spring allergies Q&A
spring allergies Q&A
How to handle the runny nose, itchy eyes, and sinus pain of spring allergies
Patients always ask me, How long do I have to do this? and I ask them, How long have you been taking a shower? And they say, My whole life. Well, that’s the answer. You’re cleaning out the dirt in your nose and sinuses; why not wash that out?
At first some people are a little afraid, and some people think it’ll be too cumbersome. But almost all of my patients come back very positively and say it makes a difference. My 6-year-old is doing it, my 5-year-old is starting, and we’re trying to get our 2-year-old to do it. Whether you’re 2 or 92, this is good for everybody.
Q: What promise do alternative and complementary therapies hold for those who have spring allergies?
A: Besides irrigation, acupuncture seems to work well for some people through the rebalancing of chi (the energy forces in the body), which can help fortify the immune system to help alleviate the symptoms of sinusitis, allergies, and asthma.
Some of my patients want to try homeopathic remedies, so I send them to doctors who do integrative medicine. A very diluted amount of a particular medicine or combination of medicines is given on the theory that it will boost the immune system. The treatment is individual; each patient is carefully evaluated and receives a specific combination of homeopathic ingredients.
Q: Recent research shows that even mild stress or anxiety can worsen allergy symptoms.
A: It’s true: Mild stress or, in today’s economy, major anxiety weakens your resistance. So that does worsen allergies and leave you more susceptible to infections. It’s well known that stress has a relationship to your body’s immunity.
Spring Allergies: A Q&A with Our Top Expert
How to handle the runny nose, itchy eyes, and sinus pain of spring allergies
Patients always ask me, How long do I have to do this? and I ask them, How long have you been taking a shower? And they say, My whole life. Well, that’s the answer. You’re cleaning out the dirt in your nose and sinuses; why not wash that out?
At first some people are a little afraid, and some people think it’ll be too cumbersome. But almost all of my patients come back very positively and say it makes a difference. My 6-year-old is doing it, my 5-year-old is starting, and we’re trying to get our 2-year-old to do it. Whether you’re 2 or 92, this is good for everybody.
Q: What promise do alternative and complementary therapies hold for those who have spring allergies?
A: Besides irrigation, acupuncture seems to work well for some people through the rebalancing of chi (the energy forces in the body), which can help fortify the immune system to help alleviate the symptoms of sinusitis, allergies, and asthma.
Some of my patients want to try homeopathic remedies, so I send them to doctors who do integrative medicine. A very diluted amount of a particular medicine or combination of medicines is given on the theory that it will boost the immune system. The treatment is individual; each patient is carefully evaluated and receives a specific combination of homeopathic ingredients.
Q: Recent research shows that even mild stress or anxiety can worsen allergy symptoms.
A: It’s true: Mild stress or, in today’s economy, major anxiety weakens your resistance. So that does worsen allergies and leave you more susceptible to infections. It’s well known that stress has a relationship to your body’s immunity.
