Every year as spring comes around, we see an influx of people coming into the clinic wanting relief from sneezing, puffiness, sinusitis, shortness of breath, itchy skin and eyes, and we always tell them the best way to stop these symptoms is preparing for them a good month or two in advance.  Well that time is now!!

Last year was a particularly bad year for hay fever and allergy sufferers and if you remember we had the dreaded asthma storm, so to best prep your immune system, carpe diem.   So what is the best way to prep yourself for this, well here are a few things you can get started on right away.

1. Acupuncture.   It will take 3 or 4 Acupuncture appointments to have you in the best form for spring and it is cheap, easy and natural.  Regular acupuncture treatments are great for your immune system as it can reduce pain and inflammation in the body as well as improve circulation to the sinuses so that they are not stagnating and causing pressure build ups.  Regular acupuncture is also good at lowering stress and cortisol levels, which play a major part in the bodies immune, pain and inflammation responses.

1. LGG probiotics.  Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG) is a certain strain of probiotic that is particularly good at helping with eczema and skin dryness.  Most probiotic supplements will contain LGG, but go for a specific LGG probiotic for that added boost.  LGG can also be found in yoghurt and different dairy based probiotic foods, but dairy can also be inflammatory, so don’t use dairy if you are already suffering form allergies.

1. Gut Health.  To carry on from the importance of LGG, getting more pre and probiotic foods to harmonise your gut will also pay off.  Saurkraut, Kimchi and Kombucha are all great foods to add to your dietary repertoire to up the good bacteria in your body.  A harmonised gut means you assimilate the important nutrients from your food, produce key hormones and chemicals for your immune system as well as boosting serotonin production to make you feel fantastic. 

1. Pungent foods.  Give your Qi a boost with ginger, garlic, wasabi or chilli.  Pungent foods are a quick way to get your sinuses running and clearing out.  They are often also antibacterial for the unwanted bacteria and are vasodilators to improve circulation of blood and qi.  Don’t over do it with pungent foods though as it can often cause diarrhoea.

1. Vitamin C, Zinc and Vitamin D.  This trinity of key vitamins is your best answer for the immune system and best to start topping up your body with now.  You can get them through good dietary habits and getting out in the sun enough, but again a good practitioner grade supplement can pay for itself, if it keeps you fit and firing at work and play throughout the hay fever season. 

So what are you waiting for??  Come in now for some Acupuncture and we can prescribe you some of these supplements and give you even more tips to beating the dreaded hay fever and allergies.

Caleb is one of our talented practitioners here at The Pagoda Tree.  For more information, to arrange an appointment or find out more please call us on 03 96867454 or email reception@thepagodatree.com.au.  We’re here to help!