The Seasonal Allergy Shuffle
Treating spring and other seasonal allergies using Ayurveda.
Photo by Carolina Heza on Unsplash
The time is nigh.
It’s April. Or October, or any month/season that you find yourself beleaguered with those annoying seasonal allergies. This could be your first dance with allergic rhinosinusitis - they can develop at any time - or it could be year twenty. Or year forty.
Your symptoms might include any or all of the following:
Tingling in the nose and mouth, like there was just a bit too much tea tree oil in your mouthwash (and it somehow got into your nose)
An impossibly high need for tissues to stop that runny nasal stuff
Swearing up-and-down that you’re not crying, your eyes are just watery
Upper and nasal sinus discomfort, like a headache is always a moment or two away
A feeling like you might be dragging and/or slogging along, even before taking a dose of antihistamines
You may have tried - or could currently be using - a neti pot or other saline rinse strategy. Antihistamines like Zyrtec and Claritin might be part of the routine. Nasal steroid sprays like Flonase or Nasacort may be mainstays of the nightstand. And, moreover, you may notice that none of that makes those symptoms better. They may partly abate for a short time. When they do, though, they come back.
That is because the underlying causes of allergic rhinosinusitis are not addressed by those approaches (although the neti pot is actually a very good first step). Seasonal allergies are the result of the immune system learning to recognize pollens and other like ambient plant reproductive matter as antigens. That is to say, the immune system treats them as low-level body invaders, rather than as benign and natural features of our environment.
The Ayurvedic perspective on this is that, in part, there is vata (air and ether element) disruption in the empty spaces of the head: the sinuses. This causes low-grade, erosion of what we refer to as ojas, which is a term that relates to our immune capacity to intelligently discern between self and non-self. Ojas does not treat pollens as invaders when it functions in a balanced way. Vata has qualities opposite those of ojas, and behaves almost like sandpaper on ojas, wearing away at it. At first, this is only local, but it can spread.
A wide variety of primary imbalances can underlie this problem. The overall approach in Ayurvedic medicine is to identify those primary imbalances and address them, while helping to settle vata in the sinuses.
There are a number of interventions that may be valuable in treating your seasonal allergies, including:
Lifestyle-based vata reduction; there are lots of ways to accomplish this, including emphasizing quality sleep, modifying foods consumed, and so on
Jala neti (saline sinus rinses with a neti pot) each morning, with a good, old-fashioned blowing of the nose after
Nightly (and usually twice or thrice daily) lubrication of the inner nasal tissues and paranasal sinuses with a base oil, such as sesame oil, that has been infused with appropriate medicinal herbs. This is referred to as nasya.
Herbal immune modulators such as guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) or tulsi (Ociumum sanctum), ideally blended with other herbal medicines for each individual’s needs and makeup.
And more!
Do you wish to treat your own seasonal allergies differently? Do you know someone who might benefit from our Ayurvedic approach? Book a cost-free, 15min Consultation, and we’ll discuss!
Professional disclaimer: please do not initiate any herbal or other medicinal interventions without the guidance of a knowledgeable provider. Herbal medicines such as guduchi have been shown in studies to reduce seasonal allergy symptom burden, but may also be unsafe when used with certain medications such as immunosuppressants.
Dr. Matt Van Auken, MD, MPH
Dr. Matt is an Ayurveda-trained, triple board-certified physician.
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