Well, it is almost that time of year. For some, it may have already started. The increase amount of rain and the warmer temperatures this year will allow for a lot more pollen. While it should be a spectacular spring, with the wide variety of flowers, it will be a higher pollen season for sure.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including a combination of acupuncture and Chinese Herbs, is a safe and natural option for treating allergies. Our goal is to promote a healthy flow of Qi that travels through the body. TCM interprets the cause of allergic rhinitis (allergies) as an imbalance in the distribution of Qi. The blockages, excess, deficiencies and imbalance that can occur in each meridian system and organ need to be identified and fixed in order to eliminate the allergy symptoms.
Allergic rhinitis in TCM is an invasion of wind cold that can turn into wind heat if not treated properly. Allergy symptoms will either present as wind cold-runny nose, sneezing, clear or white mucus, some chills, headaches, and slight fever or wind heat with more fever than chills, sneezing, headaches, stuffy/runny nose and yellow mucus. Wind, like the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, causes congestion. This wind almost always coexists with a deficiency of the protective qi or what we call wei qi. Wei qi is what western medicine calls our immune system. Wei qi deficient people usually catch colds easily and have more acute allergy symptoms in the Spring and Fall.
Treatment using acupuncture and herbal medicine can dramatically lessen allergic reactions, or in some cases help them tolerate what caused the symptoms to begin with. If we can boost your immune system, the body will not produce symptoms.
We use a two phase approach, the first being during the pollen season we treat by expelling the wind cold or wind heat. Second, after the pollen season or when the symptoms have cleared we focus on treating the underlying problem of strengthening your immune system. We can then treat on an as needed basis or just twice a year before allergy season to boost your immune system.
Also, if we have chronic allergy sufferers, it would be the same principle with the added benefit of treating the root of the problem, which could be a kidney, spleen or lung deficiencies. All this is custom tailored to the individual, no two bodies are alike and we treat each person differently. This is the miracle of Chinese medicine, it is custom tailored for each person.
Allergies are definitely treatable and TCM provides an alternative to western medication. If you suffer from allergies, come and see us, we can help!
