Conquer Seasonal Allergies This Winter
TLDR: Winter season is the best time to seek treatment if you suffer from seasonal allergies in Spring and Summer.
As winter season starts to creep in, I begin to dream of Spring; the time of year that is much anticipated for its longer days, warmer weather, and general mood boosting properties. Most of us enjoy getting outdoors to delve our senses into the spring flowers, but many of us also experience an adverse reaction to the increase of pollen in the air. It is estimated that 36million people in the United States alone suffer from seasonal allergies. Symptoms of coming in contact with an allergen can cause to you have itchy and watering eyes, incessant sneezing, runny nose, and a headache to name a few. Antihistamines are a group of medications that reduce the symptoms but should only be used for a short period of time and leave users prone to repeated attacks. Why not try to prevent the onset of symptoms in the first place?
Certain acupuncture points can be chosen to help relieve and prevent symptoms of allergies, and many studies have been conducted to confirm its efficacy. A research article published in Annals of allergy, asthma, & immunology journal studied 175 participants between the ages of 17 and 80 years old with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). Half were place in the acupuncture treatment group and the other half in a placebo group. The study followed the participates for four weeks at a time over the course of three years. Their findings showed acupuncture to be greatly affective over placebo, even after only four weeks of treatment. Acupuncture relieved symptoms of sneezing and itchiness as well as improved the quality of life in the participants who received it.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the spring time is associated with growth, development, an activity in humans and our surroundings. This is apparent in the new green leaves that emerge on a tree, the blossoming flower buds and grasses, the increased warmth and light shed by the sun, and the light spring breeze. In our bodies, we wake up earlier, feel more energetic, and have a natural tendency for upward and expansive creativity. Negativity, the spring wind can affect our upper body and face to cause abrupt symptoms of itching and dryness of our sensory organs (just as the nature of wind is to move quickly and in the upward direction). Sounds a lot like seasonal allergies, right?!
The best time to seek acupuncture treatment for allergies is during the winter season to prevent the onset or reduce the severity of symptoms. In winter, we preserve Fall’s harvest of crops and in TCM theory, our bodies store and conserve our vital energy. Acupuncture treatments would be geared towards increasing immunity, health, and vitality of the internal organ systems to build up a natural reserve. By the time spring comes around, your body will be equipped with the troops ready to defend any external invasion (read as cold/flu/allergen).
Sources:
Link to study: https://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206(15)00342-7/fulltext
3 easy things you can try at home:
Press on acupoint LI4. It is located in the web of the hand between the thumb and pointer finger. The point should feel tender when pressed. Doing this several times a day will alleviate symptoms of nasal congestion and sinus headache.
Give yourself facial tuina/massage. With both hands, place your thumbs on the inside edge of each eyebrow. The other fingers should be pressing down along the top of your forehead on the hair line. Using a sweeping motion while applying a bit of pressure, move your thumbs along your eyebrow from inside to outside. Do this at least 9 times. You can also include a temple rub by using a circular motion at the end of each pass over the temples.
Drink plenty of warm liquids and eat warm foods. Simply swap out iced water for hot water, or green tea for black tea. Swap raw salad for warm broth, or fresh fruit for baked fruit. Add warming spices to your cooking such as ginger, green onion, garlic, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne, cardamom, and cinnamon. Warm natured foods boost yang energy and can help raise the bodies core temperature to support processes such as digestion, metabolism, and circulation.