Herbal Supports for Seasonal Allergies

Stinging nettle, mullein, and more.

May 08, 2024

Me, planting in our garden. May 2021. Ypsilanti, MI.

It is way past time for me to share my herbalism practice with you. It is in perfect ancestral time that I am sharing my herbalism practice with you right this very moment.

To ease us both into it, I thought I would share some herbal supports for allergy season because it is spring where I live, and my seasonal allergies are on ten.

Before we get into that though, a brief note on how I come to this work. I have always been an herbalist even before I knew I was one. Herbalism is something my great-grandmother passed to my grandmother and my grandmother passed to my mother and my mother passed to me (going as far back as you can go because we have always known how to live in right relationship with the land and natural world). Call it African American folk healing.1 Call it eco-womanism.2 Call it working the roots.3 Call it herbalism. In my practice, they are one and the same. Gardening to grow our own food. Learning the ways of the plants and when to use them. Mix this, mix that and it will kill that mucus in your throat (the this and that is apple cider vinegar, honey, and lemon juice; from my Mom). Don’t walk on the cold floor without shoes (from my Granny). You absolutely can get a cold from being out in the rain (from my Granny). This is how I come to this work. I will tell you about contraindications (aka when you shouldn’t work with a plant). I will cite books and scientific studies. I will cite my foremothers, grandmothers, mother, and sisters too.

This knowledge has always been inside of me and while I was increasingly turning toward it while living in Spain, my cancer diagnosis in 2019 pulled it to the fore. Big pharma was making enough off my dis-ease and diving deeper into the world of the plants saved me. Helped me feel I could control something (not nature, just my willingness to learn with and from it) in a time when everything was out of my control. Answering the call of the plants was and remains a practice in self-recovery4 something all too important for me, a Black woman and my mother and grandmothers and sisters and aunts and cousins and friends—and the collective at large.

Until this point, I have held my knowledge of and from the plants close to my chest. Reserving it for family and close friends. But, in a world that asks us to live outside of alignment with nature, when being with nature might be all we were ever put here to be and do, it has become time, it has become essential to share what I know (after Audre Lorde) with you.

This is the first of many Notes from me to you about plants. Herbalism is a part of my practice just like clay, and words, and images, and communing with Spirit are. I’m grateful my Ancestors told me it was time to share this medium with you too.

Let’s get into it! Get, get, get, get, get in to it!

What causes seasonal allergies?

Seasonal allergies (allergic rhinitis or sinusitis or hay fever or whatever you call it) are essentially when your body starts doing too much in relation to something (pollen, dust, etc.) that is harmless.5 This causes our immune system to go into hyperdrive which generates inflammation resulting in seasonal allergy symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes, a runny nose, etc.6

The plant medicines I’m sharing below can support the body in managing the immune response by decreasing histamines + inflammation and therefore lessening how we experience seasonal allergies.

Herbs I use in my practice that may lessen seasonal allergy symptoms:

STINGING NETTLE (Urtica dioica)7 8

Rich in iron, selenium, magnesium, chlorophyll, calcium, silica, and vitamins A, C, E, and K9, nettle is one of my favorite plants to work with during allergy season because of its antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties. Grown across North America, Europe, and Africa, centuries of herbalists and increasingly researchers believe nettle supports the body in decreasing the histamines released in response to an allergy.10

I personally like to work with nettle through teas and tinctures. Usually, this means making a tea from dried herbs that includes nettle or putting a dropper full (15-50 drops) of a nettle tincture (a concentrated herbal extract made by soaking herbs in alcohol, glycerin, or vinegar which then releases the actives from the plant into the liquid) into my water. Either way, I’m usually engaging with this plant through liquids.

PS: To up the anty on using nettle for herbal allergy support, combine it with elderberry or elderflower. Think an elderberry and nettle tea (either dried elderberries with dried nettle leaves OR a pre-bagged elderberry tea that you drop some nettle tincture into).11

Contraindications:
If you have blood sugar issues,12 are pregnant or nursing, are on blood thinners, or have high blood pressure, check with your doctor before working with nettle.1314

Get dried nettle leaf here (loose) and here (bagged). This is the nettle tincture I use: 1oz | 4 oz.

MULLEIN (Verbascum blattaria, Verbascum Thapsus)1516

While not specifically an herb with antihistamine properties, mullein is an anti-inflammatory plant rich in benefits for the respiratory system17 (it has a tonifying effect which means it strengthens and supports overall health of the system or organ relevant18) which if you’re anything like me gets affected by seasonal allergies.

Mullein supports the body in releasing congestion in the lungs and nasal passages,19 usually through coughing.20

I personally like to work with mullein through tinctures. Again, I put a dropper full (15-50 drops) of a mullein tincture in some tea or water.

Contraindications:
Mullein is generally regarded as safe for use.21 But, if you are pregnant or nursing or have severe kidney or liver disease, proceed with caution and check with your doctor before working with mullein.

This is the mullein tincture I use: 1 oz | 4 oz.

LOCAL HONEY

This one comes from my mom.22 A spoonful of local honey a day (in the weeks leading up to the seasons changing and allergy season starting) can be supportive in lessening allergy symptoms because the local honey will have some of your local pollen in it helping you to build up your immunity to the pollen which can lessen sensitivity to the pollen and therefore allergic responses. In addition to you know, coming from my mom, there are some scientific studies23 that support the use of local honey to manage allergies (and some that do not support it24 of course—the science is divided on this one. I personally trust my mom of course though).

The trick here of course is to buy it locally, ideally from a beekeeper or farmers market in your area. This increases the likelihood that the honey you’re ingesting has the pollen you’re going to be fighting with (lol) in it. You might also need to incorporate other means of alleviating your allergy symptoms because local honey alone will likely not do it. We have always used this remedy in concert with allergy pills or other herbal allergy supports.

Contraindications:
Don’t give honey to children under the age of 1. If you have blood sugar issues you might want to watch your intake because honey is still sugar.

And if all of this is a bit too much work for you, I’ve been taking Genexa’s Allergy Care, which is a homeopathic, non-drowsy natural remedy and have found that it’s supportive as well. When I first feel my allergies flaring up, I take 2 pills twice a day for a few days. Once my symptoms have calmed down, I can move to taking 2 pills once a day and keep allergy symptoms at bay. Of course, I still use the nettle, mullein, and local honey too. Every little bit helps!

more soon,
Gabrielle

Disclosures & Disclaimers:

When first beginning a relationship with any plant medicine, I recommend starting small and slowly to see how your body reacts to it. So, for example get the 1oz tincture dropper, use it, and notice if you’re having any allergic or other negative side effects. If so, stop using it. If you progress without any adverse reactions or side effects and what you engaged the plant medicine for has improved, you might consider continuing to work with it.

Linked throughout this article are affiliate links. It takes time and research to put these Notes together, so I appreciate you using my links if you choose to checkout anything I’ve shared here. I am working on joining affiliate programs that do not involve Amazon, but I wanted to get this out and get into sharing this part of my work, so please give me grace this time.

Information offered in this email/newsletter/blog post is for informational purposes only. I, Gabrielle Ione Hickmon, make neither medical claim, nor intend to diagnose or treat medical conditions. In general, individuals but especially those with known medical conditions or who are pregnant or nursing should consult their licensed health care provider before taking any herbal product. References to external sites, books, and other sources are for informational purposes only. I, Gabrielle Ione Hickmon neither endorse them nor am in any way responsible for their content. Readers must do their own research concerning the safety and usage of any herbs or supplements.

Mitchem, S. (2007). African American Folk Healing. NYU Press.

Harris, M. L. (2017). Ecowomanism: African American Women and Earth-Honoring Faiths. Orbis Books.

Lee, M. E. (2017). Working the roots: Over 400 Years of Traditional African American Healing.

Hooks, B. (2014). Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery. Routledge.

Afrika, L. (2004). African Holistic Health. Eworld.

Introductory Herbal Course, Herbal Academy

Bhusal, K. K., Magar, S. K., Thapa, R., Lamsal, A., Bhandari, S., Maharjan, R., Shrestha, S., & Shrestha, J. (2022). Nutritional and pharmacological importance of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.): A review. Heliyon, 8(6), e09717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09717

Hutchens, A. R. (1992). A handbook of Native American herbs: The Pocket Guide to 125 Medicinal Plants and Their Uses. Shambhala Publications.

Ayales, A. (2022). The Herbal Astrology Oracle. National Geographic Books.

Stinging nettle. (n.d.). Mount Sinai Health System. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/stinging-nettle#:~:text=One%20preliminary%20human%20study%20suggested,medications%20they%20had%20used%20previously.

Chevallier, A. (2021). Herbal Remedies Handbook. Penguin Random House.

Gardner, Z., & McGuffin, M. (2013). American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook, Second edition. CRC Press.

Salas, J. B., Hortigón-Vinagre, M. P., Morales-Jadán, D., & Téllez, T. R. (2021). Searching for scientific explanations for the uses of Spanish folk medicine: A review on the case of Mullein (Verbascum, Scrophulariaceae). Biology, 10(7), 618. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10070618

Hutchens, A. R. (1992). A handbook of Native American herbs: The Pocket Guide to 125 Medicinal Plants and Their Uses. Shambhala Publications.

Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Simon and Schuster.

Introductory Herbal Course, Herbal Academy

Lad, V., & Frawley, D. (1986). The Yoga of herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine. Lotus Press.

Hutchens, A. R. (1992). A handbook of Native American herbs: The Pocket Guide to 125 Medicinal Plants and Their Uses. Shambhala Publications.

And her mom and her mom and her mom. And any future descendants too. It’s in me so it’s already in them.

Asha’ari, Z. A., Ahmad, M. Z., Jihan, W. S., Maraina, C. H. C., & Leman, I. (2013). Ingestion of honey improves the symptoms of allergic rhinitis: evidence from a randomized placebo-controlled trial in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Annals of Saudi Medicine/Annals of Saudi Medicine, 33(5), 469–475. https://doi.org/10.5144/0256-4947.2013.469

Rajan, T. V., Tennen, H., Lindquist, R. L., Cohen, L., & Clive, J. (2002). Effect of ingestion of honey on symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology, 88(2), 198-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1081-1206(10)61996-5