For many people, spring time isn’t about trees in blossom, the promise of sunny skies and warm days ahead.
It’s itchy, irritated and swollen eyes, an itchy throat that you cannot scratch and a red nose from constant sneezing the minute you step outside to enjoy the spring air.
Don’t despair! We’ve discovered a drug-free herbal option for adults and children, kindly shared with us by Liz from Herbal Teas Australia.
It starts with a sniffle!
It all starts with a sniffle and sneezing then itchy eyes and throat, even a post-nasal drip (nasal mucus going down the back of your throat) and fatigue. …. if you have ever suffered from hay fever, then you know the rest of the story.
Hay fever is caused by your nose and/or eyes coming into contact with microscopic allergens in the environment, such as pollens (from grasses, weeds or trees), dust mites, moulds and animal hair. Hay fever is not infectious and it traditionally has a seasonal spike in late winter and spring, when pollen counts are highest from flowering trees and grass seeds.
Hay fever is your immune system response when it identifies airborne substances and produces antibodies against them. The next time you come into contact with them, these antibodies signal to your immune system to release chemicals such as histamine into your bloodstream, causing the inflammation that leads to hay fever symptoms.
Supporting this seasonal condition, there are alternatives to the traditional chemist options, which are safe when taking other medications.
The main herb used in our EYES tea is Eyebright, a herb that can help with all eye conditions, from dry eye, infected eyes, itchy eyes, even recovery from eye operations because it is an excellent remedy for problems with the mucous membranes.
Eyebright is also anti-inflammatory and astringent and combines well with Chamomile and Calendula which are both anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.
For that itchy throat, Herbal Teas Australia COUGH tea has herbs that will ease the irritated and sometimes inflamed throat. The herb Thyme is anti-bacterial and anti-septic and is very effective in relieving sore throats and catarrh because it helps to clear mucous congestion. The active ingredient in Thyme – thymol – was used in Listerine as the antiseptic component of the product.
Marshmallow root forms a gel-like coating on the throat to ease irritated mucous membranes.
Sage is another great herb for a sore throat, mouth ulcers and is particularly potent against staphylococcus infections. Both of the teas, the EYES tea and COUGH tea, can be combined, making up a brew and poured into a water bottle to carry during the day to sip on as a cold tea, taking it to work or school.
That way, if your eyes or throat get itchy or irritated, you have some tea on hand to deal with it.
For soothing irritated eyes, use only the EYES tea and make an eye wash. Make a brew of EYES tea following the directions, then set a little tea aside to cool (pop it in the fridge) to use as an eye-wash.
Simply soak cotton balls in the tea, or soak a face washer in the tea, and then lie back and place the cotton balls on the eyes or the face washer over the face.
About Herbal Teas Australia
Herbal Teas Australia has grown to become the most comprehensive range of herbal teas in Australia, shipping our teas nationally and internationally.
Liz’s philosophy when creating Herbal Teas Australia organic herbal teas was to give people high quality organic herbal teas, using Australian Certified Organic herbs, and provide health information, about diet & lifestyle which can result in a healthier life.
Want to know more about herbal teas and the health benefits you can derive? We encourage you to connect with Liz at: www.herbalteasaustralia.com.au