Power Over Pollen: Battle Hayfever With A Simple Chinese Medicine Approach
Spring has sprung! The birds are courting, the sun is warming and the wattles are bursting.
For many people, that means the dread of hayfever – ugh!
This makes for a tiring and phlegm-filled beginning to Spring and if you’ve only recently recovered from a Winter cold, it can all roll together in a hazy fog – no fun!
The good news is that Chinese Medicine has a lot to offer in the way of preventing the onset of hayfever, by providing positive treatment of both the symptoms and underlying causes of hayfever.
Hayfever symptoms are the result of an over-active immune system and one of the key underlying causes – from a Chinese Medicine perspective – is a weakness in the digestive system.
This then produces insufficient energy for a healthy immune response to allergens. Worry/overthinking, lack of exercise and poor diet can all contribute to poor gut health. Treatments are targeted at reducing the severity of symptoms as well as strengthening the underlying disharmony so that attacks are less frequent.
There is increasing evidence showing the connection between gut health and immunity, according to biomedical modelling.
Acupuncture, alongside herbal remedies, aims to support this innate connection. It can be more straightforward and desirable to prevent the onset of symptoms rather than deal with them when they are already upon you.
In the meantime, here are a few gems of advice and top tips to help bring a spring to your step –
- Take care of your digestive system by eating warm, easily digestible foods: soups, stir fry, congee
- Avoid phlegm-producing foods such as dairy, cold foods, sweets, nuts, alcohol and wheat
- Sip on chrysanthemum tea if symptoms arise
- Exercise each day to keep your Qi moving
- Get plenty of sleep to keep your system strong
- De-stress with nourishing relaxation activities – find a Tai Chi or Yoga class to bring some fresh inspiration
- Steam inhalation with eucalyptus oil can help reduce congestion
Additionally, self-massage is a wonderful tool to help manage symptoms when they flare. Try these simple acupressure points for natural hayfever management:
- In the webbed point between your thumb and index finger – press 36 times
- Just to the side of each nostril. Press 36 times
- Massage along your hairline at the back of your neck
- Grasp one shoulder with the opposite hand 3-5 times, then use a loose fist to lightly pound 36 times
Now is a great time to visit the Moonee Ponds MindBody Health Centre for a course of treatment to help strengthen your system and regulate immunity.