ESCAPADA E-MAGAZINE
WHAT IS HAY FEVER?
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen and therefore is common in spring and summer. Typical symptoms include itchy eyes, blocked or runny nose, sneezing fits and breathing problems. Some people react in a similar way to house dust and animals such as cats, dogs and horses. In the UK alone, there may be over 10 million people with hay fever. Most suffers rely on anti-histamines to get through the pollen season. Health complications from repeated hay fever attacks, year after year, may be an even more serious problem. Chronic sinusitis – inflammation of the sinus cavities is one of these problems. Another is nasal polps, or growths. In addition, significant percentages of people with hay fever have or develop asthma.
To be able to breathe free and to feel your best, even during allergy season, you need to identify and treat the root cause of your allergy.
During allergy season with chronic sneezing, itchy eyes and other complications from seasonal allergies, your immune system goes haywire and releases histamine. Histamine opens the blood vessels and causes swollen membranes. In Chinese Medicine we work in two steps; Step one clear acute symptoms, naturally dissolving phlegm, clearing discharge and opening the nasal passages. Step 2 covers the phases between allergy seasons to boost the immune system and strengthen any deficiency in the body that allow allergic reactions to arise.
Most people get allergy relief from antihistamines to stop symptoms of nasal allergies. But over the counter drugs override your body's natural immune response and don't address the root cause of allergic rhinitis. Not to mention their side effects e.g. drowsiness.
HAYFEVER AND CHINESE MEDICINE
Chinese Medicine has been proven to be a good tool in your toolbox for treating and managing Hayfever. Charlie Changli Xue,* Robert English,* Jerry Jiansheng Zhang,* Cliff Da Costa+ and Chun Guang Li (2001) did a randomised controlled clinical trial proving acupuncture is an effective and safe alternative treatment for the management of SAR. Although acupuncture is often associated with pain control, in the hands of a well-trained practitioner it has a much broader application. The modern scientific explanation is that acupuncture stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the body that influence the body’s own internal regulating system. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities. It can help to strengthen the body’s resistance and can regulate the body’s antigen-antibody’s reactions.
