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Home Remedies for Pollen Allergy in Case of Pollen Count

September 28, 2025

Many natural home remedies against pollen count and pollen allergy will help you to alleviate the problems caused by pollen count. The pollen count may be pretty to look at for some, but for allergy sufferers, it only means suffering and risks. It is almost impossible to avoid and now its season extends almost all year round and is no longer “just” from March to September.

The problem pollen count and pollen allergy

One in five or around 15 million people in Germany suffer from side effects from pollen, making hay fever the most common allergy in the country. The tiny grains that makeup pollen are the seeds of numerous plants that are propelled through the air to reach the female recipient organs. Since most pollen doesn’t reach its destination, plants produce it in huge quantities.

Causes of pollen allergy

If you suffer from a pollen allergy, your body fights the harmless pollen proteins because it mistakenly sees them as a danger. The immune system, therefore, reacts with inflammation, which is triggered, among other things, by the inflammatory messenger’s leukotrienes and histamine. But there can be various reasons why the immune system overreacts in such away. First, some people are more prone to allergic reactions than others, and responsiveness can also be inherited.

If both parents are allergic or even have the same allergy(s), the probability that the child will also develop an allergy is 40 to 80%. If you pay attention to a very high level of hygiene in childhood, the immune system is undertaxed and does not develop sufficiently. Then there is a so-called hygiene hypothesis, which only rarely occurs in people who have had contact with many people in childhood and have romped in the sand, in the earth, or similar.

In addition, irritants in the ambient air affect the airways and their correct formation. If parents smoke around their children or even during pregnancy, this significantly increases the risk of hay fever, asthma, or other allergies. Researchers also suspect that the increasing number of allergy sufferers is due to climate change. It not only extends the pollen season and pollen count, but the warmer temperatures also bring new plant species to Germany, some of which can be highly allergenic.

1) Nasal lavage with saline solution

The simplest and probably the oldest household remedy that you can use to flush out the pollen, disinfect your nasal mucosa and strengthen you against pollen is nasal rinsing, which is made from half a liter of lukewarm water and two teaspoons of table salt. Simply mix the two ingredients together and sniff the solution.

2) steam bath with saline solution

The steam bath with a saline solution can also help. It relieves itching by moisturizing the nasal mucosa. To do this, dissolve about two teaspoons of table salt in your steam bath and inhale for about 10 minutes.

3) Inhalation with fennel or dill oil

Inhaling fennel or dill oil helps against congestion and calms the bronchi. To do this, add 4 to 6 drops of the oil to your steam room and inhale the vapors alternately through your mouth and nose for about 10 minutes.

4) Inhalation with essential oils

Essential oils generally have an expectorant effect and thus make it easier to breathe deeply. For example, you can add several drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil to your steam room.

5) Eyebright herb

A cloth with eyebright herbal decoction helps with swollen, watery, and inflamed eyes. To do this, pour half a liter of water over three teaspoons of eyebright herb and let the brew steep for about five minutes. Then soak a cloth with the cooled brew and place it on your closed eyelids for a quarter of an hour.

6) Damp rag

Placing a damp cloth on your eyes can greatly relieve itching. Simply dampen a cloth with cool water and place it over your eyes for several minutes. A damp cloth on the neck helps against headaches.

7) Cooling goggles

You can put cooling goggles or even ordinary cooling pads on your eyes to help reduce the swelling.

8) Showers

The pollen likes to get caught everywhere and especially in the hair. If you can take a shower, avoid breathing in the pollen at home, too.

9) Facial affusion for headaches

A cold facial affusion causes a cold shock, which stimulates the metabolism via the receptors and gets the circulation going. This relieves tension in the head and thus relieves headaches. To do this, hold a thick jet of water first on your forehead, then on your right half, and then on your left half of the face, and finish the face wash with circular movements around your whole face.

Keep Reading

Cooking Tips

Edible Plant Parts – No Case for the Bin!

September 25, 2025

Admittedly, we were really wide-eyed when Wanda completely cleaned a kiwi with skin and hair during the breakfast break for the first time. Isn’t that poisonous…? we asked. nope was the answer.

You really can’t explain why some parts of the plant make it onto the plate as a matter of course and why others are categorically spurned. It is worth it to us to take a closer look at the topic with an open mind.

When supposed waste becomes a kitchen star

After the preparation of fruit and vegetables, the compost heap is sometimes larger than the meal itself. Valuable and tasty plant parts are often thrown away in the process. affluent society. ignorance. Habit. Wanda slyly felt about it and so she groped her way curiously and made a little space on her plate for seeds, peel and leafy greens. Result: A lot of the avoided accessories of our plant-based food are not only edible, but also tasty, healthy and included free with the vegetables! Time to finally get the plant parts out of their “garbage image”…

Of hard shells and soft cores

Seeds, skins and leaves usually have one thing in common: a densely packed supply of nutrients. In addition, a high fiber content, which comes from a significantly lower water content in these parts of the plant. Your digestion will be happy!

Three parts of plants that are often avoided and their properties at a glance:

The peel – guardian of vitamins?

A widespread thesis is that there are many vitamins under the outer cell layer, the shell. Is that even true? Most of the time yes. In the case of potatoes, however, the vitamin content tends to decrease towards the skin. But that’s usually true. This is also the case with apples, whose vitamin content in the skin is about seven times higher, according to Prof. Bognar (Federal Research Institute for Nutrition). The peel is also often many times richer in proteins and minerals. No wonder that it is often automatically eaten with many types of vegetables and fruit. In the case of a raw tomato, this is for practical reasons alone, as it is only held together by its skin.

Shell Facts:

Antioxidant plant compounds serve to protect the fruit from sun exposure and oxygen
In the shell are polyphenols and vitamin C
These act not only in the plant, but also in the human body as antioxidants and protect against aging processes and cell damage
Apple peel is particularly popular against constipation due to its high pectin content
Vitamin C in citrus peels has a dehydrating effect

The core – power center for new life

The core, botanically more correctly referred to as seed, fruit, drupe, is the basis for the propagation of vegetable and fruit plants.

Seed Facts:

The seed naturally contains nutrients that are intended to promote the growth and further development of the seedling
In the case of stone fruit, the edible seed is in the hard stone fruit, which must first be dried and then cracked (almonds, apricots). The same principle applies to popular seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds
While stone fruit has to make do with just one seed, tomatoes, cucumbers and pumpkins, for example, contain several dozen seeds that are edible without any problems
The components of seeds are scientifically evaluated in a differentiated manner for human consumption, which is why you should inform yourself and weigh up before eating (see information on avocado seeds below).
Kernels that are not used in the food industry are being used more and more to generate energy by being burned, such as corn cobs or olive kernels.

The leafy green – Important for the red blood

Chlorophyll – a boring term for plant pigments, which used to be discussed in biology classes and which for a long time only really interested hobby aquarists. But ever since the green smoothie era began, chlorophyll has been on everyone’s lips as the green happiness of health. And not without reason – there is a lot of power in the green foliage of the plants…

Leaf Green Facts:

Chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis in plants
Chlorophyll is similar to the human blood pigment hemoglobin
It promotes the absorption of iron and magnesium
It is blood-forming, blood-purifying and cell-strengthening and therefore also good for brain function
Tip: If you harvest leafy greens while the plant is growing, keep in mind that the fruit will then be smaller

You have to try these unusual plant parts!

Fruits

fruit	Edible plant part	possibility of use
pineapple	Peel	It is very firm at first and needs to be soaked after washing. Then you can simmer them for the infusion. This can help you lose weight, have a detoxifying effect and be good for kidney stones or high blood pressure.
banana	Peel	The yellowish peel is edible and is said to have antibiotic and anti-fungal properties. In South America, the peel is cooked or eaten raw. Try some pureed zest in a smoothie!
strawberries	Green hood	The small green caps of the strawberry can be eaten without any problems. They contain an extra shot of antioxidants and flavonoids.
kiwi	Peel	Have you ever bitten into a kiwi like an apple? This is common in New Zealand. For this you simply have to cut the hair of the kiwi z. B. Rub off with a vegetable brush. Alternatively, you can also buy a Golden Kiwi directly.
mango	Peel	Skin and fruit are edible. The peel contains many antioxidants and has an anti-inflammatory effect. The greenish mango peel is not poisonous, at most it has an unusual taste. The peel can be eaten raw or processed into a smoothie or lassi. You can also cut them into small pieces and enjoy them as a candied snack. Approach cautiously at first!
watermelon	Peel	If you peel the green skin, you can grated the melon peel as a salad, or use it pureed in a soup or smoothie.
citrus fruits	Peel	The grated peels of lemons, oranges or limes are very popular for baking. You can also let them dry and enjoy them as a sparkling tea.

Vegetables

vegetables	Edible plant part	possibility of use
fennel	fennel green	It is suitable as a spicy herb for pasta and soups. The feathered part of the green is eaten. Blanched in hot water for 2 minutes, it can spice up any dish as a decorative, tasty herb.
Herbs like parsley, dill and basil	stems	Not only the fine leaves of many herbs, but also the slightly stronger stalks are good in smoothies, salads and soups and give them a special flavor. So, don’t be too strict when sorting!
Kohlrabi	leaves	The leaves of kohlrabi can also be processed into vegetable chips, pesto, soup or in a salad.
pumpkin	peel, seeds and flowers	And that doesn’t just apply to Hokkaido. You can eat the peel, seeds and flowers of almost all edible pumpkin varieties. If the shell is too hard, you can boil it in a broth. You can easily bake the kernels in the oven.
Corn	leaf hair	In Chinese folk medicine, health-promoting properties are ascribed to the golden hair of corn. It is eaten as a tea or as a raw snack and has a sweetish milky taste.
carrots	leaf green	Have you ever tried carrot green pesto? Then it’s high time! Simply mix together with sundried tomatoes, garlic, maple syrup, oil and salt
leek	leaves	You always cut off the firmer, green leaves and only eat the white part? Just put the green parts in the pan a little earlier, then they will be just as tasty as the white ones.
radish	leaf green	From the green leaves of radishes you can z. B. make a wonderful pesto or a delicious soup – try our recipe!
Beetroot	leaf green	The green and red patterned leaves of the beetroot can be prepared like chard in a smoothie, in a salad or steamed and have a similar taste.
celery	leaf green	The leaves of the celery are great to use in a smoothie or puree in a soup.
asparagus (white)	Peel	The woody shells of white asparagus are usually cut off, as they greatly limit the tender pleasure of eating asparagus. However, you can still cook them in a vegetable broth with butter and cream. The nutrients and flavors are transferred to the water and a strengthening soup is created. The shells are skimmed off after cooking.
zucchini	peel, seeds and flowers	Baked zucchini blossoms as a garnish for salads or soups look great and are even loved in gourmet kitchens. Plus, this is a delicious way to curb the zucchini glut.
onion/ garlic	Peel	Onion skins are particularly rich in quercetin. The taste, however, takes some getting used to and is not really digestible. We recommend boiling the bowls with (leftover) vegetables as a warming broth and skimming them off before consumption.