The season of change is finally here and heaven knows no one appreciates like Melbournians, I think it’s actually the reason we stay so cheery during the winter now, there a couple of things that we get as a bonus to the feeling of sun on our face and If I warn you about it now, maybe you can enjoy the change!
With the sun we also get…
Wind, not so affectionately referred to in Chinese Medicine as the “bearer of a hundred diseases…” demands particular respect in early spring because our protective energy, like the rest of us, is usually a little weak after winter. So,
• leave your winter clothes on until well past the start of the warmer weather because the sun is out well before our environment is warm,
• carry a scarf or wear a collar so you can cover your neck on windy days, it’s the area most susceptible to “wind invasion”,
• if you have a history of health problems in Spring it is much easier for us to treat them before the symptoms come,
And yes, I’m talking about hay fever, and asthma, and eczema or any other skin problems because it’s the skin and the Lungs that often show the first signs of an “external wind invasion”.
“Stirring internal wind” is another risk of windy weather; ask the school teachers what happens to the children on windy days! Now adults are also affected, so symptoms related to the Liver function in Chinese Medicine may arise for example, insomnia, trembling hands, vertigo, migraines, some arthritic conditions and mood swings to name a few.
We can give you herbal medicine; there are many pre-made formulas at the clinic to relieve pain from the sinus to the knees! And for you really tough cases out there, and this hay fever season is going to provide us with many, we can make you a custom formula specific to your individual requirements to give you the best possible chance of enjoying the weather?
Some more about Hay fever; it’s a hypersensitivity reaction of our immune system to air-borne substances like pollen, dust, moulds, plants and chemicals. It is medically known as allergic rhinitis and consists primarily of runny nose, and blocked at the same time (about annoying a symptom as possible), sneezing and itchy red eyes.
Many of these allergens may also be triggers for asthmatics and these symptoms can quickly develop into an infection of the respiratory tract.
Allergies can run in families so if you suffer your children may also. The above air-borne substances are allergens that can cause the body to produce antibodies that release histamine. Histamines can cause the allergic reaction.
Avoiding allergens can keep the symptoms at bay. (But who wants to stay inside when the sun is finally here?) Conventional therapies call for antihistamines, decongestants, oral steroids, corticosteroid sprays & bronchodilator inhaler (for asthma), and allergy injections. But using Chinese medicine may be all you need to relieve the symptoms and if you start treatment in the off season, can treat the underlying imbalances that cause the allergies in the first place!
So use preventative medicine in spring and get in before the symptoms come!