Eyebright Plant

Eyebright, which grows in the northern US and Canada, is astringing and a decogestant, and may be what will help during allergy season. It is best as a tincture made from the fresh plant. The tea will work but is not as effective. Just before and during allergy season you can take eyebright tincture up to 4 times a day. You can often find herbal allergy tincture formulas which often have osha root and bayberry in them. Follow dosage on bottle and increase slightly if needed. For itchy watery eyes I have heard of people doing poultices of eyebright over their eyes.

If you do have allergies, you may need to look at other factors like food allergies, and environmental factors. I used to have horrible allergies and my health-nut friends told me that dairy could be to blame. I refused to believe it but finally gave in and found tremendous relief being dairy free. (I now can eat dairy in moderation with no flare ups). Gluten is another common allergy, as is soy. And gluten-free is not just a fad, the reason so many people have an allergy to gluten is because most wheat is now hybridized to have 3-4 x the amount of gluten, which makes bread so soft and chewy and delicious. Gluten is a large protein molecule that many of us cannot digest easily. In addition,  most wheat is also ‘deaminated’, a process which is a neurological trigger for the immune system, causing it to overreact. This results in a constant histimine reaction–inflammation=allergies, brain fog, and more.

I digress, but, this is important to know. Gluten could be the culprit in you feeling lousy, and if you are allergic and eating it, it is bad news. I feel passionate about this because I had an undiagnosed gluten allergy for years, and upon finding out and giving it up, I found a wealth energy, my brain fog disappeared, I lost extra weight and I was more present and productive. So forgive my zeal.

You may do fine with gluten. If you have allergies, eyebright can help, but also dig deeper. Hepa filters can help reduce allegens in your home. Reducing stress can help reduce overall inflammation. Other herbs such as Reishi Mushroom or Maitake can help with allergies and the underlying causes as well.
This was a bit longer than usual–thank you for reading!

Feedback welcome at virginia@virginiaahearn.com.