Every time the seasons change 35 million Americans start sneezing, rubbing their watery eyes, blowing their stuffy noses, and itching like mad.

They are the ranks of seasonal allergy sufferers, joined by another 50 million kindred souls who endure an even wider variety of allergic reactions to trees, grass, flowers, plants, pollen, dust, mites, mold, foods and so on.

Nearly a third of allergy sufferers complain that their prescription medication makes them sleepy and thick-headed while doing nothing to relieve their symptoms. Most have gone through three to five years of de-sensitizing shots with no appreciable results. Is it any wonder that they are turning to natural remedies that do work and that carry few, if any side, effects?

Understanding the Basic Allergic Reaction

The vast majority of allergy sufferers are reacting to some kind of airborne irritant, generally pollen, which attaches itself to the soft mucous membranes of the nasal and bronchial passages. Those surfaces are lined with mast cells whose receptors are triggered by the irritant to release histamines. Everything that then happens - the watery eyes, the violent sneezing, the itching - is the body's attempt to expel the intruder.

Depending on the severity of the intrusion, the resulting attack may even include swelling of the bronchial tubes to block a major entrance. Of course that also causes labored breathing and in the worst cases, terrifying attacks of asthma.

Combating Allergies Naturally