ALLERGY: Why sleep, food, and stress management plays a role in your allergy!

ALLERGY:

Why sleep, food, and stress management plays a role in your allergy.

In the last email, I briefly talked about the pathology of allergy in the perspective of TCM, and what you can do if antihistamine is not a preferred option of treatment. In both TCM and functional medicine, lifestyle is an essential part of wellness.

Chinese medicine sees the lung, spleen and kidney in charge of our defense. When a person gets in contact with allergens and develops allergic reactions, it’s due to the weakness or deficiency of the Qi in these organs.

The Lung:

The lung dominates the communication between the internal and external of our body, and governs our skin and hair.

When a person has lung Qi deficiency, illnesses can develop along the lung meridian (from the umbilicus upward to the nose), or on the skin.

The Spleen:

When the spleen is weak or deficient, the allergic reaction can impact the digestive symptoms, such as diarrhea, or loss of appetite.

The Kidney:

The kidney is where we store our prenatal essence, not only to govern our urinary system, but also our reproductive and hormonal systems.

When the kidney is showing deficiency that relates to allergies, the patient tends to show cold hands and feet, or more lingering symptoms with more malaise.

When treating allergies with TCM, the practitioner will differentiate the pattern and the organ involved. Although allergies are defined as Type 1 hypersensitivity with IgE involvement, traditional Chinese medicine is more than decreasing sensitivity to allergens.

What can I do at home to treat allergies?

Patients often ask me what they should be doing at home when they have allergies.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can be very effective for allergies, but knowing what to do to prevent allergies is just as important.

The key is to strengthen the Qi and warm the internal organs.

Qi is the vital function of our body according to Chinese medicine. The Qi in the lung, spleen and kidney dominates the barriers, defense, and detox function. If the Qi is weak, then the barrier is open, the defense is weak, and the detoxing activity is sluggish, therefore leading to allergies.

Building Qi

The Lung Qi:

For the lung, regular and moderate exercise can help build the lung Qi.

Exercise can increase our blood oxygen and increase oxygen exchange.

However, strenuous exercise can also damage the lung Qi if you are already weak. Moderation is the key.

The Spleen Qi:

For the spleen, choosing food with warming characteristics such as ginger, garlic, and spices when tolerable.

TCM views food with different characteristics. Warming food can help the body feel warm and nourished.

Allergy with Qi deficiency needs food on the warming spectrum to help with enhancing the transferring and transporting function of the spleen.

The Kidney Qi:

For the kidney, resting and sleep is one of the most important ways to restore and replenish kidney Qi.

When we are not having enough sleep, kidney Qi tends to deplete fast. Sleep before 11 pm and sleep for 7 to 8 hours a day is a golden rule to restore our kidney Qi.

Stress management is also critical in managing allergies.

Stress can be damaging to Qi as it tends to stagnate the flow of Qi and cause toxin build up in the body, lowering our defense to the allergens and also depleting the Qi .

Qi is the essential vitality of our body that can be nourished by eating the right and nutritious food, moderate exercise and good quality of sleep.

These are the tips that anyone can implement at home.

Being mindful of our lifestyle is the best way to manage allergies.

If you are suffering from allergies this season and need support, we can help. Book a free discovery call with us below!

Book your free discovery call here!