What is in this article?:
- Natural remedies for fall allergy season
- Why some kids get allergies
- Common plant triggers
- Allergy-soothing tea
Autumn means allergy symptoms for one in seven U.S. kids. Over-the-counter allergy medications can bring relief, but like any conventional drugs, they are not without drawbacks. That's why a growing number of parents are seeking natural allergy remedies.
Common plant triggers
The most common hay-fever triggers are plant pollens. Flower pollen is usually carried by bees, so it isn’t windblown and rarely gets into people’s noses. The most prolific culprits are weeds such as ragweed, sagebrush, and thistle. More than 1,000 kinds of grass grow in North America, but only a few—including the Kentucky bluegrass that’s probably in your yard—produce allergic pollen. Trees with the highest pollen counts are oak, ash, elm, hickory, pecan, box elder, and mountain cedar. Regardless of what your child may be allergic to, symptoms are generally the same so many holistic pediatricians don’t recommend allergy skin tests. “Most pollen can’t really be avoided anyway,” says Neustaedter.
