6 Ways to Beat Seasonal Allergies

If you are suffering from sneezing, congestion, itchy, watering eyes, or other symptoms of seasonal allergies, here are six ways to get relief!

1. Hydrotherapy, including the Wet Sock Treatment.

2. Lobelia extract, four droppers full every few hours to dry up excess mucus production and clear congestion. Not recommended for those with high blood pressure. Check with your doctor for other contraindications.

3. Local honey. If the bees have taken the nectar of the local plants that you are allergic to, their honey can help you build up a resistance to an allergic response.

4. Homeopathic remedies to reduce symptoms, including homeopathic eye drops ro reduce irritation.

5. Boswellia Serrata to decrease the inflammatory response.

6. Balancing the body’s meridians. Allergies send the body out of balance. If that balance can be restored, the body can overcome the effects of the allergens. Acupuncture, Chinese medicines, and chiropractic adjustments can help to restore the balance.

7. Good hygiene. If you have identified the cause of the reaction, do all you can to keep your body away from the allergens. Change your clothes if you have been exposed. Wash your hands before touching your face, especially your nose, mouth or eyes. You could even rinse the membranes in your nose with saline sprays or neti pots (small pitcher like pots that help deliver a stream of water into the sinuses) to wash out the allergens. If you suffer from windblown allergens, keep your windows closed and install a good filtering system.
    

Why the Body Reacts to Seasonal Allergies

When allergens attack the body, it responds by trying to protect itself by repelling them. Your body sees the allergens as a danger, just as it would a virus or unwanted bacteria. The body increases mucus production to wash allergens from the nose, mouth, and sinuses. Eyes water and blinking increases to rinse allergens from the eyes. Congestion results from the body’s attempts to bring circulation to the infected area to increase white blood cells as a response to the allergen invaders. While these general approaches may be helpful to anyone who may have symptoms, avoiding allergy attacks can be complicated, because everyone’s body is unique A protocol that works well for one person may not be helpful to another. If you suffer from seasonal allergies and don’t want to waste time or money on protocols that may not be helpful, come into our office for an evaluation.
 

Long term strategies to avoid allergies

Nutrition

Proper nutrition can help the body to manage allergen response.

Stress
Environmental allergens create stress on the body. If you are already suffering from other stress (emotional, physical, financial, work, or just feeling overwhelmed), allergens may be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. You may need to address behavioral coping skills as well as specific herbs and nutrients that will help you deal with stress in a way that is gentler on your body.
 

Physical Health

The part of the body most important in managing stress is the adrenal glands. For them to function optimally, they need good circulation and nerve supply. For example, a chronic back problem (especially in the thoracic area) may reduce the adrenal gland’s ability to function properly.
 

Presence of Other Allergies

Your body’s response may be compromised because of regular exposure to other allergens. For example, if you are constantly consuming foods create an allergic reaction, your body may be in a chronic state of inflammatory response. Identifying and removing these foods from your diet may be critical to eliminating your allergic responses.
 

Balancing the Body’s Organ Systems

Illness and disease in the body begins as a disruption in the body’s balance. Allergens disrupt this balance. In our office we utilize a computerized Vital Body Scan to detect and graph these imbalances. Once identified, these imbalances can then be correced using one or a combination of the following methods: Chinese remedies, acupuncture, nutrition and/or chiropractic adjustments.