We see a lot of patients that suffer from allergies, I mean, A LOT. Nevermind the unpredictable Texas weather that makes allergies even crazier! While many of them find some relief from taking dosages of Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra, Benadryl etc., the problem is that with these medications 1. Allergies still keep coming back, 2. They often leave undesirable side effects like grogginess 3. It gets expensive.

One of our awesome patients, Charlie, has been on an allergy pill, every day, for over 3 YEARS! He came to NDC to feel better, so as a part of that, I challenged Charlie to find a healthier alternative to rid his allergies. Charlie obliged and even honored us with a guest blog. Good news: He found some things that works…check it out.

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Hey guys! Charlie here. Dr. Harrison knows I love a good challenge, so when I told him frankly how annoying it was to take my allergy pill every day (and because I knew it probably wasn’t all that good for me), he challenged me to a month free of the Zyrtec and see if I could find another way to tackle it.

I spent the first week or so putting 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with a little water once a day. Dude it’s nasty, I can’t lie to you, the smell of vinegar, whew! But I stuck to it, and Dr. H was right, it helped me almost immediately. I specifically noticed that the mucus in my throat would instantly start thinning and my ears would feel less clogged right after I drank it.

Moving on, my next challenge was to eat local honey.  That means I had to find honey that was produced in my city (or close to it)  and then slap it on a piece of bread once a day. At first, it didn’t seem like it was working, I was still feeling really stuffed in my head and ears, but after 2 days or so, it was like a switch turned on! My sneezing and runny nose had subsided and my eyes weren’t bothering me at all.  So far, life without  the allergy pill has been pretty good.

Lastly, I took an Omega-3 Fatty Acids supplement (fish oil or flaxseed oil both work, I took flaxseed). After trying the other two options, I think this supplement really helped me maintain the great progress I had made from them. My allergy symptoms weren’t any worse or better, but the flaxseed oil seemed to maintain the work I had made.  My guess is that this is more of a long-term solution for me.

I shouldn’t forget, during all of this, I also went up to New Directions to get adjusted too.  All I can say is that I’m super pumped about what this challenge has done for me and who would’ve thought something so simple could do the trick?  Props to Dr. H for his great advice and great chiropractic work.

I’m a little less of a cranky, old man thanks to a good doctor and some good ole fashioned natural work.