Crocuses are bursting from the soil and spring is here. The days are getting longer and warm gusts of wind fill each day. All these changes in the earth’s cycle contribute to spring allergies, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis.   The Chinese medicine term for spring allergies is Bi Yuan, which literally means “nose pool”.   Many people do not realize that stress, food choices, genetics and mental outlook play a major role in seasonal allergies, in addition to an abundance of pollen in the air.

 Chinese medicine theory holds that people with phlegm in their lungs have a susceptibility to spring allergies.  How does phlegm get in the lungs?  Phlegm is produced in the Spleen organ system when it is weakened from excessive mental strain, worry or from eating unhealthy food.  Phlegm is then deposited in the lungs.  When the wind blows with environmental allergens like pollen and dust, allergies occur in susceptible people.

 In order to alleviate allergic symptoms this spring, resist the temptation to dress as though summer is already here and wear an extra layer.  Avoid phlegm producing foods such as dairy, wheat, citrus and any processed or artificially sweetened foods.  Minimize the impact of stress on your body with brisk walks, yoga and meditation.  Laugh every day.  Take herbs that boost the immune system, strengthen the lungs and resolve phlegm.  Use acupuncture to relieve allergies.  Try a neti pot to irrigate sinus cavities from pollen, mold and phlegm.  These are a few ways to drain the ‘nose pool’ that so many people in western Pennsylvania experience every spring.  With the help of Naturopathic and Chinese medicine practitioner, it is also helpful to strengthen the wei qi (immune system), establish adequate boundaries in the GI tract, normalize Th1:Th2 ratios for a healthy immune system and identify other possible allergic triggers.