April 23rd, 2009 | by Riki Quinn
The days are warmer, flowers are blooming, spring is in the air, and so is pollen… for those of us suffering from allergies to pollen or hay fever, the thought of frolicking in the fields while the warm breeze plays with our hair is a nightmare. It means incessant sneezing, mucus and red noses. It means trouble breathing, and thus trouble sleeping at night. Spring is made for those who do not have hypersensitive immune systems.
How allergies work:
Part of the reason that our immune system is so effective is its ability to “remember” encounters with harmful substances and create antibodies to protect us from future infections with the same substances. This is what vaccination is based on. Now imagine that our body decides that certain substances that are not harmful to us, like pollen and ragweed, are dangerous. The body creates antibodies to these substances; thus, whenever we encounter them it goes to war. As we know, war always has it’s harmful outcomes. In this case, the histamine and other chemicals produced in the “anti-allergen war” cause inflammation in the nose, throat and sinuses that cause explosive sneezing, pain and congestion.
* Watch a video about how an allergic reaction occurs.
Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, allergies are more prevalent in the developed world where there are high standards of living and hygiene as opposed to third-world or developing countries. It seems, though counter intuitive, the more we play in dirt as kids and don’t use antibacterial soap afterwords, the less likely we are to develop allergies when we’re older. Indeed, the latest research has shown a link between exposure to stomach parasites and decreased allergies, leading researches to hypothesis that there might be a symbiotic relationship within our bodies with these parasites.
Treatment
Treatment is based on relieving the symptoms and prevention. As we know, unless we lock ourselves in our houses for the spring months and don’t go out at all, we cannot completely prevent pollen from entering our nostrils. Allergy experts recommend that if you are outside during pollen season you should shower immediately upon returning home and wash your clothes since pollen and spores stick to your clothes and hair. Also pollen is produced more in the morning from about 5am till 9am so it’s best to avoid going for a morning walk if you suffer from bad allergies. Most people take one of the many types of anti-histamines available over the counter to help relieve the symptoms but for many, it’s not enough. Another way to help is through reflexology.
With reflexology I try to target the areas that are most affected by the allergic reactions and try to relax the body as a whole since it’s in “war” mode. As in my article about sniffles we will concentrate mostly on the fingers. The fingers, according to reflexology maps, contain the sinuses and nerves of the face. So massaging the fingers and pressing on the tips may relieve congestion and pain in those areas. Also the relaxation point LI4 that i have mentioned in previous articles helps relax the body as a whole and reduce pain. The point is located in the fleshy part between your thumb and forefinger. You’ll know you have the right one when you feel a stabbing pain as you massage the area.
When the allergic reaction is severe or if I want to make the treatment more effective I will also massage the toes and press on their tips (since they are parallel to the fingers). And while you’re down there you might as well help the respiratory system: The lungs are located in the balls of the feet (for most people there is a clear definition between the ball and the arch with change of shape: from wide to more narrow, and color, from red to white). It’s a good idea to massage this area in slow circular motions. Don’t press too hard to prevent a strong reaction. But also don’t press so lightly that your patient starts to laugh hysterically from being tickled. After you massage the balls of the feet work on the windpipe which is located between the big toe and the second toe. Simply place your thumb on one side and your finger on the other and lightly squeeze and pull in an upward motion. concentrate on getting the mucus up and out. You can also use the same motion between the rest of the toes.
Try to do this for about 5 minutes for each hand and about 10 minutes for each foot. Sometimes the symptoms will worsen a bit before they get better since we are bringing the mucus up. But ultimately we are helping it get out faster. Unfortunately,reduced allergic symptoms are temporary for most people. So you might have to employ your spouse, friend, or professional reflexologist to give you this treatment about once a week for as long as spring, and pollen, is in the air…
Sources: WebMD
Image: ANDI2..WHIPLASHED AWAY….
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