By - March 21, 2022
Categories: General
In our last article, we briefly talked about how acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine can help with allergy symptoms. If you’re like me, you’ve probably spent years looking for ways to feel better throughout allergy season (and spent a mini fortune on tissues!).
One of the most important things you can do to help with allergies is to strengthen your protective energy. Everything comes back to the way energy flows in your body. If your energy is “stuck,” this can cause a whole host of problems down the road. We use acupuncture to help that energy move along, keeping your body operating the way that it should.
For example, we might focus on treating your lungs or your spleen to strengthen this protective energy during allergy season. This helps keep you healthy when things enter your body through your nose and mouth that shouldn’t be there. Have you ever noticed during allergy season that everything just feels “off” when you’re breathing? That is your body trying to tell you something about your protective energy. Listen to it!
The problem is that we can spend way too much time and effort chasing our symptoms after allergy season has already begun. What if we took a more proactive approach? One of the ways we can kickstart our bodies into gear is to stop waiting for the symptoms to start.
Be Proactive in Strengthening Protective Energy
We’ve been conditioned to think, “If I just take this pill, I’ll feel much better.” We all seem to want the easy button for most things in life, especially with our health. However, optimal health takes work. It isn’t difficult, but it takes intention and consistency. Western medicine won’t always accomplish this alone. There are many different prescription and over-the-counter medications that can help during allergy season, but it’s often not enough, or in worse cases, create new problems.
Acupuncture can help support western medicine in immense ways. In addition to acupuncture treatments, we employ many different herbal formulas to address different issues that tend to appear in our bodies, many of which are related to seasonal allergies. By consulting with an herbalist, you’ll be able to find different formulas for herbal treatment to help boost your immune system and strengthen your protective energy, without all those nasty side effects.
Take a look at the way some medications react with your body. Many can cause drowsiness. In many formulas, magnolia flower is used similarly to the way many medications use antihistamines without causing drowsiness.
Knowing the right combination of herbs and beginning their use before your allergies are out of control is key.
How Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Help Your Allergy Symptoms Right Now
Since we’re already going into allergy season, here are some things that you can do right now:
- Begin an herbal treatment as soon as possible. We recommend beginning this as early as January prior to the beginning of the season, but it’s never too late to get started!
- Start acupuncture right away – build that protective energy back up!
- Keep taking your allergy medication as recommended by your doctor.
In addition to the above tips, here are some other things to consider:
- Wash your face before bed. Whatever you’re carrying around on your face is coming with you!
- Wash your pillowcase more regularly. If you didn’t wash your face before bed, those pollens are still there!
- Invest in a high-quality humidifier or air purifier.
Getting Started with Acupuncture and TCM for Seasonal Allergies
Before you run out to Google all of the best herbal formulas to treat allergies that you can pick up from your local grocery store, it’s important to speak with an acupuncturist or herbalist prior to beginning an herbal regimen to make sure all your bases are covered, and that there aren’t any other underlying issues. Not all herbs are created equal, and you never want to miss something by simply not taking the time to speak with a qualified practitioner.
Schedule an appointment today to get started on bettering your health and kicking allergy symptoms to the curb!
