Are you coughing, sneezing, and sniffling? Your nose, eyes and ears itch? 

You measure your temperature and wonder how did you catch cold in such warm weather?

You are not cold, you have ambrosia allergy.

Allergies, including ambrosia allergies, have been increasing for several decades.

The cause of that increase is stressful lifestyle, infections, changes in diet, environment and climate.

On the one hand, we have climate changes such as increased temperatures and summer rains that benefit weed growth.

On the other hand, irregular maintenance of green surfaces and weed destruction cause ambrosia allergy increase. 

Ambrosia (Lat. Ambrosia artemisifolia) is a weed from the family of composites (Lat. Familia Compositae) and the pharmakopeic name of ambrosia is Herbae Ambrosiae.

Ambrosia is originally from North America and it came to Europe in 1863 in wheat cargoes.

It came into Croatia in 1941, via the port in Rijeka, also in wheat cargo. It first settled in Podravina, Posavina and Slavonija from where it spread across almost the entire territory of Croatia.

Ambrosia allergy

Ambrosia is a plant that causes great problems for people allergic to its pollen.

Pollen reaction starts on concentrations as low as 20-30 pollen particles in one cubit meter of air.

Allergy symptoms include sniffling, eye watering and itching, tingling and nose runs, coughing, sneezing, heavy breathing etc.

Ambrosia blossoms during August and September and during that time it releases approximately one hundred million pollen particles that can be carried by winds to distances of over 300 kilometers. 

It produces approximately 60 000 seeds that are resistant to freezing and that can survive for 30 years.

Ambrosia grows as a weed on abandoned farmlands and near river beds and streams, near railroads, in gardens and in meadows, among crops and on green surfaces in cities.

Conventional allergy treatment

Doctors advise to stay away from ambrosia if you are allergic to it.

It is recommended to avoid walking in the nature and to spend time in air-conditioned spaces.

As a part of that tactic, you should close windows, wash your hair every day, change your linen every day and you should not dry your clothes outside. The only time when you can go for a walk in the nature is immediately after the rain. 

If there is a drought, you are forced to spend half of your summer in closed air-conditioned spaces instead of enjoying in the nature and the sun.

Many people that suffer from ambrosia allergy find these recommendations hard to follow.

If you are allergic to ambrosia, it does not mean you have to spend two months trapped under the air-conditioner. 

Second widespread therapy is based on antihistamines and corticosteroid products that have anti-inflammatory effects and can alleviate allergy problems. 

Although such approach results in relief, it has negative side effects and it does not cure the cause of the allergy. 

Furthermore, immunotherapy is recommended – a natural procedure for achieving hyposensibility, i.e. reduced sensitivity to allergens. 

Immunotherapy is conducted via gradual exposure to growing doses of allergens in order to make an organism more resistant to them.

Alternative allergy treatment

There is a belief that in nature we can find a cure for every disease, we just have to see it, which is a problem because people turned their backs on nature.

There are several plants that will help you alleviate symptoms, but they can also cure you from allergies if you consume them regularly and for long periods.

A thousand-year-old black cumin

Black cumin oil (Nigella sativa) was known in Ancient Egypt as a universal remedy. What was known in Ancient Egypt was confirmed by numerous scientific studies so today this oil is recommended for prevention and treatment of many health problems. 

Because of its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-histamine effects, it is one of the first choices for alleviating and preventing allergy-related problems.

It alleviates all symptoms of allergy; it has bronchodilatation effects and makes breathing easier. Its antibiotic effects prevent development of secondary bacterial infections that are often occurrence following allergic reactions. 

It is applied by drinking 20-30 drops three times a day, after meals. Children can also use black cumin oil.

Quercetin

Quercetin is a natural antihistamine that alleviates allergy symptoms, especially if taken in combination with vitamins C, E and B12 and minerals such as zinc and calcium.

This antioxidant is found in berry fruits, grapes, pink onions, apples and black tea. 

Many researches proved its anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties. Research by Medical School in Boston discovered that this flavonoid can block histamine and other allergy-related compounds.

The recommended dose is between 200 and 400 mg of quercetin three times a day.

Nettle

Nettle tea Pour 0.5 l of boiling water over two or three spoons of finely chopped nettle (use whole nettle or only the parts that are above the ground), leave it to stay for one hour and the filter the mixture. Drink 0.1 l of the mixture 5 times a day in regular time spans, always before meal.

Nettle mostly grows as a weed and we can find it all around the world. This plant can prevent histamine effects and it also exhibited anti-inflammatory properties. 

A research published in Planta Medica magazine indicates that a daily dose of 600 mg of nettle extract has alleviated the symptoms of hay fever in 58% of participants.

Furthermore, 48% of participants stated that they found nettle to be more effective than drugs on prescription.

Allergy can also be treated with nettle tea.

Other allergy “killers”

Dandelion tea Drink tea made of this plant (without the root) in spring and summer. First, thoroughly wash the plant and chop it in a blender and filtrate the mixture trough gauze. Add water to obtained dandelion juice in 1:1 ratio and boil the mixture. Drink two to four spoons of the mixture a day. This therapy lasts six weeks.

Evening primrose oil and linen oil, due to essential fatty acids they contain, have anti-inflammatory effects and alleviate allergy symptoms if used for prolonged periods.

Black-currant leaf in a form of tea or tincture regulates excess immunological reactions.

Roman chamomile hydrolat prevents redness and itching of eyes, while inhalation of rosemary essential oil and peppermint enhances the passability of upper respiratory pathways. 

Echinacea and Tahitian Noni juice have also proven to be very good for allergy treatments.

Burdock can cure allergy symptoms. It is recommended in extract form as diet supplement or in tea form. It does not cause fatigue and sleepiness so people suffering from allergies often use it.

If you have allergies, rinse your nose and oral cavity with sage tea and smear home-made olive oil on your nostrils.

Liver cleansing

Since allergies are reactions of liver saturated with unhealthy diet and life in polluted environments, the best thing to do before any other treatment is to clean the liver.

The best way of doing so is by drainage treatments using dandelion root, artichoke leaf, burdock root and green yarrow in the form of teas or tinctures. Or make a tea for liver cleansing according to Dr. Clark’s method.

Ambrosia as a remedy

Ambrosia tea Ambrosia tea helps after a heart attack. Use one spoon of dried ambrosia and 0.2 l of water. Pour boiling water over the dried plant and leave the mixture for a half an hour and then filtrate it. Drink two to three cups of tea each day.

It is hard to believe that a plant that causes so many problems and for full two months each year makes life miserable for so many people can have healing properties.  

Yet, that is the truth. Ambrosia is used in folk medicine for treating many diseases and health problems.

It contains essential oils, artemisifolin, quercetin, agmatin, limonene, glycosides and vitamin C. 

It is used as a natural astringent, anti-bacterial, anti-epileptic, anti-pyretic substance, stimulant and antidote. 

Ambrosia oil is used for treating various flesh wounds. Ambrosia crème or ointment is used for hemorrhoid and boil treatments. 

In cases of diseases or skin wounds, such as various rashes, burns, bruises, stings and insect bites, squash fresh ambrosia leaf and put it on affected area. 

If you suffer from rheum, place a wrap with finely chopped ambrosia leaves on the affected joint.

Ambrosia mixtures can be used for increased temperature as a great anti-pyretic and anti-septic, for stomach, intestinal and womb cramps, for pneumonia and cough and for intestinal diseases, women’s diseases (such as painful periods) and central nervous system diseases (such as epilepsy). 

For treating typical women’s problems, especially irregular monthly cycle, use ambrosia root. Fresh ambrosia juice can be used for treating foot infections.

It sounds a bit like a paradox, but ambrosia pollen is used in anti-allergic treatments in winter months. 

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