hayfever
Allergies – what’s your season?
May 3, 2011 | 
Author 
So, you’ve got the sneezy, wheezy sniffles, and your eyes are on fire. But, what are you reacting to? Here are the common culprits in Nova Scotia:
Trees – April/May/June
Grasses – May/June/July
Ragweed – August/September
Did you know that some foods cross-react with ragweed, making symptoms worse? These foods are melons, bananas, chamomile tea, sunflower seeds, zucchini and cucumbers. Symptoms can be more profound when eating foods during the season compared to eating them at other times of the year.
And, remember, the best time to start treating allergies is before your symptoms start! We typically like to start seeing people in early Spring to get ahead of the grass and ragweed season, which tends to be most bothersome.
Posted in 
Neti Pot for Seasonal Allergies.
Neti pots and other forms of nasal irrigation can reduce sinus symptoms from allergies, environmental irritants, and infections. The nasal passages are lined with mucous membranes and tiny hair-like structures called cilia designed to filter incoming air, trapping particles such as pollen and bacteria. The cilia move back and forth to either push the mucous forward to be blown out or to the back of the throat to be swallowed. Gently flushing the nasal passages with salt water removes allergens and excess mucous, reducing congestion and facial pain. Using a neti pot can also increase the speed and improve coordination of cilia increasing their effectiveness.
Most people find the greatest benefit when using the neti pot on a daily basis, especially after exposure to a known allergy or irritant. Neti pots come with directions for use and can be purchased for under $20 at drug stores, health food stores, and online.
A Chinese Medicine approach to seasonal allergies.
Allergies in Chinese medicine are closely tied to what we practitioners call Wei Qi (pronounced ‘way chee’). Wei Qi is a theory that we have a protective energy that wards away evil influences. This can include naturalistic factors such as Wind, Cold, Heat and Damp (which may cause symptoms associated with cold and flu). This also protects us from the energies of other people (think about people who try and pull you into their mood or drama).
When the Wei Qi is weak, it allows us to become affected by these external influences and for some this occurs at different times such as allergy season. When treating allergies, it’s a two-track treatment strategy. On the one hand we have symptom relief – which needs to come first in order for the patient to resume normal life functions. On the other hand we have a long-time deficiency in the Wei Qi department that must receive treatment at the same time. As we can imagine, symptom relief doesn’t take that much time at all while jacking up the Wei Qi takes longer.
So no matter whether you are experiencing a flare-up of allergy symptoms or you want to get ahead of them before the season is upon you, Chinese medicine can help.