I’m addicted to gardening. There’s no doubt about it. But, like my gardening fore-mothers, I suffer from seasonal allergies. I don’t need a scratch test to tell me that pollenating grass seed sends me to a sneezing fit. When I’m out pulling weeds, the sneezing and mild rash tell me themselves. So what do I do about it?

I can’t accept the idea of running inside, closing up the house and running air filters to keep myself “safe” from the pollen. I like fresh air. I love to dig in the garden. So, I do take allergy medicines, but they only go so far. I have yet to find the perfect medicine that doesn’t make my skin, tongue and eyes feel like they’re doing a study in build a desert with my mucus membranes. So, I’ve sought other ways to flush out the pollen!

A shower helps get the pollen off my skin and helps loosen up anything lodged in my nose. Any gardener will attest to having “dirt boogers” at the end of a long gardening day. To help clear out the dirt and pollen, I’ve started using my Neti Pot after gardening. This wonderful tool, which is used worldwide, flushes out nasal passages with warm salt water. I’ve used it when I’ve had head colds to help alleviate tired, swollen sinuses. And, this year, amid my unusually awful allergies, I’ve taken to rinsing my nose after visiting the garden. And, it really helps! Plus, it doesn’t mean adding another drug to my body.

Neti Pots are available at most drug stores, health food stores and apothocaries. Yes, they’re a little odd at first, and you may choke on some water the first time you try it. But, once you get it right, there’s nothing like washing out the nose to help your nose, throat, mouth and eyes feel so much better after a long day under the assault of pollen, dust and pestering little bugs!

More information on Neti Pots and Nasal Irrigation is available here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrigation