**Asthma and Allergies, the Chinese Medicine solution**Dietary Therapies for Asthma and Allergies
**Take Home Remedies
---------------------Asthma and Allergies, The Chinese Medicine Solution
Even though it has been a slow - or strange? - start to Spring from a weather perspective here in the City of Roses, flowers are blooming and that means pollen is in the air. The recent rains are keeping the worst pollen counts at bay, but that may not last much longer. For those with asthma and allergies, that may mean some rough times ahead. According to Chinese Medicine theory, asthma and allergies are generally caused by a combination of low Spleen and Kidney Qi combined with external Wind-Damp factors which can combine with pathogenic Heat or Cold as well to intensify certain symptoms. Another way to think about it is like a battle - your soldiers are low on food (Qi) and they don't have enough energy to completely hold the line against the enemy (Wind-Damp + Heat/Cold). That means some of the bad guys get through and wreak some havoc inside your border. Leaving you with inflamed airways, itching, congested air passages and thick copious phlegm or sputum. Yep, they're bad guys. The Chinese Medicine solution? Tonify that Spleen and Kidney Qi to feed the army and fortify the line, expel Wind-Damp and his friends to purge the interior and do some clean up in the mean time to repair whatever damage they've done to the town. This is achieved through a combination of acupuncture, Chinese herbs, dietary therapies and some take home remedies providing a holistic and thorough approach to this internal struggle. While herbal formulas and acupuncture specifically must be prescribed and administered by a professional in office, dietary therapies and take home remedies are easy to share and below you will find some of my favorites for allergy and asthma symptoms.
Dietary Therapies - mm mm good!These dietary therapy recommendations are simple and effective. If you suffer from allergies or asthma I hope you will give them a try and see what you think!
- Spice it up - Spicy foods can thin mucus secretions and clear nasal passages. They are also warm in nature energetically, meaning they are especially effective for cold type allergies and asthma - i.e. symptoms that get worse if you are exposed to cold specifically. The easiest way to add spice to the diet is to try adding a little cayennepepper or ginger to your food. Ginger specifically is also a very effective anti-inflammatory and a natural antihistamine and decongestant. Specifically, it may add relief by dilating constricted bronchial tubes.
- Good Fats are Good! Enjoy Them - Good Omega-3 fatty acids can counter the formation of inflammatory chemicals in the blood stream that affect air passages. Good sources of Omega-3 are freshly ground flaxseed and Salmon.
- Increase Fiber and Eat Yoghurt - Food intolerances seem to be connected with seasonal allergies and a healthy active colon can decrease food sensitivities which, in turn, lightens the allergen burden on your immune system and can decrease your seasonal allergy symptoms. To achieve this, simply increase the fiber in your diet and eat more yoghurt to increase your good gut bacteria. In a study performed by the University of California, patients who were fed 18-24 oz of yoghurt per day experienced a 90% decline in their allergy symptoms (Am. Journal of Epidemiology).
- Apple a Day Keeps the Allergens and Inflammation Away - Some fruits, such as apples, are high in a flavinoid called Quercetin. This specific flavinoid decreases inflammation and acts as another natural antihistamine by virtue of being a flavinoid, and by cross reacting with pollen in the body to reduce the pollen's effects. Try an apple a day and see what you think!
- First, is to be sure at least rinse if not wash your face morning andnight. When you are out and about in the world, dust, pollen, mold spores in the air - all those things that those of us with allergen sensitive immune systems react to - are floating around out there and they stick to the natural oils in your skin to irritate you all day long. Washing and rinsing them away morning and night is a simple step that will go a long way to keeping those allergens at bay.
- Second is to wash allergens and dust et. al. out of your nasal passages using a saline nasal rinse or netti pot. These can take some getting used to, but mechanically removing the allergens from the nasal passages at least once a day (morning or night, or both, your choice) can also make a big difference in decreasing symptoms. Your body is doing the best it can - by sneezing, coughing, giving you a runny nose or with asthma by constricting your airways to decrease your exposure - but a nasal rinse or wash is a little extra help you can give your body with its assault.
- Third is to use a lubricating eye drop to provide another allergen barrier. If you suffer from eye symptoms, they are purely related to getting those allergens in your eyes and your eyes responding with their best attempt to get that stuff out. Just like the nasal rinsing, you can help by doing some mechanical flushing of your own. All you need is the simplest lubricating eye drop from the grocery store. You can use them day and night, and sometimes regular flushing of the eyes with a lubricating eye drop can reduce or erase the need for an antihistamine or medicated eye drop which can be drying over time.
- Last is water water water. I know, its the simplest one that we are all always striving for, but it can't be emphasized enough - drink plenty of water. Water is the medium for every process in your body and without enough, your body has little chance to keep allergies and asthma at bay. Try to drink at least 8 glasses per day, and if you are suffering from allergy or asthma symptoms try your hardest to get in just one or two more to flush the inflammation out of your body and support your immune system in doing the best job it can.
As usual thanks again for tuning in. If you suffer from asthma or allergies I hope you will take advantage of some of these tips and see what you think. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs can also be essential in fighting the allergy and asthma fight so please remember that you can always book on-line via my website, email me direct or call at (503)445-8888 ext. 1 for appointments, consultations or if you just want to contact me with a question. Be sure to check back regularly for appointments - last minute cancellations and openings do happen - and if you ever want to come in on a certain day but there are no slots available, please email me and I will put you on a wait list in case something opens up.
yours in health and wellness,
~Rebecca
