Can honey help with your allergies?

The second that someone sees you have allergies, whether it’s by a sniffle, sneeze or red eyes, they immediately tell you something new that you can try that can help with those allergies.

“I’ve heard if you exercise and you eat better, It definitely helps with your allergies,” said Scott Mansen.

“Boil up some water and when that water gets hot, I like to smell the steam,” said Miguel Perez.

And the most common natural remedy?

“I’ve heard that raw honey from the local area will help with local allergies,” said Joshua Loveland.

If you have allergies, then you know that giving natural remedies a try is tempting, just incase it really does end up helping your symptoms.

“Some people find some (natural remedies) work very well…honey is one of the more popular ones,” said allergy specialist, Dr. Julian de Bruyn Kops.

Taking a spoonful of local honey was the number one recommendation, but before you go invest in a jar of local honey, does it really work?

“I have not seen control studies done with honey, but I’ve had some patients tell me that it is useful,” said Dr. de Bruyn Kops.

So it’s not a clear yes, but also not a no.

According to Dr. de Bruyn Kops, a certain tree in our area is causing allergies for most people.

“Things have already greened up and many things are pollinating such as cottonwood trees.”

The pollens of trees, dust, weeds, and grasses outside are the main cause of allergies for most people, so finding out what works best for you is crucial so you can enjoy these next couple of seasons.

“(Allergy Season) Is going to last through fall, well into spud season.”

Over the counter antihistamines like Claritin and Allegra are useful for many people, but not for others.

If you find these aren’t working for you, Dr. de Bruyn Kops says it may be time to see a doctor for prescription medication.