Hay fever
May can be said to be the worst month for sufferers of hay fever caused by exposure to tree pollens. If you are constantly sneezing and suffering and still haven’t found the best remedy, then maybe the following Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic recommendations can help.
Acupuncture – TCM says that hay fever is usually caused by qi deficiency and lung wind-heat. Acupuncture treatments have been found to be very effective for hay fever and asthma.
Foods – To strengthen defensive qi and the immune system, foods should be easily digested, such as warm foods, congees (try brown rice with walnuts), soups and stir-fries. Avoid cold damp foods, such as alcohol, nuts, dairy, wheat, sweet and raw foods.
Bee pollen and raw honey – Bee products can be very useful in the treatment of hay fever, however they must be taken at least six weeks before the start of the pollen season and continued throughout.
Citrus seed extract – This is made mainly from grapefruit and is an excellent natural antibiotic, treating not only hay fever but also other damp conditions, such as candida, ”traveler’s diarrhea”, strep throat and staph infections. Find it in capsules, liquid extracts and sprays. Note: citrus seed extract should not be used in deficient yin conditions.
Garlic – In chronic conditions of hay fever, garlic must be taken for several weeks. Note: Chinese medicine says that too much garlic may damage the stomach and the liver. As always, use in moderation.
Tea – Drinking warm or hot water and herbal tea is helpful to relieve symptoms of hay fever. Try dried organic chrysanthemum flower tea made from the flowers infused in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Drink ginger tea twice a day made from 1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger. Add honey and lemon to taste.
Acupressure – Stimulate hegu, LI 4 between the webbing of thumb and forefinger for a couple of minutes for relief of symptoms.
Yoga with acupressure – The following pose will stimulate pressure points on the face and shoulders for relief.
Lie on your back and bend the knees so that feet are flat on the floor near the buttocks, and about hip width apart. Place index fingers into acupoints under the ridge at the inside top corner of the eyes. Place the middle finger on the third eye, between the eyebrows. Use your thumbs to rest in the hollow indentation of your temples. Keep the head on the ground, inhale and lift the hips up off the ground. This will exert a little more pressure on the points on the face. Hold this position as you breathe slowly and deeply for about one minute. On an exhale, lower the body down, and make fists with the hands to massage the chest muscles. Close the eyes, place arms and hands by your side and relax completely for a few minutes. For added benefit, combine a drop of clove oil with three teaspoons of sesame oil and apply with finger pressure on the above mentioned points.
Yoga – Try the lion pose to help clear air passages.
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| lion pose |
Sit on your feet with knees apart. Place hands on the floor between the knees, fingertips pointing towards the body. Lean forward with arms straight. Tilt head back and open eyes and mouth wide, sticking the tongue out as far as possible. Exhale with an ”ah” sound slowly and deeply. Relax.
Nasal inhaler – Combine two drops each of ghee and Brahmi oil and sniff three times daily.
Wash – Rinse the face and hands often with cool water and wash hair frequently to remove pollen.
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