Control indoor allergens to improve indoor air quality. Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America. Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.

Mayo Clinic; Burks AW, et al. Allergic and nonallergic rhinitis. In: Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. Elsevier; de Shazo RD, et al. Pharmacotherapy of allergic rhinitis. Dykewicz MS, et al. Rhinitis A practice parameter update. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Pellow J, et al. Health supplements for allergic rhinitis: A mixed-methods systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. Bielory L. Complementary and alternative therapies for allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis.

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Financial Assistance Documents — Minnesota. Follow Mayo Clinic. More research is needed. Moreover, taking more than 2, milligrams per day is generally not advised as it can lead to side effects like nausea, stomach upset, cramps, and diarrhea. High doses can also interfere with the absorption of other essential vitamins and minerals.

You can buy vitamin C in supplement form, or you can get it from vitamin C—rich foods like:. Quercetin is an antioxidant found in many plants that appears to have anti-allergy effects. Studies in rats suggest that quercitin may block the pathways that trigger the release of histamine into the bloodstream.

It is thought to do so by preventing specialized blood cells, called mast cells , from breaking open and releasing histamine. A study conducted in involving 66 subjects with seasonal allergies—half of whom were given a milligram quercetin supplement and half of whom were given a placebo—reported a reduction in eye itching, sneezing, and nasal discharge after four weeks of use.

Quercetin is available as a nutritional supplement and is found in a lot of foods and herbs, including:. Side effects include headache or upset stomach.

If you have kidney disease or are pregnant or breastfeeding, quercetin may not be safe and should be avoided. Butterbur Petasites hybridus is a shrub native to Europe, parts of Asia, and North America.

It has been used medicinally since the Middle Ages for the treatment of urinary tract symptoms, stomach upset, headaches, allergic rhinitis, and other conditions.

With respect to allergies, butterbur is thought to ease inflammation in the same way as vitamin C and thereby reduce inflammation-induced allergy symptoms. A study in the journal Pharmaceuticals reported that a butterbur extract used for up to eight weeks afforded significant and sustained relief of seasonal allergy symptoms.

However, the findings were limited by the fact that Butterbur is sold in supplement, extract, or dried forms. Side effects include belching, headache, itchy eyes, diarrhea, and breathing problems.

Some people are allergic to butterbur and should avoid the product altogether. The risk is especially high if you have allergies to ragweed , chrysanthemums, marigolds, or daisies.

Bromelain is a group of enzymes found in pineapples that may have health benefits. Historically, pineapple has been used in Central and South America to treat a variety of illnesses, including digestive disorders and sinus pain. Some naturopaths believe that it can help ease nasal congestion by reducing nasal inflammation.

A small study from Italy reported that people with seasonal allergies given a twice-daily, milligram dose of bromelain had high levels of the enzyme in their nasal passages, suggesting an anti-allergy benefit.

However, the study did not investigate whether the high concentration offered any actual benefit in terms of relief from sneezing, runny nose, nasal stuffiness, or post-nasal drip. Bromelain supplements are a better source of the enzyme than fresh pineapple. In fresh pineapple, the concentration of bromelain is highest in inedible parts, like the stem and core.

Possible side effects include upset stomach and diarrhea. Bromelain may interact with certain antibiotics, including Amoxil amoxicillin , and should be avoided if you are being treated for a bacterial infection. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that naturally reside in your gut which are thought to be beneficial to your digestive and immune health.

Recent studies suggest that they may even help with allergies. A review of studies published in Frontiers of Immunology found that, based on an evaluation of 28 human trials, probiotics significantly relieved symptoms and improved quality of life in adults and children with allergic rhinitis.

It is hypothesized that the normal balance of microorganisms in the digestive tract known as the gut microbiome plays a central role in the immune response.

An imbalance of microorganisms, on the other hand, may lead to an abnormal immune response and the development of immune disorders like allergies. By restoring balance to the gut microbiome, probiotics may potentially temper allergic reactions.

That's not to say that all probiotics are created equal. Of the many different probiotics used in supplements, a small handful can produce histamines.

These include Lactobacilli casei, Lactobacilli bulgaricus, and Lactobacilli saerimneri. Taking these probiotic bacteria can potentially cause a reaction in people who are highly sensitive to histamine.

With that said, the majority of probiotic organisms do not produce histamine or produce amounts unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. In addition to supplements, you can also get probiotics from fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, pickles, tempeh, kimchi, miso, sourdough bread, and sour cream.

Natural products can cause side effects and negative drug interactions. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before taking natural allergy remedies.

Many alternative products or practices are touted as natural allergy remedies. While most generally lack robust evidence to back them up, there are two that are believed to help:.

These approaches may be most effective when combined with other allergy treatments, such as over-the-counter OTC antihistamine medications like:. First-generation antihistamines like Benadryl, Chlor-Trimeton, Dimetapp, and Tavist can cause drowsiness and may be more appropriate at night to help you sleep.

Second-generation antihistamines like Allegra, Claritin, and Zyrtec are generally non-drowsy and the better option for daytime use. If allergies are severe and neither natural nor OTC antihistamines help, speak with your healthcare provider about stronger prescription antihistamines like Clarinex desloratadine , Vistaril hydroxyzine , and Xyzal levocetirizine.

There are also antihistamine nasal sprays like Astepro azelastine and Patanase olopatadine and antihistamine eye drops like Emadine emedastine difumarate , Lastacraft alcaftadine , and Livostin levocabastine available by prescription.

Natural antihistamines may help you control your seasonal allergies. Common ones are stinging nettle, vitamin C, quercetin, butterbur, bromelain, and probiotics. Some alternative practices—such as acupuncture, nasal irrigation, and exercise—may also help you manage symptoms. Arguably, the most important thing to do if you have seasonal allergies is to identify and avoid allergy triggers as best as you can.

However, hydration is important for controlling your allergies. Dehydration is believed to increase levels of histamine in your body, which simulates an allergy attack. Natural antihistamines work by blocking histamine activity in your body, just as antihistamine medications do.

Some also decrease inflammation or oxidative stress, which contributes to allergic reactions. Histamine: the stuff allergies are made of. American Academy of Allergies, Asthma, and Immunology. Outdoor allergens. Indoor allergens. Easton L, Vaid S, Nagel AK, Venci JV, Fortuna RJ.

Stinging nettle Urtica dioica : An unusual case of galactorrhea. Am J Case Rep. Bakshaee M, Mohammad Pour AH, Esmaeili M, et al. Efficacy of supportive therapy of allergic rhinitis by stinging nettle Urtica dioica root extract: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial.

Iran J Pharm Res. Bakhshaee M, Mohammad pour AHM, Esmaeli M, et al. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Stinging nettle. Han M, Lee D, Lee SH, Kim TH. Oxidative stress and antioxidant pathway in allergic rhinitis.

Antioxidants Basel. Vollbracht C, Raithel M, Krick B, Kraft K, Hagel AF. Intravenous vitamin C in the treatment of allergies: an interim subgroup analysis of a long-term observational study.

J Int Med Res. Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C: fact sheet for health professionals. Hattori M, Mizuguchi H, Baba Y, et al. Int Immunopharmacol. Yamada A, Shirai M, Inaba Y, Takara T. Effects of repeated oral intake of a quercetin-containing supplement on allergic reaction: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind parallel-group study.

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. Dabeek WM, Marra MV. Dietary quercetin and kaempferol: Bioavailability and potential cardiovascular-related bioactivity in humans.

Published Sep National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Blosa, M, Uricher J, Nebel S, et al. Treatment of early allergic and late inflammatory symptoms of allergic rhinitis with Petasites Hybridus leaf extract Ze : results of a noninterventional observational study in Switzerland.

Passali D, Passali GC, Bellussi LM, et al. Bromelain's penetration into the blood and sinonasal mucosa in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.