Diet, Neti Pot, Acupuncture and Air Purifiers to the rescue!
It has happened once again … September has arrived and so has the fall allergy season. It is pretty much always the same thing this time of year: the ragweed starts blooming, the leaves start falling to the ground, and the mold starts growing and with that comes the allergy symptoms. Everyone is starting to feel the effects. Itchy eyes, congested or runny nose, sinus pressure and headaches, sneezing, and a general feeling of “can I just stay in bed today?” Allergy season … what fun! For some of us, this happens only once a year but for others spring and fall bring some or all of these symptoms. Is there anything that can bring relief this time of year? Yes, I think that there are several things that can help people to feel more human again.
Diet
Dietary changes can help a lot. I am not saying that diet will cure all of your symptoms but what I am saying is that if there are things in your diet that are compromising your immune system causing inflammation in your body, then identifying them and removing them will free up your immune system to deal with the allergens outside and may help to decrease your symptoms. I think that one of the best things that people with allergies can do for themselves is to put themselves on an elimination/challenge diet and see if there are any foods that create similar allergy symptoms. Even if you only remove these foods during allergy season, your body will function much better and you will be much happier. What is an elimination/challenge diet? Basically, you are taking out the top 8 foods that have been shown to cause people to have reactions, avoiding them for a 2-3 week period and then adding them back in to see what happens. It is a pretty simple process. The most common food sensitivities are wheat, gluten, corn, dairy, sugar, citrus, eggs and soy. I would say that there are a lot of people out there that would benefit greatly from taking dairy out of their diet during allergy season. From the Chinese Medicine perspective, dairy creates dampness (phlegm/mucus) in some people and by eliminating it, people can decrease their congestion, runny nose, sinus pressure and headaches. It is certainly worth a try! [If you would like more information on the elimination diet, send me an email at wellspring@wellspringholisticcenter.com]
Neti Pot
Another option that helps some people is the neti pot.
I know that a lot of people find this option to be disgusting, but it really does help. Many ear, nose and throat doctors are recommending some type of nasal irrigation whether it be with a neti pot or other device. Here is what WebMD has to say about the use of neti pots:
” Many people with sinus symptoms from allergies and environmental irritants also have begun to regularly use the Neti pot or other nasal irrigation devices, claiming that these devices alleviate congestion, and facial pain and pressure. Research backs up these claims, finding that nasal irrigation can be an effective way to relieve sinus symptoms when used along with standard sinus treatments. For some people, nasal irrigation may bring relief of sinus symptoms without the use of medications.
The basic explanation of how the Neti pot works is that it thins mucus and helps flush it out of the nasal passages.
A more biological explanation for how the Neti pot works has to do with tiny, hair-like structures called cilia that line the inside of the nasal and sinus cavities. These cilia wave back and forth to push mucus either to the back of the throat where it can be swallowed, or to the nose to be blown out. Saline solution can help increase the speed and improve coordination of the cilia so that they may more effectively remove the allergens and other irritants that cause sinus problems.”
So, as you can see, there really is something to nasal irrigation! The warm water actually feels good as it flows through the nasal passages. I have found that during allergy season, if I have been outside for an extended period of time, coming right in and flushing out my nasal passages can really reduce my symptoms later on. You can buy a neti pot pretty much anywhere these days – the grocery store, drug store, health food store and also at Wellspring. If you need more information about them, you can call or email us and we will be happy to help you.[wellspring@wellspringholisticcenter.com or 570-421-3708]
Acupuncture-
Another option for allergies is acupuncture. Acupuncture is based on the idea that there are meridians or channels that run along the body which carry Qi or vital energy. By taking your pulses and looking at your tongue, the state of the energy in the meridians and hence in your body is assessed. This helps a practitioner to create an acupuncture treatment designed specifically for you. Needles are then placed along the meridians to stimulate the flow of qi changing its direction or increasing or decreasing it which helps to create more balance in the body. This balance can allow the body to handle the allergens better, decrease congestion, eliminate itchy, watery eyes, eliminate headaches, and increase overall energy.
In a small but significant study of 26 hay fever patients published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, acupuncture reduced symptoms in all 26 — without side effects. A second study of some 72 people totally eliminated symptoms in more than half, with just two treatments.
“Acupuncture can be particularly useful if you are suffering from multiple allergies, since it works to quiet the areas of the immune system that are overstimulated by exposure to multiple irritating factors,” Dillard tells WebMD.
Austin Air Purifiers
One of the best things that Anita and I have found to help our allergies, as well as our family’s allergies, is the Austin Air Purifiers. Anita has been using them for years and has sworn by their effectiveness. When I moved to Stroudsburg, I immediately noticed an increase in my allergy symptoms and decided it was time to invest in a couple of air purifiers. I have not regretted my purchase. Several years ago Anita and I started to notice that our allergies were worse when we were working at the Wellspring office, so naturally our first thought was air purification. We now have 2 machines at the office and have noticed a huge difference. There are many brands of air purifiers on the market but we feel that the Austin Air purifiers are the best. New York Times best-selling author and allergy expert, Dr. Doris Rapp, awarded Austin Air her esteemed Seal of Approval. This accolade was given to the only air cleaner brand proven to get real results based on independent studies.
Here is some additional information about the air purifiers from the Austinair.com website.
“Sources such as dust, dust mites, pet dander, chemicals, and other household pollutants need to be managed with a plan. A very important part of your relief plan should be to first, find a good Austin Air purifier. The Austin Air Allergy Machine is the ideal air purification system for allergy sufferers. This Austin Air purifier is a high quality system that is very affordable while at the same time, exceptionally efficient in the removal of germs, bacteria, viruses, chemical sensitive particles, tobacco smoke, dust, pollen, gases, pollutants, allergens, and bothersome odors. It is also very effective at removing the harmful effects of mold and mildew!
How is this done? The Austin Air Purifiers contain the advanced features of a gas trapping military carbon cloth combined with High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filtration. Austin Air calls this revolutionary filtering solution High Efficiency Gas Adsorption (HEGA). This particle filtration, a new industry standard, delivers the most effective relief of symptoms for allergy and asthma sufferers. This Austin Air Purifier is so effective that the US military personnel use it to remove toxic poisons from the air.”
Wellspring Holistic Center sells Austin Air Purifiers. Contact us for more information about models available and prices. Allergy Season Special: take 15% off any machine and/or filter.
Ragweed and Pollen and Mold, No More!
So, is there one thing that can bring relief this allergy season? No, I do not think that there is one magic bullet, BUT I do think that a combination of one, two or all of the suggestions above can bring significant relief. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at wellspring@wellspringholisticcenter.com or by phone at 570-421-3708. Happy Breathing!
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