Hayfever

Hayfever, or seasonal allergic rhinitis, is an extremely common condition, caused by an allergy to pollen or fungal spores, affecting around 3 million Britons every year.

When you suffer from hayfever, the body’s immune system overreacts to the presence of external substances and results in inflammation and irritation, causing symptoms such as itching of the eyes, nose and back of throat, red and watery eyes, blocked and runny nose and sneezing.

How can Chinese Medicine help?

Lily offers Acupuncture treatments and/or Chinese herbal treatments to help ease hayfever symptoms. Preventative treatments are also becoming increasingly popular and are particularly useful when you begin treatments just before the months that you usually suffer from symptoms.

In 2003, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a consensus statement reporting that “In controlled studies, it has been shown that acupuncture is more effective than antihistamine drugs in the treatment of allergic rhinitis”.

Acupuncture can help to relieve hayfever symptoms by stimulating the secretion of neurotransmitters which influences the immune system and reduces inflammation. It is also able to regulate the blood flow by altering certain chemicals in cell membranes to regulate homeostasis within the body.

Chinese herbal medicine offers a more nutritional approach by strengthening the immune system to help prevent as well as treat allergic symptoms.

For many patients who prefer a more natural approach in the management of their hayfever, Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are able to offer gentle and effective relief from their symptoms every Spring and Summer. So enjoy your sunshine this year and drop Lily a call today!

Hayfever Tips

- Avoid ‘damp’ foods that produce more mucus in the body and make you more congested.  Damp foods include dairy, bananas, deep fried and greasy foods, oily foods and alcohol.  

- Inhale into a steam bath with White Flower Oil, an ancient Chinese remedy that is traditionally used to help clear the nasal passages.

- Use Self-Acupressure.  Press firmly on the Acupressure point between your eyebrows using your index finger or thumb.  The point should feel achey, tingling or numb.  Breathe deeply for one minute whilst you are applying pressure. 

- Homemade chicken broth with crushed garlic, ginger and spring onions helps in different ways:   

Chicken soup stops movement of neutrophils, white blood cells that stimulate release of mucus. Hot liquids keep mucous membranes hydrated.

Garlic helps strengthen the immune system.

Ginger and spring onions are hot and spicy in nature and act as expectorants to thin out secretions.