer air pollutants can make symptoms even worse. Dr Oz revealed natural remedies that can help get your summer allergies under control. Dr Tania Elliot is an allergist who sees firsthand how frustrating allergies can be.

Dr Oz: Allergies VS Summer Cold

She first explained that both allergies and a summer cold stimulate the release of histamine, which is the chemical responsible for the congestion, wheezing, and itchiness.

There are three ways to distinguish between the two. First, allergies aren’t accompanied by a fever or body aches. If you have a fever or swollen lymph nodes, that’s a cold. Secondly, the duration of your symptoms. Colds will last 5-7 days, while allergies with last weeks or months. Third is seasonality. If you find that you get the same symptoms around the same time of year, it’s likely allergies.

Dr Oz: What Causes Summer Allergies

Dr Oz shared a video of a sneeze in slow motion, explaining that the germs that fly out of your nose and mouth do so at 100 mph and travels five feet. One sneeze can send roughly 100,000 germs into the air.

Those sneezes in the beginning of the summer could be triggered by grass pollen allergies. Common summer allergies are triggered by freshly cut grass, weeds, or mold. It turns out that grass pollen allergens are actually highest just after a thunderstorm. Rain aggravates the pollen instead of washing it away. Weed pollen lasts up until the first frost and there are outdoor mold allergens that can cause irritating symptoms.

Dr Oz: Essential Oils To Clear Sinuses

Fortunately there’s a variety of ways to control your allergies. First, Dr Elliot recommended essential oils. Dr Elliot is a fan of nasal washing, which involves rinsing the allergens out of your nasal passage. She likes to use eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils. They have anti-inflammatory properties and they help to bring up mucus while clearing your passageways. Take a bowl of hot water and add a couple drops of each oil. Then lean over the bowl with a towel over your head and breathe in deep.

If you have recurrent infections, you can also try adding a drop of oregano oil to the water as well.

Dr Oz: Iced Golden Turmeric Latte For Allergies

Dr Elliot then suggested turmeric for anyone with allergies because it’s antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. She called it the “triple threat” for allergies because it helps calm down the allergy activation pathway in the body. Dr Elliot prepared an Iced Golden Turmeric Latte as a great way to get your daily dose of turmeric in a tasty way. You can make your own at home with the recipe below.

• 1 C boiled milk or almond milk
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 pinch black pepper

Simply stir together the above ingredients until combined then pour over ice and enjoy.

Dr Oz: Butterbur For Allergy Symptom Relief

Finally, Dr Oz and Dr Elliot looked at a supplement called butterbur. It’s a shrub that occurs naturally in the environment. Preliminary studies have shown that butterbur can be just as effective as over-the-counter anti-histamines for allergy symptoms, without the sedating side effect. Evidence is pretty strong, but you want to make sure you get a pure form that is “PA-free.” It should say so on the label. Make sure it’s alkaloid-free or else it could be toxic to the liver.