Integrative Acupuncture Center

Some important factors in treating Seasonal allergies

During allergy season many rush for antihistamines and other medications to stop their allergies. Chinese medicine believes that the underlying issues of weakness and excess have to be treated to help reduce and resolve allergies. Here are some key practical considerations that are critical to treating and reducing allergies.

1. Got any “wei”?

The Chinese concept of allergy draws on the idea of having enough defensive energy. Defensive energy or wei qi  (pronounced “chee”) isn’t whey protein but rather the superficial expression of the immune system. Between the skin and the muscles and is responsible for the opening and closing of pores. When this system gets weakened the body is unable to “shut the pores” and allergens can enter the sinus cavities and the skin causing the classic symptoms of swelling redness itching. Building up wei energy is critical to helping the body desensitize and react less to the antigen. This can be done with herbs especially herbal formulas related to Cinnamon twig as cinnamon twig  (not root) can be used to help gently realign the defensive energy. IN acupuncture, we needle points on the Lung meridian to help the body be able to deal with this allergen better.

1. How’s your gut?

A second consideration of allergies has to do with the state of the digestive system and elimination. Any issues related to digesting food, acid reflux, poor digestion, bloating, intestinal gas and problems with elimination ((constipation or diarrhea or not normal rhythm of movement) can worsen your allergies.

The stomach and intestine need to be working efficiently  to extract food stuff and eliminate the wastes from food. Most of the time, I see patients with “great Bowel movements” needing some help with either digesting food better, eliminating better or moving the stools better  in one way shape or form. Even if your digestion is “perfect”, if improved, it will yield even better results with allergies, when improved. I usually start people off with plenty of non soluable fiber, such as flax seed ground 1 table spoon daily, or a fiber supplement that they can take twice a day, along with a really good quality probiotic and some digestive herbs to help digest better or using other herbs to help digest fatty foods may also be called for. For those who constantly crave sweets, Candida, a yeast overgrowth in the gut, must be ruled out. Acupuncture points utilized for sinus and allergy problems almost always use the point called stomach 36 or St -36. St-36 is a tonification point of the stomach meridian, that affects the stomach and digestive organ systems. The name of the point Zu San Li or “Leg 3 Li”, emphasizes the idea that it is the stomach or the ability to digest well, that contributes to better energy, clearer thinking and better immune function, underscoring the emphasis on improving the digestion in order to enhance the immune function.

If you start to think of the intestines and the stomach as one long pipe that leads up to the sinuses, if there is any sluggishness or poor digestion, there will be more phlegm, and more congested sinuses that are more prone to allergies. So there is a strong link between gut health and sinus problems.

I usually have patients eliminate wheat, dairy, coffee and simple sweets during the allergy season to help decongest the digestive system by not overburdening it with potentially irritating foods on the digestion.

1. Got any “Righteous energy”?

“Righteous energy”, or Zheng  Qi,  is the deeper immune system energy that is responsible for general health and longevity as well as the ability to fight off allergies. Righteous energy comes from the Lung and Kidney organs. In Chinese medicine, organs have an expanded role that assumes many functions that are outside the control of the that organ system according to traditional medicine. The Lungs and Kidneys have an added role of providing energy for the immune system. People middle age can become very depleted from their hectic life styles, poor eating habits, getting too much sleep and getting very beat up due to stress. The result is chronic re-infection, slow to recover from colds, or flus, and generally feeling more tired, and easily run down. Chronic allergy symptoms must also look at the patient and determine if Lung and Kidney energies are weak. Using herbs to strengthen the Lungs and kidneys like Cordyceps or other tonics like Astragalus root  can be very helpful in successfully treating this underlying disorder. Acupuncture points located on the Lung, Stomach or kidney meridians can be extremely helpful in treating this condition.

1. Netti Pot

Netti pots are spouted containers that can be used to pass salt or saline treated water above the nose through the septum to flush out the sinus cavities. They even make a flush bottle that can be use to gently shoot water up into the sinuses. The benefits of the Netti pot include keeping the membranes moist, clearing out pollen and allergens that lodge into the mucus membranes. However, you should avoid using a Netti pot (or its counter part, the spray bottle version) if you are fighting a full blown infection, where the ears are clogged. Using a Netti pot then may increase discomfort and ear pain and or headaches.

Additionally, during the allergy months, you should wash your hair and skin from any residue of pollen to avoid chronic night time exposure as well as clear out your sinuses before retiring for the evening.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have a lot to offer the allergy sufferer. Using acupuncture, you can get near immediate help with your symptoms. Using Chinese herbs you can help treat both the symptomatic discomfort as well as focusing more on the underlying cause of the problem.  For more information please reach me at 201-444-7150.