3 Steps to Treating Environmental and Seasonal Allergies with Traditional Chinese Medicine

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the body is always engaged in a battle between “True Energy” and Evil Energy.” It may sound biblical, but it has nothing to do with religion. It has everything to do the healthy balance within the body.

“True Energy”, known as Zheng Qi in Chinese Medicine, is inseparable from the immune system. It’s what empowers the body to heal itself and ward off bacterias, viruses or allergens. Evil Energy, known as Xie Qi in Chinese, refers to nothing on the plane of morals but to pathogenic influences like virus, bacterias, allergens, toxins, poisons, molds, etc.

Based on this theory there are two ways we can get sick: Due to a very strong pathogen (Evil Energy) that overpowers our immune system (True Energy). Or if our True Energy gets weak enough then even a relatively weak pathogen can do us harm.

This explains why some people get sick all the time; because their True Energy is weak and easily overcome by any virus or bacteria that is circulating This also explains why during major epidemic outbreaks, like during the great plague, some people were immune to the illness; because their True Energy was stronger than the Evil Energy of the epidemic.

Those who suffer from seasonal or environmental allergies have a weakened True Energy so they are affected by influences which others are immune to. The traditional Chinese medical protocol for overcoming allergies is to strengthen the True Energy to be able to withstand these allergens and not react to them.

There are 3 main steps in Chinese medicine to doing this. The first is to cleanse the system of the influences that are weakening the True Energy in the first place. After it’s no longer being compromised by these the second step is to boost the True Energy of the body. Finally the third step is to open the meridian channels with Acu-Points.

Step 1. Cleanse & Detoxify

Most people suffering from allergies have toxins in their body which weaken their True Energy. This causes a systemic low-grade inflammation that gets triggered into a greater inflammatory response when they come into contact with an allergen.

Based on Chinese medicine, the sinuses, skin and lungs are connected with digestive health. Cleansing the body and the digestive system of toxins can often bring instant relief to allergy symptoms. There are dozens of ways to cleanse the body and thousands of “cleansing” products on the market.

But you don’t need to buy an expensive herbal cleanse program. Just follow the guidelines below for 3-7 weeks to detoxify your body. If you need a more intensive cleanse, then consult a qualified health practitioner who knows about safe and healthy cleansing.

9 Simple Cleansing Guidelines:

1. Avoid all processed foods and refined sugars.
2. Eat 30-50% less than usual
3. Eat nutrient-dense whole foods with minimal processing
4. Avoid dairy, wheat, gluten and anything with additives, preservatives or food coloring
5. Eat a lot of leafy & green vegetables with plenty of fibre
6. Drink at 4-6 litres a day of pure water (not tap water)
7. Every two days take an Epsom salt bath and relax
8. Sleep and rest more
9. Saunas are great too to sweat out toxins

Step 2. Strengthen your “True Energy”

Traditional Chinese medicine understands that there is a vital energy that flows through your whole body and is responsible for circulation, metabolism and vitality. It’s called “Qi” (pronounced ‘chee’). Boosting your “Qi” will strengthen your True Energy and regulate your immune system. Here are some ways to boost your “Qi”:

Exercise, but not to the extreme.

The body is made to move, stretch, sweat and push past it’s limits. The body loves exercise. It doesn’t really matter what kind of exercise you do, as long as you get a good cardiovascular workout with sweating and breathing. Just don’t overdo it. Some people get addicted to exercise and they end up exhausting their bodies by exercising too much. Very often I see people in my clinic who have exhausted their Qi by exercising too much! So find the balance that’s right for you – and enjoy recovery after exercise.

Get enough sleep & rest.

Our internal organs and cells repair themselves and build up Qi-Energy during sleep. You should get at least an average of 7-8 hours of solid restful sleep a night. Getting adequate rest and sleep will do wonders to build your Qi-Energy. Balance stress with rest. Even if you don’t get enough sleep, then make a point of resting during the day, so you can let your body rebuild the Qi. If you’re always moving and going, then you’re burning Qi. You need to rest to build it.

Breathe steadily and deeply.

Breathing is one of the ways we build Qi-Energy. Keep conscious of your breath throughout the day, while at work, shopping, driving, walking or doing anything. Many people with allergies tend to breathe shallow or hold their breath too much. Practicing yoga, qigong, meditation or tai chi are all good ways to get more in touch with your breathing.

Maintain good posture.

Our Qi-Energy flows through what are called “meridians” in the body. These are channels of circulation that connect our internal organs with our limbs and head. When your slouch or maintain a bad posture, then the meridians get blocked and the Qi-Energy can’t flow. This can cause all kinds of health problems like pain, allergies, digestive issues, chronic illnesses, etc. If you don’t think you have a good posture, then seek professional help. Learn qigong, do yoga, get acupuncture, rolfing or other therapy to help re-align your body, open your meridians and build your Qi-Energy

Step 3: Relieve Allergy Symptoms with Acu-Point Stimulation

Acupuncture uses hundreds of acu-points on the body to open the meridian channels and stimulate organ health.

This article isn’t long enough to explain how it works. And you don’t need to know all the points to get relief from allergy symptoms. You don’t always need acupuncture, you can stimulate the acu-points with your fingers.

The pictures below illustrate the most important acu-points to strengthen your immune system and reduce the symptoms of seasonal allergies.  Just press on these points for 5-15 seconds each while breathing slowly and deeply. Concentrate on relaxing your entire body while you do this. See for yourself how doing this whenever the symptoms appear brings you relief.

If you want to really get rid of your allergies, then seek the help of a registered traditional Chinese medicine practitioner (R.TCMP) or a registered acupuncturist (R.Ac).  You can click on the appointments tab on this page to schedule an appointment with me.