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By Dr. Linda Orlasky D.C.
With the onset of spring, some of us drive by those beautiful flowering trees admiring their beauty, while others sneeze, have itchy eyes, sore throat, and congestion, have a continual running nose and can’t wait for the flowering to cease.
I have patients say to me that some seasons they are better and less symptomatic than others. Why is that?
With hay fever in early spring our immune systems react to pollen and produce an antibody immunoglobin E (Ig E) to resist it. This Ig E releases certain chemicals like histamine to flush or clean out the airways. This hypersensitivity reaction is the body’s immune system imbalance. Let’s address some of the ways the immune system can become imbalanced. Poor diet, increased sugar intake, no exercise, chronic stress, lack of sleep, subluxations (nerve pressure), food allergies/poor digestion, hormonal changes, and change of seasons with extremes in temperature (just to name a few). Whatever our habits are in winter will determine what kind of a spring we will have.
The central nervous system must be free of interference, allowing a balance in sympathetic (speeds up) and parasympathetic (slows down) therefore creating a relaxing effect. Exercise also not only increases circulation but calms the central nervous system creating more balance in every system of the body. Chinese medicine can be used to diagnose and treat the underlying imbalances that cause these allergies in the first place also. The goal of acupuncture as well as chiropractic is to balance the body, unblock and strengthen the energy, depending on that patient. For some patients the weakness is in the lung meridian coupled with the large intestine and the pathology is wind-cold. Many times our defensive energy is blocked called Wei Qi which should circulate in everybody to fight off colds, allergy, viruses, etc... Wei Qi circulates around the major energy channels of the body. And other times there is liver stagnation seen very often resulting in stress. Acupuncture alters regulation of neurohormones, blood flow and helps restore the body’s natural flow.
There are many ways to promote good health and experience less severe hypersensitivity reactions in the body. Eliminating sugar, dairy (which increases mucus) products, caffeine (beating up the adrenal glands), and alcohol (which creates liver stress). Increase inside exercise, vitamin C, beta carotenes, selenium, bioflavonoid, and stinging nettle. Add humidity to your bedroom and use a saline cleanse before bed.
There are many ways to tackle hay fever. Try a combination of chiropractic, acupuncture to promote a stronger immune system, and also find out what food allergies you may have which can be weakening your whole digestive system therefore limiting nutrients and inflaming your body. These will make your pollen allergies worse. It’s a great mission to improve your true health, therefore how you feel.
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