Springtime Sniffles: How Acupuncture Offers Natural Allergy Relief

The weather is getting warmer day by day these days. The street trees are also gradually shedding their fresh air and shaking off the dull winter atmosphere.

When I see the light green leaves of the willow trees, I am reminded of my childhood and feel nostalgic.

Azaleas and forsythias are already in full bloom on the roadside, and magnolias are also making their appearance in the world. Looking at this scenery, I thought for a moment that the flowers were beautiful, but then I thought that the patients would have a hard time because of the pollen. You said that you shouldn't lie about your job, and that made me laugh.

In spring, various allergic diseases occur frequently. Allergic diseases refer to specific reactions in the nasal mucosa or bronchial mucosa due to stimulation by various causative substances in the surrounding environment.

The most common is pollen allergy (花粉症). When flowers begin to bloom in spring, pollen from street trees or garden trees floats in the air for reproduction and enters the human respiratory system with the air, causing allergies.

When pollen enters the respiratory tract of a person with an allergic constitution, it causes allergic rhinitis or allergic asthma, causing severe sneezing, watery eyes, and a runny nose, and in severe cases, coughing to the point of difficulty breathing. In addition, when pollen comes into contact with the skin, it causes allergic dermatitis or contact dermatitis.

If pollen gets into your eyes, it can cause allergic conjunctivitis, which can cause itchy, sore, red, watery, irritated, foreign body sensation, and even eye discharge and swelling. In this case, never rub your eyes, but immediately wash them with salt water or clean water, and the symptoms will easily subside.

If your eyes are red, blurry, watery, or sore, drinking cassia seed tea, like barley tea, may help.

When pollen enters the nose, allergic rhinitis occurs. The nose is severely blocked, sneezing occurs, clear nasal discharge flows like water, and the inside of the nose feels itchy. This is not a serious disease in itself, but if it is repeated for 3 to 4 years, the symptoms worsen and develop into bronchial asthma or sinusitis, making treatment difficult.

At this time, if you put magnolia bud juice into your nose, the protein coagulation in the nasal mucosa will occur, and rhinitis symptoms will improve. Magnolia buds are also called Xu Duan 신이화 (辛夷花) and have gout and anti-inflammatory effects, so if you boil them and drink them, nasal congestion will be relieved.

Rubbing your skin from the tips of your feet to your heart with a dry towel can help treat allergic rhinitis by strengthening your skin and boosting your immunity. Rubbing your soles, doing ankle exercises, or soaking your feet in warm salt water are also effective. Applying honey to loquat leaves, lightly roasting them, and brewing them as tea is also good for asthma.

Pollen allergy is more important to prevent than to treat. Pollen usually forms like clouds in the evening when the ground cools down, and at night, the pollen settles and the concentration increases. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid going outside during this time. You should be especially careful on clear, windy days when pollen is at its highest. Also, avoid hat fur, dog fur, and carpets, as they can stick to pollen and be inhaled. When going out, wear glasses and a mask, and if there are trees in the garden that emit pollen, remove them and do not stay in that place for too long.

These days, allergic diseases are on the rise, even if they are not pollen allergies.

What does this mean?

It could be because our bodies have changed, or because the environment has changed. Humans constantly try to adapt to the environment in order to survive, and the allergic reactions that appear in our bodies could be one of those efforts.