Alternative Treatments for Seasonal Allergies

It is such a mixed feeling of Spring/summer is here. We may be sick and tired of the cold weather, but also don’t look forward to experiencing the seasonal allergy either.
 
The common symptoms of the airborne allergy is itchy eyes, sneezing, running/stuffy nose, and occasional coughing or sore throat, but never have general aches/pain. The way how we differentiate it from the common cold is that the common cold often has coughing, sore throat, running/stuffy nose and maybe slightly general aches or pain, but very rare/never have itchy eyes.
 
It is important to be diagnosed by your physician. If you prefer natural treatments, there are few alternative options with the dietary and lifestyle changes.  

• NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques). It works the best if you know exactly what you are allergic to. The treatment will target one allergen at a time. For details, please hove your mouse over NAET and read on Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad’s website. She developed this protocol, and I have found it working well clinically. After the treatment, the person is required to be away from the treated allergen for certain time period, which is very difficult for environmental allergens. The treatments will still help but it will take many treatments than other types of allergies.  
• Acupuncture and herbal treatments
  • San Fu Tie, Celestial Moxa treatment is a preventive treatment. The treatments are done on three specific days in the summer to prepare you for the coming fall, winter and Spring. The concept is using the herbal patches on certain acupressure points to strengthen your immune system and functions your lungs and any organs that your body needs a boost. Those specific days in the summer are consider the days with the strongest Yang (positive, moving, warming, active) energy of the year. Ancient Traditional Medicine Doctors like to utilize the energy from the universe to enhance the effect of the treatments. This type of treatments works very well for airborne allergy, chronic Asthma and other chronic lung conditions. It also prevents you from catching cold in the following year as well. The specific dates change every year. In 2018, the dates will be: July 17, July 27, August 6, August 16. If you are interested in this type of treatments, you should try to find an acupuncturist/herbalist who provides it and book an appointment ahead of time.
  • Acupuncture treatments are helpful to eliminate your symptoms during the season. But the best approach is the start the treatment three months before your allergic season starts.
  • Customized herbal decoctions: You could also take customized herbal decoctions provided by an acupuncturist who is also a licensed herbalist. 

Dietary and Nutritional Principles: (Please consult with a nutritionist for the dosage of the supplements)

• Avoid foods that your body is allergic or sensitive to. (Need a food allergic test)
• Eat more foods containing essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6): (best to get blood test on Fatty acid profile of serum lipids). Please read my previous blog “The Truth of Fats” if you are not sure what type of essential fatty acids to have.
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin B-complex
• Selenium
• Zinc

 
Supplements:

• N-Acetyl cysteine: 500 – 1000 mg.
• Flax seed oil: 1 – 2 Tbl.
• Quercetin: 500 mg. 30 minutes before meals – is a bioflavonoid which works well with Vitamin C as an antihistamine and may help reduce the severity of airborne allergic symptoms.
• Digestive Enzymes: 2 tables with each meal
• Thymus glandular: 1 tablet
• Adrenal glandular: 1 tablet
• Acidophilus and Bifidus: 1 capsule between meals