Though the rain this year has been great, its caused a terrible time for hay fever sufferers. Spring according to Chinese Medicine is a time of growth and renewal, which also means a lot of wind. Certain people are naturally susceptible to this element due a deficiency in their Wei Qi (akin the the immune system in Western Medicine). The wind gets lodged in the head and sinuses causing local blockages and irritation, which results in itchy nose/eyes etc. Similarly Western Medicine describes it as people who’s immune system abnormally reacts to the pollen in the air and brings about an allergic/inflammatory response. Though Acupuncture and herbs are very effective in alleviating the symptoms there are a few things to can do yourself to help manage and prevent attacks. Avoid eating large amount of dairy and drinking red wine, as the dairy can increase nasal mucous and red wine can activate histamines which will make the symptoms worse. Increasing your vitamin C can help as it acts as a natural anti-histamine. Another very effective method is nasal irrigation using a Neti Pot. This physically flushes the pollen out of the nasal cavity. Though some may find it a not so pleasant experience, irrigating the sinuses with a saline like solution is harmless and one of the best ways to help ease this allergy.
