So, What Is Allergy Tea

By Definition an Allergy is an exaggerated reaction to any substance or food. It can be a substance in the environment that we come in contact with or it can be something we eat. The immune system responds hyper sensitively to a particular thing causing us varying degree of discomfort.

It is estimated that one in every 5 Americans suffer from some kind of allergy whether they know it or not. Some people don�t realize that a chronic runny nose is a symptom of an allergy to something. When our immune system has an allergic response, mast cells release histamines into our system causing inflammatory responses. These inflammatory responses in turn cause contraction of the smooth muscle lining in our bodies in areas like respiratory tract, our skin capillaries dilate causing itching or pain and glandular hyper secretion leads to excessive mucus.

Many people look towards alternative medicine today to help treat their allergies. Sometimes the conventional approach does not help. There is immunotherapy in which the patient is injected with the allergens over a long period of time for them to build up a tolerance to the allergens. This does not work for everyone. There are anti-histamines and steroids as well but not everyone wishes to be on this type of medication indefinitely. So, more and more people are looking to alternative cures for their allergic ailments.

One such alternative treatment is the use of herbs. Herbs are made into a tea to help alleviate the allergy sensitivity. Herbal decoctions are made and prescribed for allergic patients to take along with other alternative healing practices. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses both acupuncture and herbs decocted into a tea to treat allergies.

Some of the herbs used to fight allergies can be found in your local health food store or online. I found allergy tea in the local health food store in my neighborhood. This is a break down of the ingredients in the allergy tea I used and their properties. The name of the tea was �Allergy Tea� whose company is the Art of Health Inc. In fact there are a few allergy teas to choose from at the health food store.

The allergy tea had Glycerrhiza Glabra known to most people as Licorice. Real Licorice is a root. It is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and used in many natural recipes. It can be taken alone, or in conjunction with other herbs. It can be a good Allergy Tea component. It is known for its action on inflamed respiratory tissue. It blocks the mast cells from secreting histamine. Some people like its �sweet� taste. This is the first ingredient listed in the allergy tea.

The second herbal ingredient was Rose Hips. Rose Hips have a bright red color and are another herb with anti-inflammatory properties. It has flavonoids, which reduce histamine production as well thus reducing inflammation. It has a tangy tart taste.

The third herb is Urtica Urens better known as Nettle. Nettle is known as a blood detoxifier. It removes toxins from the blood. It is also believed to aid in reducing allergic rhinitis.

The forth herb called Euphrasia officinalis or Eye Bright is an anti astringent as well as anti-inflammatory. It calms acute catarrhal states of the head and upper respiratory tracts. It is known for its ability to reduce nasal congestion and itchy eyes. What it does is contract both nasal and conjunctive blood vessels when they are in an allergic state.

The final herb in this allergy tea concoction was Trifolium pratense, which is commonly called Red Clover. This is a liver detoxifier, which also cleans the blood. In alternative medicine detoxification of the blood is also an important aspect of treatment, even in allergy.

This is not the only allergy tea there is. There are many recipes and kinds both on the market and those used by practitioners of alternative health. This is one I used because I suffer from allergies. It did help my allergy symptoms; I use both alternative medicine and immunology in my treatment of my allergies because they are severe. For some people the tea is enough for others like myself I still have to go for shots, although my acupuncturist doesn�t approve.

Chinese Medicine