Portland Acupuncture: 3 Tips for Treating Seasonal Allergies

This morning I walked out my door to be surprised by 3 blooming tulips.  I ran back in the house to tell my husband the good news, then headed to work.  Once in my car, I started thinking about what these tulips signal other than the advent of warmer weather.  Aaah, springtime allergies in Portland, and the ways that acupuncture can help.

We have been lucky in Portland this year so far, and by that I mean that this dreadful rain has kept most of us in relative comfort as far as allergy symptoms go.  This is one of the roughest areas of the country for allergy sufferers, and usually by this time of year my office is full of sniffling, sneezing and sinus headache suffering people.  Not so this year.  All I’ve heard so far are a few off-hand comments about sinus pressure or a couple of sneezes upon waking.  This week that will all change:  not only are the tulips up, but the forecast is calling for some dry days, and maybe –gasp- some sun.  Although it will be so healing on some levels, the return of dry days will increase the pollen count in the air, and to be prepared, here are three simple things you can do.

See your acupuncturist.  Seriously, I know that this is coming to you from one of your local Portland acupuncturists, but it is true. Acupuncture is fantastic for boosting your immunity and for decreasing inflammation. This combination means that you will not be as susceptible to attack from that stealthy pollen.  Also, the Chinese herbal arsenal that I have at my fingertips provides formulas that will not only make you less prone to attacks, but I also have numerous formulas that can alleviate your symptoms should you find yourself sneezy and itchy.

Next up, one of the byproducts of all of these flowers should be one of your best friends this allergy season:  local honey. Most of the proof of this is anecdotal, but there are immense amounts of anecdotal evidence to support this hypothesis.  Taking 1 to 2 tsp of local raw honey per day can help alleviate allergy symptoms.  As with most of my suggestions in this blogpost, it works best if you begin several months before your allergies start to bother you, but it can still help even if you’ve waited until now.  It is thought that this works like immunotherapy (a vaccine or allergy shots), by exposing you to very small amounts of the stuff you are allergic to.  This is why the honey absolutely must be local and raw, so that you are exposed to the same spores in the honey to which you are exposed daily in your environment.  Although this can be a fantastic remedy for children, be sure not to give honey to those under 12 months of age.  See this article on Discovery Health for more info http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/allergies/local-honey-for-allergies1.htm

Lastly, I would like to introduce the Neti Pot, my frenemy.  It is my friend because I see the awesome benefits of using it along with a saline solution to clean all of the dust and pollen out of my sinuses.  I will admit though, I do loathe using it.  I am telling you this because I want you to know that I understand your apprehension.  I am sure I am not the first to suggest this to you, but I will tell you that it is well worth any awkwardness or initial discomfort.  Many people use it daily in the shower, although it is best used at the end of the day so that you can cleanse your sinuses of any allergens you have been exposed to throughout the day.  Just try it.  You have little to lose, and much to gain.

Portland, with all of its greenery and splendid scented flowers need not be your enemy this Spring and Summer.  Let acupuncture, the art of Chinese Herbal Medicine, and the 3 tips above be your key to enjoying the outdoors this year.