It may be freezing, or slightly below outside, but Spring and allergies are right around the corner. Seasonal allergies are believed to affect around 50 million Americans every year. And I just so happen to be one of them.
Ever since high school I have had increasingly terrible seasonal allergies - both Spring and Fall. And for years I have suffered through the itchy, swollen eyes that accompany the headaches and runny yet somehow stuffy nose. And the sneezing. Oh my goodness all the sneezing.
I have experimented with every, every, every over the counter medication I could get my hands on. The results? They either made me so drowsy I couldn't focus to do anything or they simply weren't strong enough to mask my symptoms. So I got accustomed to suffering and got really good at always having tissues/toilet paper/paper towels on hand to combat the ever present threat of a sneezing attack.
Then last year it got really bad. It was early February, too soon for my allergies to strike (or so I thought), and I had a feeling that I had strep (which plagued me regularly in my adolescent years). So I did something I hardly ever do. I went to the doctor. But I didn't have strep. I was diagnosed with severe seasonal allergies (in February!) which had caused a double ear infection and sinus infection.
So what did the doctor do? Prescribe medications for me to take of course. Well the meds helped heal my sinus and ear infections, but the ones for my allergies made me drowsy and have horrible headaches while making my nose feel like the Sahara.
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Thankfully, God decided I had suffered enough and he brought essential oils (aka EOs) into my life. A good friend of mine invited me to a class she was having on EOs, so I went, just for curiosity sake. It all sounded way too good to be true, but at the same time made total sense. God created the plants that contain EOs. He also created our bodies and knew that we would need healing. Doesn't it serve to reason that we should use what he's already given us to heal us?
So I tried my first EOs - a capsule with a drop each of lemon, lavender and peppermint (aka the holy trinity of fighting allergies). I wasn't expecting much, if anything, but within five minutes I looked up to my friend and said "I can breathe. For the first time in weeks I can actually breathe." I could literally feel the peppermint working in my nose and opening up my nasal passage. It was life changing. I kid you not.
After that groundbreaking moment I clung to EOs for the rest of the year to help manage my seasonal allergies. I started with a capsule in the morning, another at lunch time and a third before bed. By the end of the fall season I was down to one capsule a day. I wasn't just barely masking symptoms anymore, I was helping my body fight allergens.
Seeing the success I had with EOs and my seasonal allergies I've tip toed into using them for all kinds of other things and I love them! Seriously, if you've been hearing about them and haven't tried them yet, do your research and try them. They will change your life, for the better.
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So let's bring it to present day. It's early February and I start to feel a tickle in my throat and notice and slightly runny nose. Remembering last year's tragedy that had me miserable and on meds for weeks, I knew what to do this time to keep myself from suffering for even a minute from the beginning onslaught of allergy season. When I woke up with a seriously stuffy head and sneezing my brains out I grabbed my EO diffuser and started pumping the air with my allergen fighting friends. I took a capsule of lemon, lavender and peppermint. Then I made myself a warm cup of peppermint tea with a little honey to ease my sore throat. Every hour I massaged my neck with lemon, lavender and peppermint. I literally spent all day bathing myself in oils.
Want to know what happened? I woke up the next morning coughing up mucus. Sorry to be gross, but I'm just trying to be honest. No sneezing, no stuffy head, just a slight cough. So I spent the next day hourly massaging my neck with EOs again. I ran my humidifier and diffused lemon, lavender and peppermint while I slept. Day three? Took my capsule of lemon, lavender and peppermint and went about my day per usual. I was back to normal!
What had previously resulted in a week of serious pain and annoyance combined with multiple medications taken over the course of a month was combated and defeated in 48 hours. Now that my allergy season has begun I will continue to take my capsule in the morning and won't have to worry about what's in bloom or how bad the air quality is. I can breathe freely thanks to my EOs.
But what happens if I start sneezing and getting stuffy, even after I've taken my capsule? I pull out my little roller bottles and bathe my neck in EOs and don't have to worry about a thing.
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If you suffer from seasonal allergies, I highly recommend trying out essential oils. I cannot talk enough about how much they have changed my life and how grateful I am that God created something seemingly so simple to be so effective in healing our bodies. If you want more information on how they've helped me, please feel free to leave a comment. And if you're a regular EO user, share with us how much you love your oils!
Stay crunchy my friends, and breathe easy!
