What is...

the best home remedy for allergies?? well, to narrow it down a little, it is more my clogged nose than anything..I can't breathe at night anymore, so therefore I don't sleep hardly at all,,maybe a good 4 hours solid a night, and that is it....and all because of my not being able to breathe out of my nose...I will breathe out of my mouth for hours at a time and I wake up and my mouth is so dry it hurts..it takes a few minutes to wetten it up cuz it just soaks all the saliva up like a sponge.....Just wondering though..do any of you know any home remedies that can unclog my nose so I can breathe? I have tried those breathe strips....those do NOT work at all for me...

I love, love the BREATH RIGHT STRIPS - they open the nasal passges and NO DRUGS ergo no drowsiness in the morning.

woops did not see your last line - sorry to hear that. My girl friend swears by allegra and it doesn't make her drowsy.

That is the thing, I have been taking some allegra, but I still can't breathe out of my nose...I at one time in my life, was addicted to afrin nose spray, but my nose got so swollen at one point, I had to go to the allergiest, and he unswelled it for me..yes, he puffed something up my nose to unclog my notrils, and it burned like heck~
I haven't used any afrin or any form of nose spray but I am soo tempted to because I am that desperate to breathe...

There's a thing in yoga called a nutty pot (probably spelling it wrong) where you wash out your nasal passages with saline solution. It's supposed to work wonders for you and be totally safe and natural (I haven't tried it yet, but sometimes I do pour water up my nose in the shower and it does help). Another thing is tea tree oil or eucalyptus oil or some kind of menthol just under your nose. I actually have an oil designed especially for that usage and it works if I can breathe a little through my nose (but not when it's entirely plugged up).

Here's one site to look at:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/...in553167.shtml

And here's one on the yoga trick (neti pot):

http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/clean/nasal.html

http://www.onlineallergycenter.com/nasalirrigation/

Hope this helps.

TTMom/Ericka

Hey thanks so much!! I am going to take a look at the sites.

Kathy, IMO you need a decongestant to help with the stuffiness. If you truly have allergies, you could try Allegra D or Zyrtec D. They have both an antihistimine and a decongestant. Decongestants are not recommended for use with people who have high blood pressure. I would stay away from the nasal sprays like Afrin because they will actually make the problem worse in the long run. I think your best bet would be calling your Dr and seeing what they recommend. Since you've already got Allegra, you could just take Sudafed (the one in the red box) along with it...and it's actually the same thing as Allegra D. I personally like Zyrtec the best after using Allegra for a couple of years. I think my body got immune to the Allegra after so long and so far the Zyrtec is doing great. There is also a nasal spray for allergies called Flonase (it's prescription only) and it is quite popular during this season. I've tried it, but I couldn't stand the taste it left in my mouth (also, I always felt like I shoved a tulip up my nose since that's what it smells like!). So, that might be another option for you. There is also a saline solution nasal spray called Ocean (WalMart's got an Equate version of it too for under $2). There isn't any drugs in it and it will help with congestion in your sinsuses. You could give it a try too...

Hope that this may help you! Hope you start feeling better!

I don't like the Flonase either. My favorite was Vancenase, but it smelled like roses. I wonder why they make it smell like flowers?

Anyhow--I normally have to use a nasal steroid this time of the year because we have sooooo much blooming down here in Southern California. I'm lucky--this year I've managed with simple OTC decongestants.

TTMom/Ericka

Maybe you should try vacuuming your mattress... Don't gross out, but alot of people are allergic to dust mites and your mattress could be full of them. Make sure to wash your pillows too. It may not help, but it couldn't hurt to try.

They did a news section on mattresses here in San Diego because there are a lot of refurbished ones from Mexico on the market here. What they found was pretty disgusting. I'd never buy a refurbished mattress after that report. All mine will be new from now on.

They also make mattress covers and pillow covers for people with allergies. They can be a little expensive, but I hear it's worth it.

TTMom/Ericka

They also make mattress covers and pillow covers for people with allergies. They can be a little expensive, but I hear it's worth it.

Click to expand...

I may have to look into this...It will be worth it, and I know once you have allergies, they are pretty much stuck with you for life..You can ease them, but you can't make them go away for good....Thanks for all the advice ladies! Shell~ I have used that flonase before, I have just ran out of it....I am going to go get me some sudafed though today, and hopefully it will help...
I just hate being allergic to everything under the sun it seems like....uugghhh

This is from healthlibrary.com :

Home Treatment for Stuffy Nose
If you get a nasal backage due to viral infection or allergic condition of the nose, do not be in a hurry to apply nasal drops. That may harmful in the long term. Take a hot water bath or shower. Pour plenty of water on your head. Your nose will clear up. Alternatively, try steam inhalation. Another home remedy for blocked nose is: Mix 1 tsp of table salt and 1 tsp of baking soda in one cup of boiled water that has been cooled. Use as nasal drops.

You'd probably have to be lying down with your head back for the drops to stay in.

Also something my great-grandma used to do: Mix a little fresh tumeric powder with some cow's milk ghee (clarified butter) and add water if needed to make a thick liquid. Use as nasal drops. I have never tried this one and it sounds a bit weird but, who knows?...

I got myself some sudafed and it has helped soo much..I don't know why I didn't try it before, but I almost got the 12 hour sudafed, but it was more expensive than the original....please pray I will be able to breathe all night long tonight....

Good news! How did you sleep?

I hope it worked for you!

If not, don't they sell Claritin over the counter, now? My fiance swears by it.

I slept pretty good but Rocky and FLuffy decided to shake my door until it opened and they came in around 3:30 this morning and thought it was time to play wrestle! that woke me up then after I had gotten up to go to the bathroom, I started sneezing, and then my nosed clogged up all over again after that.... I went back to sleep for couple hours, but I woke up with my mouth so dry, I ended up getting up...all the pressure goes away as soon as i am up for a few minutes....why can't I just sleep standing up? maybe that will work!

Use Saline spray for your nostrils - it is non addictive, unlike most nose sprays!