Seasonal allergies (a.k.a. hay fever) often present with an array of annoying symptoms including sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, red/itchy/watery eyes, itchy ears, itchy throat and frontal headaches. In more severe cases, one might also experience coughing and wheezing. Hay fever comes in 3 varieties: spring, summer and fall. Some people suffer through all 3 seasons.

These complaints are usually not enough to keep people home in bed, but allergies are really exhausting for many people and definitely make it difficult to have the qi you need to be your best.

There are several underlying causes of the symptoms associated with seasonal allergies. In order to properly treat these symptoms, a Chinese Medical practitioner must do a careful examination and determine the "root" of the problem. Treatment is not "one-size-fits-all." Once the root has been diagnosed, the acupuncturist/herbalist will treat accordingly.

In Chinese Medicine unseen airborne pathogens (like pollen) are called "wind evils." Wind evils come in contact with the body regularly and if the body has strong defensive qi ("wei qi" in Chinese) then the body can easily manage the evil pathogen and there will be no problems. If there is wei qi deficiency, then the body has a harder time managing these evil pathogens. The annoying symptoms are an indication that the harmony of the body has been disrupted and the body is doing its best to dispel the wind evil and restore balance. Regardless of the root cause of the symptoms associated with hay fever, treatment will include (among other things) boosting the wei qi to defend against these wind evils.

In your "Qi To Be Me" call to action I have included tips to boost your wei qi. These tips are great for boosting your defense qi for colds and flus as well.

Resource: Curing Hay Fever Naturally with Chinese Medicine by Bob Flaws

Tips for boosting your Defense Qi:

1. Avoid cold foods and drinks-anything you put in your body has to be brought to body temperature...this requires qi. If you consume icy cold foods and drinks this requires more qi. By eating warm, slightly cooked foods you can make the digestive process more efficient therefore freeing up more qi to be used to defend your body from evils.

2. Avoid excess sugars and sweet, dairy, fatty foods, refined flour and alcohol..they can easily overwhelm digestion and deplete qi.

3. Do your best to eat "just the right amount." Eating too much or too little is problematic for qi transformation and transportation.

4. Exercise "just the right amount" to move and regulate the qi. Choose movement that you enjoy. If you are prone to exercise induced asthma when you are suffering from hay fever...be careful and consult your doctor before taking on a new exercise regime.

5. Embrace a daily practice of deep relaxation to regulate the qi.

As you can see there are several things you can do to address the symptoms associated with allergies. And of course acupuncture and herbs are available to support you. Please let me know if you have any questions. I am more than happy to help.