This article on alternative medicine is submitted by our good friend and acupuncturist, Janine Ptaszek.

Ahh… allergies.  ‘Tis the season!  And has been for months for some of us.  What to do?

There are the conventional antihistamines out there, the over the counter standbys that we don’t want to take but grab to make us feel better enough to sleep, jog, take care of the kids… you fill in the blank.  But while these may work for a little while, often we need to keep tapping into those bottles to keep our symptoms at bay.  Also, the side effects of medications can be worse than our allergies, and many long term affects are untested and unknown.

As Chinese medicine grows more popular, people are turning to acupuncture and herbs for allergy relief.  As a licensed acupuncturist in New York and NJ, I see many of these cases.  My experience is that it works.
When a person has allergies, I work on two fronts: firstly, to manage a person’s symptoms (runny nose, tearing eyes, sinus congestion, etc.), and secondly to build the immune deficiency leading to a person’s reaction.  While one may see relief after a few treatments, generally it can take months, and even years to build the immune system to the point that one can wipe out the allergies entirely.

Some things you can do at home to help:

• Get adequate sleep (you may find that your allergies act up when you are over-tired).
• Exercise, meditate and do fun things to relieve stress in your life (stress taxes the immune system).
• Put a few drops of peppermint oil on your pillow at night (make sure it’s on the corner, away from your skin or eyes – peppermint is an irritant).  This will help to open your sinuses and allow you to breathe more deeply for a more restful sleep. Other good essential oils to keep handy are pine, eucalyptus, tea tree, and basil.
• If your allergies are coupled with a sinus infection, put a drop of hydrogen peroxide in each ear twice a day.
• Avoid dairy, sweets and cold foods – all of these cause mucus build up because they are difficult to process. I know it’s sad, but you may want to skip the ice cream.  Try some cut up apples or Asian pears, instead – they’ll help you.
• Eat more cooked vegetables rather than raw; good ones are radishes (daikon, red radish, and turnips are excellent) and bitter greens.

Supplements may also help you.  Since every person is different, two people with allergies may need completely different treatment plans, and it’s important to speak with a licensed professional about your condition.

Questions?  I am here to help.  For readers of this blog, I am happy to offer a free consultation, normally a $125 value.  Just mention it when you contact me.  My email: janine at acupuncturehealth.net

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