Hay fever is caused by windborne substances like pollen and ragweed. The allergy is caused by an over reaction to these substances. Usually, the body sends out antibodies to fight off the offending invaders and the amount of antibodies sent is usually proportional to the amount of damage. But if you have an allergy, the body sends out too many antibodies, which then attack the allergen and the body?s own tissue, causing the usual hay fever symptoms of runny nose, itchy eyes, sinus pressure. In order to alleviate this problem it is best to avoid whatever is causing your allergy. Of course, this is not always possible. The usual medications that are recommended only work for a short time. They only alleviate the symptoms, they don?t go to the core of the problem. Allergy shots are the same. They may work for one allergy season, but not for the next. Natural remedies are much safer, and often go to the root of the problem, fixing the underlying cause of the body?s over reaction in the first place. There are several herbs that help with hay fever. Nettles has been a longtime favorite. It contains many vitamins and minerals that help the body overcome the allergy Leeks and green onions are also excellent. You can make leeks and green onion soup. This will go a long way toward helping alleviate your symptoms. Cayenne pepper. This herb is very hot, and if you can tolerate it, is excellent for almost any allergy or illness. It contains many vitamins and minerals which are circulated throughout the blood stream. One of the best ways to cool off after taking cayenne, is to drink a glass of cold milk. Elder flowers is another herb that?s very helpful http://www.thenaturalremedies.com