Tag Archives: herbal remedy

AHHHHH Ragweed!

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My savior

My savior

After a rather mild allergy year, the last couple of nights I have been waking up with a heavy chest, itchy eyes, scratchy throat and a congested head. No worries, all I needed to do is stumble to the bathroom and find my trusty goldenrod tincture and within a couple of minutes I was able to fall back to sleep. I suspect the culprit of my discomfort is RAGWEED. It’s a rather unobtrusive weed that wreaks havoc with 30% of the human population. It really does not stand out very much as it is a little green plant with green flowers. Since goldenrod is a much showier plant and comes out at the same time as ragweed, it is unfairly blamed for late summer allergies. The big difference is that ragweed’s pollen is dispersed by the wind, while goldenrod has sticky pollen and relies on critters for pollination.

There it is hiding among the other plants. It looks quite innocent , but, oh no, don't be fooled.

There it is hiding among the other plants. It looks quite innocent , but, oh no, don’t be fooled.

Ragweed is very adept at wind pollination. Scientists estimate that a single ragweed plant can release one billion grains of pollen over the course of a single ragweed season. In addition, the grains are so light that they float easily even on gentle breezes. Pollen has been detected as far as 400 miles out to sea and up to two miles up in the atmosphere. There are a few of things a person can do to try to protect themselves from all that pollen floating around:

  • Close the windows
  • Do not use window fans
  • Use air conditioners
  • Limit time outside
  • Take a shower before bed
  • Don’t hang laundry on clotheslines
  • Use a neti pot to clean out your sinuses

I do not know about you but even though all the items above will help with my allergies, I will probably only do one or two on the list. Take a shower before bed and use the neti pot. So what do I do? Thank goodness for goldenrod, my allergy savior. During very difficult days, I will do one of two things, depending on my mood. Add 30-60 drops of goldenrod tincture in my water bottle, that way I will be slowly getting some all day long. Alternatively, I’ll make a quart of infused stinging nettles and goldenrod to sip throughout the day. Sometimes I add anise hyssop that I have in the garden to improve the taste. It has a nice licorice taste and helps aids my respiratory system to boot.

How do you deal with your seasonal allergies? Please share and I will continue to share.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Jewelweed is a great remedy for Poison Ivy

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With the advent of spring and the fairer weather, if you are anything like me the woods are calling you and asking you to explore. There are so many lovely things to see and experience on a walk in the woods. As with all things in life, there are some not so wonderful things as well. For instance, Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) creates an itchy rash or worse when most people touch it.

Why do those annoying plants make us break out in itchy rashes?  The culprit is urushiol, a chemical found in the leaves and stems of the plants. Urushiol is one of the most potent toxins; a mere one billionth of a gram is enough to affect a sensitive individual. Direct contact with urushiol causes skin irritation in about 90% of the population.

The first line of defense against poison ivy is to get to know what it looks like and never touch it. It is potent and has the ability to give you an allergic reaction all year round. Nevertheless, sometimes it is unavoidable. Therefore, the next best thing is get to know Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). Jewelweed’s blocking and healing properties are amazing.  The active ingredient in Jewelweed is a chemical called lawsone, which binds to the same molecular sites in the skin that the urushiol attacks.  If Jewelweed is applied quickly enough, it can beat the urushiol to those sites and lock it out.  If applied later, the lawsone works to block the action of the allergic resin in the skin and helps heal the rash.

Apparently, if you apply Jewelweed within three hours of contact with poison ivy you can block the allergic reaction. On a hike a couple of years ago, we tested this theory. I was hiking with Mike and Mathew around a lake in the National Forest, all of sudden we were surrounded by Poison Ivy. We had to make a decision, turn around and go back or go forward through large patches of Poison Ivy, which was high as our knees. It was a tough decision as we were ¾ of the way around the lake, it was very hot, we were running low on water and very tired. I noticed some Jewelweed and we decided to risk the walk through the Poison Ivy. After we got through all the Poison Ivy, we took the Jewelweed, mashed it up in our hands and rubbed it all over the exposed areas of our legs. Jewelweed makes a very moist pulp and is easy to spread.  I am overjoyed to tell you that it worked. None of us got a Poison Ivy rash.

Jewelweed blossom

Jewelweed is easier to identify when it’s flowering, then again aren’t most plants. No need to wait until late summer to identify Jewelweed, it’s growing now and will block the rash from contact with Poison Ivy. It’s stem is distinctively succulent, which is rather unusual. The delicate leaves are 1/4 to 1/2″ long-oval, long-stalked, with a few rounded teeth. The upper leaves are alternate, the lower ones opposite. They’re water-repellent, so they look like they’re covered with tiny jewels (raindrops) after it rains, hence the name Jewelweed. Another name for Jewelweed is “Touch-Me-Nots” which refers to its seeds. When the seeds are ripe and lightly touched, they burst apart as they have a spring mechanism inside. When I was a kid, I loved liberating the seeds in the fall.

jewelweed

Jewelweed

Luckily, Jewelweed and Poison Ivy tend to grow in the same habitat. So get to know what Poison Ivy and Jewelweed looks like. You may need to be saved someday.

jewelweed and poison ivy

Jewelweed surrounding Poison Ivy