Allergies and Chinese Medicine

After months of thick ice, freezing winds, and cold temperatures, Spring cannot come soon enough for many of us. But for those of us with Spring allergies, the warmer weather, the cheerful chirping of birds, the colorful blooming flowers and trees can feel like the Nightmare 2.0. Sneezing, runny nose, congestion, post nasal drip, irritated skin, and itchy and watery eyes are symptoms we would not wish on our worst enemies. These symptoms can be unbearable and severely impact our daily life, sleep and work. Chinese Medicine offers a variety of approaches to managing allergies, often focusing on balancing the body’s energy, Qi, and strengthening the immune system. Through lifestyle changes such as dietary adjustments, emotional regulation, acupressure, herbal medicine and acupuncture, Chinese Medicine can help alleviate allergy symptoms. Some simple but consistent changes you can implement include: - Dietary Adjustments: Incorporating anti-allergic foods such as carrots, enoki mushrooms, and raw local honey can help enhance skin defenses, boost immunity, and reduce allergic reactions. It’s best to avoid spicy, irritating, or cold foods like hot pot, wasabi, chili peppers, dairy, and chilled beverages. - Emotional Regulation: Practices such as meditation, yoga, and music therapy can help relax the mind and body. Maintaining a happy and calm mindset supports the smooth flow of liver Qi and balances Qi and blood, which may improve allergic sensitivity over time. - Acupressure: Gentle pressure can promote blood circulation, relieve muscle tension, and ease allergy symptoms. Targeting specific pressure points may help with general relaxation and allergy relief, including: - Yin Tang: Located at the midpoint between the eyebrows. - LI20 (Ying Xiang): Found at the base of the nostrils, on either side. - Bitong: Just above the nostrils, near the crease of the nose. - LI4 (He Gu): In the fleshy area between the thumb and index finger. To use acupressure, gently press each point with your thumb or finger. Apply steady pressure for 20–30 seconds, then release. Repeat 3–5 times for each point. For more severe allergy sufferers, consider using Acupuncture, herbal medicine to help balance the body’s energy, strengthen the immune system and/or address the allergen at its root cause using SAAT treatments. By using these methods, you are not just treating symptoms but helping your body to become stronger, healthier and more holistic. Traditional Chinese Medicine views a person as an ever evolving being that is constantly living within and interacting with the environment and one’s own internal body. On one level, at any given moment, the body is constantly processing, engaging, adapting and modifying itself to the wind, cold, heat, dryness and dampness of the external world. This is the dynamic according to the seasons, Spring brings more wind, Summer more heat and dampness, Autumn more dryness and Winter more cold. All of these seasons and their characteristics impact our body. If the body is balanced, we gracefully flow from one season to the next without difficulties. However, if the body’s balance is damaged, our bodies lose the ability to adjust and therefore cannot follow the changes. It is not in harmony, soon, symptoms, illness and disease follow. But why do some people have allergies and some do not? In Chinese Medicine, the answer is not simple and straightforward. Each individual is unique, their lifestyle, diet, mental and emotional health and circumstances create a complete and special environment that does not simply follow a specific pattern. Broadly, some people have stronger immune systems, wei qi, and are more resistant to outside imbalances. Others have a weaker constitution possibly from other immune system disorders, prolonged illness, poor diet, lack of sleep or high stress. As a result, their bodies are not as capable of handling the dramatic changes. However, these imbalances can be improved with Chinese Medicine. Chinese Medicine addresses allergies by identifying and locating the imbalances within the body. Treatments can include acupuncture, acupressure, and herbal medicine to address internal imbalances and symptoms. Soliman’s Auricular Allergy Treatments (SAAT) can reprogram the immune system to reduce production of histamines to specific allergens. By applying a holistic approach to the treatment of allergies, allergy sufferers no longer have to fear the changes of the Seasons.