Ah! Springtime! Blooming flowers, gentle breezes, all ideal for enjoying a stroll in the garden or a run on the trail but if you suffer from seasonal allergies the only thing running may be your nose.

Seasonal allergies - medically termed allergic rhinitis - can also bring a scratchy throat, watery eyes, sneezing, fatigue, headaches and wheezing.

If you suffer from allergies your confused immune system mistakenly perceives innocuous foreign invaders such as pollen as dangerous and your cells overreact by releasing a flood of inflammatory compounds.

Resulting in the sneezing, coughing, runny nose, inflamed eyes and allergic shiners (dark circles under the eyes caused by increased blood flow to the sinuses). This time of year anti-allergy drugs are heavily promoted through extensive advertising and many allergy sufferers feel this is their only choice for relief.

However, in his book Natural Heath, Natural Medicine, Dr. Andrew Weil contends: "The goal of treatment should be to convince the immune system that it can coexist peacefully with these substances. Conventional Medicine does not achieve this goal."

The three main conventional medicines are antihistamines, decongestants and steroids.

Antihistamines are used to dry up a runny nose. However, a runny nose helps clear the body of dead bacteria and other wastes. In addition antihistamines have been linked to undesirable side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and dry mouth, nose and throat. In his book, Dr. Weil writes: "I consider antihistamines toxic drugs with adverse effects on consciousness, and I would go to great lengths to avoid them."

Decongestants help relieve a stuffy nose. However, they can raise pressure, cause nervousness and heart problems. Steroid sprays only address the symptoms and frequent use of sprays can result in a rebound effect, with nasal passages becoming even more congested. The good news is there are steps you can take to ease or eliminate symptoms without the use of drugs.

Dr. Elson Haas, author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition, believes that although people may be sensitive to certain environmental or food products, if their diet is clean, stress level low and eliminative functions are working well they will exhibit minimal if any symptoms.

"On the other hand if we have too many stressors going into our cup - a high demand schedule, a few dinners out with more bread, cheese and wine, a few extra worries, less exercise and a little constipation - our cup may runneth over and we may experience sinus or upper respiratory, a skin rash or other allergic symptoms," writes Dr. Haas.

Modify your diet to reduce or avoid trigger foods such as, refined foods high in sugar and white flour, wheat, sulfites (found in red wine), citrus fruits and dairy products.

Milk protein or casein, increases the production of mucus in most people and therefore aggravates asthma, bronchitis and sinusitis. It also acts as an irritant to the immune system in many cases of overactive immunity such as allergies Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fibre to prevent constipation and eat fish. Studies have shown that children who eat fish more than once a week have one third the risk of developing asthma as children who do not often eat fish.

Drink plenty of water to thin and cleanse mucus. Herbal remedies can be very effective for allergies. Dr. Weil recommends stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) as an alternative to drugs. "It relieves hay fever symptoms quickly in most people, has no toxicity, and is even a valuable source of iron and trace minerals," advises Dr. Weil.

Weil recommends a dose of one or two capsules every two to four hours as needed to control symptoms. In Ayurvedic medicine, all allergies - not just those caused by food - are viewed as a result of impaired digestion. Virender Sodhi, M.D. N.D., of Bellevue Washington advises patients with allergies to adopt a rotation diet while taking herbs such as garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, onion and black pepper to stimulate production of an important immune antibody and improve digestion.

Homeopathic medicine has widespread applications for the treatment of allergies, because in many situations, minute diluted doses of the very substance a person is allergic to can be prepared as homeopathic solutions that trigger the body's natural ability to heal itself. In Europe where homeopathy is widely used, many suffers have been able to reduce or prevent their reactions by beginning a course of homeopathic pollen supplements a few months before the pollen count rises.

There are combination homeopathic remedies for hay fever available at health stores. Acupuncture has also proven very effective for allergies. Visit the Asthma and Allergy Relief Centre for anti- allergy products such as air purifiers.