Truth behind acupuncture or local honey

[LessasLashes]

Looking for anyone who swears by acupuncture or the "drink local honey" method of reducing allergy symptoms.. I HATE going to the doctor.. especially for them to prescribe stuff that usually makes me feel worse. My allergies are horrible.. The vegetation in the area is so new to my system that the histamines are going crazy. I've gotten some homemade honey from my neighbor across the street.. and have tried that a few times.. but I honestly don't know if the temporary relief was due to the honey, or the fact I was drinking hot liquid.. which unplugged my nose..

Any remedies??

[Lorah]

Honey DOES work wonders! I have no idea about acupuncture as we have never tried that.

For the honey though you wont see results right away as your body will need to build up the immunity first. You want to get honey made from the polens in your area if at all possible, or from the stuff just up-wind from you...that normally means just West from you. If you eat any old honey you will build up tollerances to the stuff where that honey was from....so if you eat desert honey for example you wont have allergies when you go visit that specific desert....

Since we live right off Fulton and 12 pretty much we get honey thats taken from Seb. and West county, as well as from West SR. The two good stores are Bee Kind in Seb. and the Local Honey store (we have not been to this one yet but we were told it was great) in between Fulton and Willowside roads on Guerneville road.

It works well for Me and Travis... he even calls it his medicine..lol

Good Luck!

[jellybeanmichelle]

I did not know that about honey.
I love honey! I usually use honey as a cough syrup too.

[justamom]

Honey totally works. We use it in our smoothies a lot during allergy season, daily. We also put it in our hot teas. The key is to buy Sonoma Wildflower Honey. It is made from wildflowers locally. Make sure it is made locally, and not processed. We get our Honey at the Cotati Farmers Market from Bloomfield's Bees. If you visit their booth at the Farmer's Market they are very knowledgeable about the medicinal properties of honey. At least one of the owners is (A Man). They give free samples, and sell other products made from honey too. Even little candies for the kids.

I have heard of a chiropractor in Santa Rosa by the name of Cindy Zafis. She does accupressure to relieve allergies. I have a friend who's daughter began showing rabbits for 4H. Well, her husband quickly found that he was allergic to rabbits. They went to Dr. Zafis on a referral from a friend. Dr. Zafis had them bring stool samples, bedding samples, and hair samples from the rabbits. It turns out that Hubby was not allergic to the rabbits but the hay they used for the bedding. She narrowed down the allergy then treated him with accupressure. He is no longer allergic to Hay. It works.

[Lorah]

Basically, you want to get honey that is made from the stuff you are allergic too.
We get wildflower, various tree, etc. We have also tasted some really intersting honeys....like poison oak....too bad you can't build up any immunity to that from its honey....but it sure tastes good!

[JuliaSannar]

So I don't get it - are you supposed to eat the honey? Daily? Tina - you mentioned smoothies and tea - but how else would you use it. I suffer from bad allergies (new Sonoma County resident) and I am willing to try anything. I have never heard of the honey thing.....

[Lorah]

Julia, yes, you eat it.....Travis actually just puts it on a spoon and eats it if he isnt making any food that it would go with.

You can find a ton of info on the net about it too.

We put it in cereal, tea, smoothies, on bread, just eat it off a spoon.....pretty much anyway you like it will work....they say about a tablespoon at least per day everyday to help build up tollerance.

[LessasLashes]

I am about ready to chop my nose and head off... I have been eating the honey from the guy across the street (bees aren't any more local than that).. maybe I'm not eating enough of it daily to make a difference.

I'm going to see if anywhere local in Petaluma has it..I need stock!

[meeg124]

Amy - have you tried doing a nasal rinse? They will help with allergies. I know you said that you were anti doctor but I use a prescription nasal spray (Flonase currently) and it really helps. I know they make some that are over the counter, so you could try one of those it if you are interested. Also, if my eyes are itchy, runny and swelling I will get a scrip for Patanol eye drops. Totally expensive but if I'm having a severe allergy attack they are the best thing ever.

[justamom]

Daily is good, I also use honey on buttered toast, waffles, pancakes, PB & you guessed it Honey, lol!...Honey is a natural sweetener. Perhaps a spoonful of it.

So I don't get it - are you supposed to eat the honey? Daily? Tina - you mentioned smoothies and tea - but how else would you use it. I suffer from bad allergies (new Sonoma County resident) and I am willing to try anything. I have never heard of the honey thing.....

[justamom]

I am telling you try Dr Cindy Zafis. My friend's hubby has not suffered from his allergy to the rabbits in over a year.

She also offers that detox ionic foot soak thing. I am thinking of trying it!

What I usually do when I am confronted with a health issue I just cannot solve I will google: Alternative Medicine - the topic I am searching for. This can usually come up with some natural remedies for what ails ya. Also, I frequent the big book in the suppliments section of Oliver's in Cotati.

My kids and I have severe allergies to something at spring lake. The honey does work, just give your body time to build up immunity to the allergen. It may help to find out exactly what you are having the reaction too. Then you can select the right honey.

[My3sonsplus1]

there is also a neti pot to clear the sinuses

[LessasLashes]

I actually broke down today and went to the doctor (Kaiser).. and given that I haven't seen a doctor (internal medicine) since I was probably in high school (do the math...it's been a LONG time).. it was worth my time I think. Besides my pregnancy and I had a great nurse practicitioner and midwife birth coach.. I stay away.. So the doctor I saw really listened.. He did recommend that I do the Sinus Rinse Kit since I have ongoing sinusitis (without infection) since my claritin and other antihistamines were not effective. I also found out (somewhat speculated) that I have allergy induced asthma.. so I now have a daily inhaler to take.. Tuesday I actually see an allergist.. The good thing if this rinse kit (which is all natural/no side effects) works.. then when I get pregnant.. I don't have to worry about it.. Now I just need the balls to go shoot a stream of liquid (moreso than my moisturizing nasal spray) into my sinuses and out my mouth...

[JuliaSannar]

My DH has chronic sinusitis and has done the nasal rinse every day since I have met him. He SWEARS by it. Everyyear when I start suffering from allergies badly (like right now) he tells me to just "suck it up" and do it.....but I can't bring myself to do it.
Although when Jenna had RSV we had to give her her own version of a nasal rinse. It made her congestion a lot better.

Let me know how it goes.....Hope it makes you better.

[meeg124]

The nasal rinse can be kind of brutal but probably not as bad as you think. Hmm, not sure what that says about it :lol

[My3sonsplus1]

If you have the saline solution correct it shouldn't hurt at all. I have used the neti pot twice (similar to the nasal rinse except I think with a bigger learning curve) and it seemed to help. If you don't have it right it will feel like pool water up your nose.

[LessasLashes]

My DH has chronic sinusitis and has done the nasal rinse every day since I have met him. He SWEARS by it. Everyyear when I start suffering from allergies badly (like right now) he tells me to just "suck it up" and do it.....but I can't bring myself to do it.
Although when Jenna had RSV we had to give her her own version of a nasal rinse. It made her congestion a lot better.

Let me know how it goes.....Hope it makes you better.

Did it.. It seemed a bit weird to have water going in one nostril and pouring out the other.. Something just seems wrong about it.. although now 35 minutes later I'm a little less stuffed.. I won't be so afraid next time I get ocean water up my nose though.. hated that as a kid.. Strange how I felt the water go from one side of my face to the other...

[daisydoc]

I have a great acupunturist if you're looking for one.