Spring Blooms and Stuffy Noses: TCM treatment for Seasonal Allergies
As the Springtime unfurls in WNC, many find themselves reaching for antihistamines to quell the usual cascade of symptoms that arrive as suddenly as the blooms of the spring ephemerals.
Seasonal allergies — the sneezing, itchy eyes, and runny nose that arrive with springtime blooms — are a modern epidemic, but Chinese Medicine has been grappling with these seasonal shifts for over two thousand years. Its framework for understanding allergies is strikingly different from conventional biomedicine, and for many people, remarkably effective.
The TCM view: more than just pollen
In TCM, seasonal allergies are understood as the body's inability to defend itself against external "wind" pathogens — environmental forces that exploit a weakened immune system (in TCM called Wei Qi). When Wei Qi is strong, wind passes through without taking hold. When it's depleted — through stress, poor sleep, or a compromised lung and spleen system — the body overreacts.
This is why two people standing in the same pollen cloud have completely different experiences. TCM is interested in terrain, not just exposure.
What to do about these annoying allergy symptoms?
Chinese Medicine has many tools to deal with allergy symptoms. Whether you experience itchy eyes, scratchy throat, runny nose, sneezing, eczema flares, asthma, hives, fatigue, or all of these symptoms we have different tools to address your constellation of symptoms.
— Acupuncture: Acupuncture points on the face are often used to directly open blocked sinuses, clear the eustachian tubes, dissipate headaches, and clear inflammation for the eyes and sinuses. Points on the arms and legs are often used to help modulate the body’s immune response and support the Lung and Spleen meridians which are often involved in allergic responses. Acupuncture is a great option for adults and children for immediate relief of symptoms but can be used in the months leading up to allergy season to prepare the body to deal with allergens in the future.
— Herbal Medicine: Herbal medicine is a safe and effective option for adults and children to relieve allergy symptoms in the short term and help regulate the immune response over the long term. Different formulas are selected for different phases of treatment depending on the severity of symptoms and any underlying factors specific to the individual.
— Dietary therapy: TCM always recommends seasonal shifts in diet to reflect the changing environmental factors through the seasons. In the spring time we want to incorporate more variety of fresh greens, bitter and pungent foods (like arugula, dandelion greens, etc) to help support the digestion and flush out any toxins from months of a heavier winter diet. You could also add a bitters supplement like this one before meals to help stimulate the Liver and support digestion.
Timing matters: treat before symptoms start
One of TCM's most important insights is preventive treatment. Ideally, patients begin strengthening Wei Qi 4–6 weeks before their typical allergy season — bolstering the body's defenses before the first tree begins to bloom.
If you're someone who dreads every spring, that window is opening right now.
TCM formulation to Disperse Wind Heat or Wind Cold, open up the nasal passages, relieves swelling and headache.
Used for allergic rhinitis and sinusitis in the chronic and acute phases.
Complete extraction 5:1 liquid concentrate from Far East Summit processed using purified water and whole grain alcohol only. Alcohol content 16-25%.
Ingredients: Magnolia flower, Xanthium fruit, Phellodendron bark, Forsythia fruit, Chinese Licorice root, Fragrant Angelica (bai zhi) root, Platycodon grandiflorum root, Schisandra fruit, Anemarrhena rhizome, Wild Chrysanthemum flower, Siler root, Schizonepeta herb
Aller Ease Jr
Blue Poppy Herbs, Pediatric glycerite tincture
Ingredients:
Huang Qi (Radix Astragali) 17.6 mg
Yi Yi Ren (Semen Coicis) 17.6 mg
Shan Yao (Radix Dioscoreae) 17.6 mg
Dang Shen (Radix Codonopsis) 17.6 mg
Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae) 11.8 mg
Fang Feng (Radix Saposhnikoviae) 11.8 mg
Jing Jie (Herba Schizonepetae) 11.8 mg
Jie Geng (Radix Platycodi) 11.8 mg
He Zi (Fructus Terminaliae Chebulae) 11.8 mg
Xin Yi Hua (Flos Magnoliae) 11.8 mg
Bo He (Herba Menthae Haplocalycis) 11.8 mg
Ze Xie (Rhizoma Alismatis) 11.8 mg
Wu Wei Zi (Fructus Schisandrae) 11.8 mg
Gan Cao (Radix Glycyrrhizae) 11.8 mg
Chan Tui (Periostracum Cicadae) 5.8 mg
Gan Jiang (dry Rhizoma Zingiberis) 5.8 mg
other ingredients: Kosher vegetable glycerin, purified water
Allergy supplement for natural relief from seasonal, food & pet allergies.
Struggling with allergies? Allergy Ease helps alleviate pesky symptoms from environmental, seasonal, food, and pet allergies. Our clinically formulated allergy supplement harnesses the power of Traditional Chinese Medicine to combat frequent colds, sneezing, runny nose, fatigue, and itchiness of the nose, throat, and eyes.
Ingredients:
SOL Allergy Ease Blend™ – 600mg:
Perilla Leaf extract
Patchouli extract
Cocklebur Fruit extract
Angelica Root extract
Magnolia Flower extract
Woad Root extract
Echinacea extract
SOL Immune Support Blend™ – 400mg:
Astragalus Root extract
White Atractylodes Rhizome extract
Ledebouriella Root extract
Codonopsis Root extract
Other Ingredients: Vegetable capsules (cellulose), 8:1 concentrated extract. Every 2 capsules contain 1,000mg dry herb equivalent.
Does not contain: yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts. GMP certified. Vegan product.
Don’t let toxin buildup get you down. Discover Daily Detox supplements, your natural solution for daily cleansing. This powerful herbal formula has antioxidant properties that help your body eliminate toxins from head to toe. It may also reduce headaches, gum tenderness, and mouth and tongue sores. Daily Detox herbal cleanse leaves you with brighter eyes, improved digestion, and an overall feeling of refreshment and revitalization.
Ingredients:
SOL Internal Organ Detox Blend™ – 600mg:
Dandelion extract (Taraxacum mongolicum, Chinese: Pu Gong Ying — 蒲公英)
Lotus Plumule extract (Nelumbo nucifera, Chinese: Lian Zi Xin — 莲子心)
Lophatherum extract (Lophatherum gracile, Chinese: Dan Zhu Ye — 淡竹叶)
Coptis Rhizome extract (Coptis chinensis, Chinese: Huang Lian — 黄连)
Saposhnikovia extract (Saposhnikovia divaricata, Chinese: Fang Feng — 防风)
SOL External Detox Blend™ – 400mg:
Forsythia Fruit extract (Forsythia suspensa, Chinese: Lian Qiao — 连翘)
Herba Menthae extract (Mentha haplocalyx, Chinese: Bo He — 薄荷)
Caulis Perillae extract (Perilla frutescens, Chinese: Zi Su Teng — 紫苏藤)
Other Ingredients: Vegetable capsules (cellulose). 15:1 concentrated extract. Every 2 capsules contain 15,000mg dry herb equivalent.
Does not contain: yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, milk, eggs, fish, peanuts, or tree nuts. GMP certified. Vegan product.
Aller-C
Vital Nutrients
Isoquercetin, Vitamin C, Bioflavonoids to support healthy respiratory and immune function.