Antihistamines and decongestants are often the last line of defense for those poor souls suffering through seasonal allergies and colds.

While the medicines that use these ingredients such as Claritin or Allegra boast effectiveness, sometimes there are some unpleasant side-effects to deal with.

For instance, it’s commonly known that antihistamine medications can cause dizziness or drowsiness, if the medicine doesn’t put you completely to sleep!

If you’re taking these types of medicine in an effort to be active, then it seems to work against your intended goal.

This leaves sufferers to ask, “Are there any alternatives out there?”

Well, actually there are alternatives to over-the-counter antihistamine or decongestant medications.

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— Berkeley Wellness (@BerkeleyWell) August 2, 2014

Watch What You Eat

Dr. Lisa Lewis of Naturopathic Physicians claims that nutrition can be a major factor in aggravating or eliminating allergy symptoms.

She writes, “To reduce allergy symptoms, eat a moderately low-fat, high-complex-carbohydrate diet.”

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Dr. Lewis also suggests the elimination of certain foods, such as dairy products, peanuts, chocolate, food coloring, and red meat from your diet.

In their stead she suggests adding foods like garlic, ginger, carrots, dark green leafy vegetables, and yams to your diet. Dr. Lewis also suggests being sure to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

Drink More Green Tea

Green tea is a great way for coping with seasonal allergies. It is a natural histamine blocker and over time will help boost your immune system.

Other benefits of drinking green tea include the lowering of (bad) cholesterol and improvement of blood circulation.

It’s one of the best things you can take, not only for things like hay fever, but for your overall health.

Grapefruit/Lemon/Raw Honey Mixture

This remedy suggestion calls for boiling grapefruit and lemon (the fruit only, not the rinds) in one cup of water for about 15 minutes. When the mixture has cooled, stir in raw honey.

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Taking this mixture is said to greatly relieve hay fever symptoms.

Know of any natural or homemade remedies to fight allergies/hay fever? Share in the comments below!

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