12. Spring Herbs for Allergies with Lena DeGloma, MS | Allergy Season Survival Guide with Master Herbalist

Peeling the Onion: Discovering the Layers of Health

We are in the midst of spring and the pollen is in the air. We are all thinking about our allergies at this time of year. Today, Lena DeGloma of Red Moon Wellness in Brooklyn joins us to discuss all things related to supporting your body, managing allergy symptoms, and what you can use as an alternative to over-the-counter and prescription drugs.

The allergic symptoms are like the tip of an iceberg, where you have this cumulative effect. Even if you can identify that you are allergic to something, you may not necessarily be symptomatically allergic to that thing alone. There might be something under the surface that is causing that reaction. In an inflammatory state, it is easy for other things you do to cause a flare-up, even if it's not the item itself.

Things like sleep, stress and the microbiome are so critical to keep functioning all year round because when we think about allergies. They have a cumulative effect. Then there is the threshold, which is like your symptom threshold. So many of us live just under the symptom threshold all year round with the food, stress, and environmental factors that are in our life every day.

Herbalism is based on the connection between nature and the body. Many of the things our bodies need are created by plants. We can easily incorporate simple herbalism into our daily lives with chickweed, turmeric, and ginger. We also have great herbal medicine in our kitchens, things that will target allergies.

Here are a few plants that could help with your allergies:

CHAMOMILE

Have your allergies affect your eyes. Itchy, red, irritated, watery eyes are so annoying. To relieve this symptom, grab those camomile tea bags you have in your cupboard. Steep them and let them cool. Put them right on your eyes, as little mini eye compresses.

Also, drinking for inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.

THYME

We can also find dried thyme in our kitchens. For allergy symptoms, you can also inhale the essential oil mixed with eucalyptus if you have it. This helps with congestion.

CALENDULA

Add a few drops of calendula oil that can help you find relief during an allergy flare. Using dried flowers, pop them into a jar and pour olive oil or coconut oil over the top to create your own oils. Add enough to cover all of the plant matter in the jar. Ideally, you want to have at least an inch of oil over the surface, so you don't have any exposed parts.

Place it in a sunny window or a nice warm place. It will get infused with the warmth of the sun. Tip the head back and place one to three drops per nostril with the head tipped back. The drops will be dripping up into the nose and can also help if you get chronic sinus infections. I'll do the same for them. Chronic sinusitis can be caused by dryness, allergies, or by chronic fungi.

MEET LENA

Lena is the founder and director of Red Moon Wellness in Park Slope, Brooklyn. She is a clinical herbalist, licensed massage therapist, certified birth doula, certified lactation counselor, and certified childbirth educator. Lena offers individual herbal consultations for adults and children at her clinical center in Park Slope. She began studying medicinal herbs 15 years ago, first through two apprenticeships (one at Alba Nueva herb farm in Costa Rica and another at the Heartstone Herbal School near Ithaca, NY) then went on to receive a Master of Science in Clinical Herbal Medicine from Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH). She also completed a one-year post-graduate clinical internship at MUIH's Natural Care Center as well as an internship in the university's renowned herbal dispensary.

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