By Jasmine Hope Silva (Contributor) – Email
Spring is in the air. Bird songs, romance — it’s the time of year where everyone is “twitterpated,” when the blossoms are blooming, and April showers are preparing to intrude. Apparently it’s also the only time of year people clean their houses? Yes, the days are beginning to lighten up. But for all these wonderful, bright things we associate with springtime, there is something else, and it’s far less enjoyable, for spring brings with it … allergies!
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Mine start to trigger when the lilies and peonies blossom, before exploding into a full-blown, hellish reaction as soon as the first lawn of the neighborhood is mowed. So how do you fend off pollen without popping drowsy pills during final exam season? There is an alternative: oil of oregano.
Small doses of the oil can help prevent you from sneezing, and while allergy medication often makes me feel sleepy, gives me nose bleeds, or turns me into an insomniac, oil of oregano prevents my eyes from swelling over and my nose from falling off into a disgusting puddle of mucus — all without messing up my sleeping patterns.
Oregano’s medicinal qualities are all due to the presence of the compound carvacrol, which has antibacterial properties similar to many over-the-counter antibiotics and is roughly equal to those same antibiotics in effectiveness. Carvacrol is found in many other essential oils, such as bergamot and thyme. However, oregano’s relative abundance, coupled with it not being too pungent, means you’re more likely to easily find oil of oregano.
Amongst its other qualities, oil of oregano can also calm your digestive system, help you fight infections, and serves as an alternative source of iron, calcium, and vitamins C and E. Oil of oregano also has some more effects when ingested, such as helping with sinus pain, arthritis, earaches, and even fatigue. Yes, oil of oregano can help rouse a tired student — add that to your list of caffeine alternatives!
So if springtime brings on the sniffles, and if you want to try something new to combat it, spend a little bit more and try some oil of oregano before allergies begin their infiltration of your system. Your classmates will thank you for not being a sniffling, sneezing distraction during a three-hour long exam.
With files from Glen Ess.
