IF YOU’RE ONE OF THE 26 MILLION PEOPLE nationwide with seasonal allergies, no doubt you’re suffering right now with sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes, and other frustrating symptoms that add up to pure hell.

Simply put, you’re suffering because your body is extra-sensitive. “Certain individuals’ immune systems overreact to external stimuli like pollen, grass, and ragweed,” says Ben Kligler, M.D., associate medical director of Beth Israel Hospital’s Continuum Center for Health and Healing in New York City. “When your immune system encounters an offensive particle, or allergen, it mounts a defensive response and releases a cascade of inflammation to fight it off.” Inflammation triggers most allergy symptoms.
But you’ll find relief right away with our three-step plan. Start with steps 1 and 2. If you’re still suffering after two to four weeks, move on to step 3.

Clear Your Congestion Fast

1 Mix 1 cup filtered lukewarm water with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour into a neti pot, pictured above.

2 Lean over a sink, Tilt your head to the left. Press the neti pot spout to your right nostril and tip the pot. Water should trickle out your left nostril.

3 Lower your head over the sink. Exhale forcefully through your nose. Repeat on the opposite side.

Step 1: Get Fast Relief

Try these therapies daily when you’re suffering from allergy symptoms. The first five therapies work quickly but their benefit is temporary. The remaining two provide longer-lasting relief.
Sample Spicy Foods. Eating hot foods clears nasal congestion temporarily. Use the Japanese condiment wasabi or sprinkle cayenne pepper on your food. Consider placing a small bowl of horseradish on your bedside table. A quick whiff in the night will help you breathe easier, says Sylvia Goldfarb, Ph.D., of Wyncote, Pa., author of Allergy Relief (Avery Penguin Putnam, 2000).

Sniff Essential Oils. Inhaling steam scented with essential oils clears your sinuses, Kligler says. Boil 1 quart of water in a medium-size pan, remove it from the heat, and add 10 drops of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) or eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) essential oil. Stand over the pot and drape a towel over your head to create a tent. Breathe deeply for several minutes. When you’re in a hurry, Goldfarb says, add 2 to 3 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to a handkerchief, stash it in a small sealed bag, and take a whiff as needed during the day.

Know the Neti Pot. A neti pot rinses mucus and pollen grains from your nose and sinuses and soothes your mucous membranes. It resembles a palm-size Aladdin’s lamp and is found at most natural food stores. Fill the pot with a solution of 1 cup filtered lukewarm water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lean over a sink. Tilt your head to the left, press the spout to your right nostril to make a tight seal, and tip the pot. If your position is correct, water will trickle out your left nostril. Be patient; this can feel like getting water up your nose while swimming, and it takes a few tries to master. When the pot is empty, exhale forcefully through both nostrils. Repeat on the opposite side. Use the neti pot up to three times a day.

Spritz a Nasal Spray. As a convenient alternative to the neti pot, make a saline nasal spray, says Robert Ivker, D.O., a holistic physician in Littleton, Colo., a Natural Health advisory board member, and the author of Sinus Survival (Putnam, 2000). Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, a pinch of baking soda, and 1 cup of lukewarm filtered water in a travel-size spray bottle. Close your left nostril and inhale as you spritz the solution directly into your right nostril. Repeat on the opposite side. Ivker also manufactures his own mixture, Sinus Survival Spray, which contains herbs that heal mucous membranes (1.75 fl. oz.; $7.95; 888-434-0033;www.sinussurvival.com).

Experiment with Acupressure. Using your fingers to apply pressure to specific points on your body can ease symptoms. You don’t necessarily press where it hurts; in fact, acupressure points on your hand can relieve sinus congestion. Pinch the webbing between your thumb and index finger and push toward the bottom knuckle of your index finger. Maintain pressure for two minutes while breathing deeply; repeat on the other hand.

Try an Herbal Antihistamine. The herb stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is believed to slow your body’s production of the inflammatory chemical histamine, but without dry mouth and the other side effects of prescription antihistamines. Take two 300 mg capsules of freeze-dried stinging nettle daily from the onset of symptoms to the end of allergy season, Kligler says.

Opt for Homeopathy. This system of medicine uses highly diluted substances from plants, animals, or minerals that in larger doses could cause the very symptoms they treat. For example, Allium cepa, a remedy made from onions, treats hay fever, an ailment that resembles the symptoms of someone peeling an onion, says Jennifer Jacobs, M.D., M.P.H., an Edmonds, Wash.-based family physician, homeopath, and member of the Natural Health advisory board. Try Allium cepa first. (Find homeopathic remedies at natural food stores and follow package dosage instructions, Jacobs says.) If it doesn’t reduce your symptoms in about a day, try Euphrasia officinalis (if your eyes burn, itch, or water) or Nux vomica (if your symptoms are worse in the morning and when you’re indoors, and if your nose is stuffy at night).