After a long Canadian winter, the milder spring season brings a sense of relief—unless of course you spend most of it sneezing, sniffling and dabbing at your runny eyes.

The spring’s pollen-filled air is no friend of the seasonal-allergy sufferer, whose immune system attempts to fight back by releasing antibodies that raise histamine levels and cause irritating and painful inflammation. Thankfully, there are some natural strategies available for battling seasonal allergies. Here are 7 of our favourites:

1. Step up the vitamin C. Immune-boosting vitamin C helps lower the histamine levels in your bloodstream, potentially preventing the onset of annoying allergies.
2. Clean air; don’t care. Consider adding a HEPA air purifier to your home to help filter out aggravating indoor pollutants such as pet dander and dust.
3. Pet-proof your sleep space. Keep pets that spend time outdoors out of your bedroom to prevent pollen from transferring from their fur to your furniture. It’s also a good idea to bathe pets often during allergy season.
4. Bottom’s up. Drink lots of water because fluids can help to thin mucus and hydrate your airways to help you stay less stuffed up.
5. Flush it out. Try a Neti pot to flush allergens out of your nasal cavity with a gentle saline solution.
6. Give props to probiotics. In addition to promoting healthy gut flora, probiotics have been shown to help support the immune systems of children suffering from allergies.
7. Hit the showers. Not only will the steam help soothe sinuses and clear nasal passages, showering will also help wash allergens from your skin and hair after being outdoors.

Allergies can definitely put a damper on things this time of year, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend your time hiding inside between trips to the drugstore. With help from these simple, natural remedies, you can put a little spring back into your step this allergy season.