Alleviate allergies: if you suffer from seasonal allergies, you'll want to try some natural remedies, including nettle, quercetin, and more.(SUPPLEMENTS: HOW TO)

If you're an airborne allergy sufferer, then headache, nonstop sneezing, stuffy nose, and fatigue are your steady companions for several months every year. And for those with year-round allergies, each day brings a cycle of misery, which might be temporarily abated by powerful antihistamines and decongestants that often have side effects more uncomfortable than the original symptoms.

Hay fever sounds like it must be an allergy to hay, but the name is colloquial for allergic rhinitis, a disorder that involves sneezing, itchy throat and eyes, sinus headaches, and sometimes coughing. Triggered by different kinds of pollen, it can vary with the seasons: tree pollens in spring, grass and weed pollens in summer, and ragweed pollen in the fall. Pets, molds, mildew/fungus, dust, and cigarette smoke are common household allergens.

Holistically oriented practitioners use dietary and supplement therapies to strengthen the body's defenses against hay fever and allergies. A diet designed to lessen inflammation, for example, is thought to ease allergies. Eliminating commonly allergenic foods (e.g., dairy and wheat and/or gluten) can help tame airborne allergies by reducing your body's overall stress. Supplements can help as well. Here are our top three favorites.

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Remedy 1: Nettle--a Natural Antihistamine

Nearly 500 species of nettles can be found around the world. They're mainly tropical, though several occur widely in temperate climates. A consensus that nettle leaf is effective for allergy symptoms has been forming among clinical herbalists over the past decade. Although investigations remain preliminary, scientific research seems to point to the anti-inflammatory and antiallergy properties of nettle.

Some researchers think one of the active components is a bioflavonoid, others think polysaccharides are responsible, still others say lectins deserve the credit. But whatever the final determination of the active ingredients, nettle loses its antiallergy power if not harvested and processed correctly. Look for a high-quality powdered product that has been freeze-dried or specially processed to retain the active ingredients. This special processing costs more, so don't be seduced by cheap imitations.