Allergy season is in full swing, which means you may be stuck home feeling completely run down feeling like you just came down with the world’s worst cold right in the middle of Spring. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis is something that affects so many people this time of year, and it can certainly interfere with your overall quality of life.
Let’s take a closer look at what hay fever is, what causes it, and then some different remedies to help treat it, so you don’t have to suffer every time allergy season comes around.
What is Hay Fever & What Causes it?
Hay fever can lead to some of the same symptoms as a common cold such as a runny nose, sneezing, and sinus pressure. However, the difference is the hay fever isn’t caused by a viral infection, it is caused by an allergy to an environmental allergen such as pollen and dust mites.
90% of hay fever cases are related to pollen from trees and, while many people may opt for allergy relief pills to help treat symptoms, this approach fails to treat the root cause.
Symptoms of Hay Fever
Some of the most common symptoms of hay fever include:
- Runny nose
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Itchy nose
- Itchy throat
- Postnasal drip
- Itchy or red eyes
- Watery eyes
- Feeling run down and fatigued
Western vs. Chinese Medicine Perspective When Treating Hay Fever
Western Medicine
A western medicine approach to treating hay fever revolves around the belief that there is no cure available, and that allergy-relief pills can be taken as a way to help reduce symptoms.
These medications include:
- Antihistamines or Decongestants: Antihistamines can provide relief from symptoms but does not treat the root cause so hay fever may very well return the following allergy season. Decongestants simply reduce the amount of congestion until the medication wears off.
- Nasal Sprays: Narrows blood vessels, reduces inflammation and swelling and can help relieve hay fever symptoms.
Chinese Medicine
When using a Chinese Medicine approach to treating hay fever, it’s all about treating the root cause instead of just masking a symptom.
Chinese medicine looks at how the seasons come and go and how pollen is not the culprit, but a reaction of your immune system. When your immune system is reacting to an allergen, hay fever symptoms will present themselves, which are manifestations of your body trying to push excessive allergens out of the body.
A Chinese medicine approach also looks at the fact that allergies are triggered by imbalances as well as deficiencies in your organs such as qi deficiency in the spleen, kidneys, and lungs. This holistic approach looks at the whole body and different ways to strengthen these organs to ultimately get to the bottom of the problem along with the use of various natural modalities such as the use of natural herbs and acupuncture.
Did You Know Even Stress Can Affect Hay Fever?
Stress can lead to all kinds of imbalances in the body, and this includes hay fever. There have been studies done that have shown that those who suffered from hay fever and had high levels of stress had even more severe hay fever symptoms. While reducing your stress may not completely eliminate your seasonal allergies, it may help to lessen the symptoms.
Natural Remedies to Treat Hay Fever
While allergy season can be one of the hardest times of the year for hay fever sufferers, you don’t have to suffer all season long. There are so many natural remedies to help treat hay fever that you can implement into your healthy lifestyle.
- Acupuncture: Acupuncture is great, and there has been extensive academic research that has proven the effectiveness of acupuncture for so many different things, including hay fever. So, how does it work? Stimulating acupuncture points can help provide relief of symptoms, but may also help prevent hay fever altogether. Some people see a difference after just one session!
- Acupressure: Similar to acupuncture, acupressure involves applying pressure to acupoints on the body’s meridians, and acupressure may be very beneficial for those suffering from allergy symptoms like sinus pressure. Interested in reducing some of your allergy symptoms at home, watch this acupressure exercise video to get you started
Herbs to strengthen the immune system and treat the symptoms:
There are also quite a few herbs that can be very beneficial for strengthening the immune system and treating hay fever symptoms.