Allendale Acupuncture & Nutrition Clinic

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Tag: sneezing

It’s NOT pollens, It’s Your Immune Functions

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For sake of discussion, let’s talk about allergic rhinitis, or hay fever–the epitome of the spring allergy– from a western medical perspective. This allergic rhinitis is a classical example of compromised immunity. Basically, the immune system has a immune functionshyper response to a strong pathogen (pollen, an abundance of cat dander, etc) and this causes a rapid physiological changes resulting in itchy eyes and throat, sinus congestion, sneezing, asthma and even diarrhea.  Exposure to an allergen would cause a massive release of IgE antibodies which attach to white blood cells known as mast cells. These cells are mostly located in the lungs and upper respiratory tract, the lining of the stomach and the skin. When these cells are stimulated, they release a number of chemicals including histamine which produce the allergic symptoms.

So you’ve been told that antihistamines are the answers to your allergy symptoms. Well, antihistamines work well in suppressing the symptoms but not the root cause of weak immune functions.

Traditional Chinese medicine, on the other hand, views allergic rhinitis as a reflection of weak and imbalanced energy in our organs, especially the lungs, the spleen, the liver and gallbladder, and the kidneys. If we can augment the energy flows of those organs, our immune functions can dramatically increase. Acupuncture clearly helps to deal with balancing these organs. Chinese herbs and some nutritional supplements can be of tremendous help also. But you want to do more, get really ready for the brutal allergy attacks, don’t you?

It’s Already Allergy Alert Season!

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Symptoms of runny nose, sneezing, and watery itchy eyes that recur certain time of the year cause a great deal of suffering among a large segment of the U.S. population. The worst offender of all is tree pollen which is most prevalent in the spring; grass and weed pollens follow in late spring and summer.

allergy alert

While many over-the-counter remedies promise symptomatic relief, acupuncture and Chinese Medicine offer healthier and more balanced solutions by addressing the underlying causes of symptoms, and treating the whole body instead of focusing only on the respiratory-related issues.

What are allergies?

Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, is an example of misplaced immunity. It is a learned response by the immune system wherein rapid physiological changes resulting in itchy eyes and throat, sinus congestion and sneezing, asthma, and even diarrhea are produced. Typically, exposure to an allergen such as tree pollen elicits a massive release of IgE antibodies which attach to white blood cells known as mast cells. These cells are mostly located in the lungs and upper respiratory tract, the lining of the stomach and the skin. When these cells are stimulated, they release a number of chemicals including histamine which produce the allergic symptoms.

Allopathic Treatment of Allergies

Basic allopathic [western] medical therapies often rely on inhibiting the allergic response; antihistamines (Chlor-trimetron, Benadryl, etc.) are a good example. Other types of drugs used to treat allergic rhinitis or asthma include ones which act on the nervous system (Albuterol, epinephrine), cortico-steroids (prednisone), and decongestants.

Western medicine also emphasizes the importance of avoiding the allergen if possible, and the use of air filters to decrease exposure. When avoidance or elimination is impossible or impractical, the next level of treatment may be desensitization, the injection of small amounts of the allergen in gradually increasing doses in order to neutralize over time the number of antibodies present.

Detox for Seasonal Allergies

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Latest statistics show that more than half of the US population suffers from seasonal allergies. With the rapidly declining immune functions of the majority, this number is likely to increase.  Please refer to an earlier article (Nutrition for maximum health) for the major reasons why our immune functions have deteriorated. Over-the-counter and prescription medications provide temporary relief for typical symptoms of seasonal allergies, but they cannot address the deeper  causes for incessant sneezing, inflammation of sinus cavities, itchy and red eyes, headaches and brain fog. What can we do to combat seasonal allergies?

gallbladder cleansing

Before we jump into this topic, here are some interesting perspectives in Chinese medical theories on seasonal allergies: Spring is associated with the liver, meaning the liver is most vulnerable during spring. The liver is also responsible for emotions such as frustration, anxiety, and anger. The relative health of the liver shows up in the eyes—can you see a connection between conjunctivitis (itchy, red, crusty eyes) and the liver? The taste associated with the liver is “sour” and the color is “green“ which means we need to take a lot of green/sour foods during springtime.  The liver is also connected to the gallbladder as a yin-yang pair, which means one cannot have a perfectly healthy liver and a weak gallbladder because they are mirror images of each other.

gallbladder cleansing 3

Liver/Gallbladder cleansing

Arguably, the most effective measure to combat seasonal allergies is Liver/Gallbladder Cleansing.

Dr. Hilda Clark’s Liver/Gallbladder cleansing protocol

This cleansing method surpasses any other widely-known allergy elimination protocol because it addresses the root cause of all allergies, including environmental, seasonal, food-related (gluten included), and chemical- or metal-related allergies. Commonly known as the Liver/Gallbladder Flush, this protocol is designed to remove calcified (gallstones) and non-calcified fat deposits from the liver and gallbladder.

Suggested to be repeated as many as 20 times every 2-3 weeks, this protocol will restore healthy functions of the liver and gallbladder. For those who removed their gallbladders, it is even more critical to adopt this approach in order to reduce the extra burdens placed on their liver and pancreas.

gallbladder cleansing 2

When one’s liver is completely clean, not only allergies but other diseases are likely to disappear because a healthy liver produces clean blood, which is the single most important factor in maintaining optimum health.

(Personal note: During the 3rd liver/gallbladder flush, I removed more than an inch-long, bright green, non-calcified gallstone along with thousands of smaller fat deposits stuck in my liver and gallbladder.)