Seasonal allergies, though not life-threatening, have a habit of causing extreme discomfort and disrupting people’s lives. Between all the different types of airborne agents that may cause allergic reactions, no season is fully free of seasonal allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis or hay fever. Airborne agents (known as pathogens or allergens), such as pollen, grass, mold, cedar, ragweed, or even some chemicals, are breathed into a person’s body, where they then wreak havoc.
These substances, in and of themselves, are harmless. The problem is that many people’s immune systems don’t realize this, and release a chemical called histamine into the nose, eyes, and lungs. Histamine is intended to attack harmful agents and remove them from the body. When histamine attacks harmless allergens, the result is allergic rhinitis. Your throat gets sore and scratchy and you begin coughing and sneezing. Your sinuses get congested, your nose runny or stuffy, you have difficulty breathing, and your eyes water. In some scenarios, this may lead to a sinus or ear infection.
So how do you find relief for these allergy symptoms? Nobody wants to just let them persist, but the traditional medical approach might frighten some people off. Go to the drug store, and you’ll likely end up with some antihistamines, medicine intended to break down the histamine that causes hay fever symptoms. This might succeed in alleviate some symptoms, but unfortunately it will stop there. This approach — swallowing pills, taking shots — is called “symptom management,” and consists of using chemicals to counter symptoms. It might work, but the problem is that the allergy symptoms always return.
Symptoms like allergic rhinitis don’t exist in a vacuum, they’re the result of various underlying root causes. In this case, the underlying cause is more or less clear — the immune system is reacting to something it’s not supposed to. A better strategy is to treat that underlying cause — in other words, a holistic approach to treatment. Holistic medicine considers the whole person and body when treating conditions, and focuses on those underlying root problems. When it comes to allergies, the most obvious step is to get away from allergens. When you get allergic rhinitis, check the online allergy forecasts and figure out which allergens your body reacts to. Then, keep an eye on the upcoming forecast and limit your time outdoors when you’re most at risk.
Of course, you can’t avoid the outdoors forever. Eventually, you need other allergy treatment methods as well. This is where the “whole” part of holistic comes into play. Holistic doctors look at your entire lifestyle when performing holistic allergy relief treatments. Changing your diet, for example by avoiding sugars, hydrogenated oils, and wheat, and by eating more omega-3 essential oils, can reduce allergic rhinitis inflammation. Stress hormones are known to disrupt the immune system, and therefore adjusting your lifestyle to include more rest can have a profound impact. Holistic allergy relief treatment also utilizes alternative procedures, such as detox and acupuncture. Detox rids the body of harmful toxins, which in addition to aggravating inflammation themselves, may interfere with the body’s ability to self-correct. Acupuncture stimulates nerves in the brain, and may help kickstart the body’s natural processes.
If you need a holistic doctor in Austin, TX to help provide holistic allergy relief, get in touch with us today! A holistic doctor can provide an alternative, holistic allergy relief option if you’re suffering from chronic or seasonal allergies.
