Allergies or Irritants?

Spring signals itself in many ways…the world gets greener, we get eager to spend more time outdoors, AND many of us start with runny noses and itchy eyes.

Allergies, right? Well, maybe.

Allergies are the body’s responses to foreign matter when the invader is specifically identified as being a life-threatening attacker. For example, lots of kids these days are “allergic” to peanuts. If they eat one, their bodies can’t discern that a peanut is a harmless thing used to make kid-friendly sandwiches. Their cells go on alert; they swell, itch and have trouble breathing. Same with allergies to pollen, dust and other respiratory triggers: eyes, nose and respiratory organs think that a small grain of pollen or dust is a terrorist in disguise.

So if these are your symptoms, then it might be allergies. BUT, it could also be an irritant. Irritants are thing that enter the nose and eyes (dust, pollen and other things floating through the air in spring) and they simply irritate the tissue lining your eyes and respiratory tract. Anyone could get an irritation if enough of the offending floating stuff is taken in. Think of what happens when you get something in your eye--even something you aren’t allergic to. When you wash it out, the tissue settles down. And if you do have allergies, irritants can make the symptoms worse.

So before you reach for an “allergy pill” doing some of the following actions may resolve the symptoms because it may not be an allergy at all. If you reach for the pill first, you may be medicating unnecessarily. Or if it is an allergic reaction, you may be overdosing when smaller doses will do.

1. Probably the very best thing to do is to use a neti pot. A neti pots is a little vessel that looks like an aladdin’s lamp. It is used to wash out the nose and clear the irritants from your nose hairs and turbinates (skull bones that form a maze behind your nose) that trap particulates and keep them from your lungs. There are internet sites that show you how to use a neti pot, so I won’t describe it here. (See one at: http://www.thegreenhead.com/2006/11/neti-pot-nasal-passage-cleanser.php as an example.) I have had clients who swear by the use of this simple, old-fashioned device. Here’s my latest testimonial:

“I first heard about a Neti pot about a year ago and didn't think it sounded very appealing or like anything I would even consider doing. Because I have allergies and occasional sinus problems I eventually decided to try the Neti Pot. My first few attempts were sloppy, and I really didn't enjoy using it. I did begin to notice a big difference in my sinuses however. I now use my Neti Pot about two or three times a week and love it. Not only does it clear my sinuses, it also keeps them from drying out during the winter. I love my Neti Pot now and look forward to using it. I describe the results as the fresh, clean smell of the air at the beach. I highly recommend it. “ Margaret K.

I have been asked by clients how often they have to use a neti pot. I reply by asking them how often they bathe. When they tell me “every day,” I respond by saying that using a neti pot is the respiratory system’s bath. Daily washing will only help your respiratory system keep clean.

2. When you go out, think about putting some Vaseline or a similar product at the very bottom of the lining of each nostril. This can potentially trap the flying debris and keep it “glued” to the outside of your body, rather than letting it go up through your sinuses.

3. Wash your face and hands after coming indoors or after touching your pets.

4. Wash your hair and change your clothes. Being outdoors means that all that stuff is trapped in your hair and on your clothing. So don’t wear the same clothing, especially around your face, day after day. Your hair should be washed, especially before going to bed, where your face rubs all over your pillowcase. And wash the pillowcase nightly too, especially if you want to be efficient at this cleaning thing.

5. Wear a hat and eyeglasses/goggles if you are going to be outdoors for a long time, or in the wind. This keeps your hair and eyes from collecting the unseen debris.

6. Close the windows in your house and car on days when the particulates are especially bothersome. If you need to, use an air conditioner (but be sure that the filters are clean!)

7. Use an air purifier next to your bed or desk or any place that you stay for many hours. An air purifier only works in the immediately adjacent area, so don’t expect miracles from one little machine. And keep the filters clean!

8. Reduce the degree of irritants and allergens by being conscious of what you put into the surroundings in your home and car. Because changing your home and car is a more expensive endeavor, you can be mindful of these things when redecorating or buying a new car:
•Put in hardwood floors rather than new wall-to-wall carpet;
•Use leather furniture rather than fabric; (or use fabric furniture covers that are easily washed and replaced:
•Don’t have drapes or fabric wall art that collects dust easily, (use blinds, shutters, or easily washed curtains)
•Keep your dog’s hair short and bathe him/her more frequently;
•Don’t let the dog sleep in your bed. (yeah, right!)
•Install leather seats in your next car---no fabric.

9. Get regular acupuncture. Acupuncture has been recognized by western medicine as one of the modalities that helps reduce allergies. Sites such as www.WebMd.com have many articles that talk about how acupuncture has been found to help many people permanently. To be effective for seasonal allergies, don’t wait til spring to start. What you do in the seasons before spring will have an impact on the following seasons.

These steps should help reduce the junk in your nose, eyes and lungs, so that symptoms may be more easily managed. If, however, you are still bothered by symptoms, the most effective medications available over the counter tend to be really expensive, with the cost being close to a buck a pill. (They know when they have you over a barrel, huh?)

If you are a client of an acupuncturist or Chinese herbalist, you can ask if she prescribes any herbal supplements. I prescribe a very inexpensive formula (it has a Chinese name that nobody remembers, but I call it “magic snot pill”) and the cost is extremely low compared to the OTC western stuff (about 7 bucks for 100 pills/taken 2 at a time). Even my neighbors show up every spring to get some.

Spring is so wonderful that it would be a shame for you to miss out on any part of it, or feel too symptomatic to enjoy the season’s wonders. With a little consciousness, some effort at cleaning your respiratory organs and your environment, and doing some complementary medicine (acupuncture and herbs) you can be relieved of your cabin fever of winter, and be out in nature during all it’s blooming bounty.

Where is Grandma when you need her?

The stomach flu is going around. Several clients came in recently either having had it, or were just getting it. Besides needles, what can help relieve the upset?

When I was a kid with the stomach flu (or food poisoning, or the "heaves") my mom used to give me room temperature "coke syrup" that she got from the corner soda fountain. A teaspoon or sip of that would help to resolve my upset stomach. No other food would be given to me for a day or so, until my stomach had a chance to rest; only the thick syrup would comfort it. We didn't really use the carbonated form of the soft drink, because carbonation and coldness tend to upset the stomach more, and watering down the syrup decreases the sweetness that we needed.

Today, it's hard to come by coke syrup, although there are a couple of mail order companies that sell it (eg: The Vermont Country Store Catalog). Instead, I keep a can of heavy syrup fruit cocktail in the back of the cupboard for such needs. I drain the fruit out, and then sip on the reserved liquid.

In Chinese medicine, the flavor of sweet is said to nourish the stomach. That's why sweet things appeal to children, and why we feel we MUST have dessert after large meals. When Chinese herbal formulas are given, especially to those with weak digestive systems, herbs are added such as licorice or dates to sweeten up the formula making it more easily digested.

It's almost always true that your grandmother knew the best home-remedies for everyday illnesses. They are also almost always quite consistent with Chinese medicine.

crowding out your pathology

I was in the treatment room this morning, when a patient asked why I was needling points on her "constitution". Of course there is no easy, short answer to such a question, so I pulled up my chair and talked about the garden.

Chinese medicine, which is a reflection of Chinese philosophy, says that we are conceived by our parents and are imbued with a destiny that belongs solely to us as individuals. That creation is a blueprint of our future in its shining possibility. It will come true if nothing gets in the way. Illness is what gets in the way. Like the acorn (which holds a perfect little oak tree) our fetus is the perfect us, just smaller.

A few years ago, I had so many thistles growing in my flower border that I could easily spend one to two hours weekly digging them up by their roots. But there were always more. I then had the bright idea to plant something desirable that would crowd out the thistles, making it tough for their roots to re-grow. So I planted this lovely groundcover which blossoms in the spring with bright yellow flowers. NO MORE THISTLES.

So what has this to do with Chinese Medicine and destiny? If I, as your acupuncturist, support your destiny (your constitution, your basic gifts, the things that you do really well,) then there will be NO ROOM for illness. As such, we want to crowd out pathology...make it hard to take root, difficult to generate.

So, in a given treatment, I have the option of eliminating a pathology, OR supporting what's healthy, and crowding out the pathology. Often I do both until the client becomes able to crowd out the pathology for him/herself.

I'm glad she asked the question.'

The truth is in here somewhere....

It's been quite awhile since I began this blog. I find that I want the entries to be perfect, and thus don't write much. However, I find that if I just jump in, I might not be perfect, but there will at least be something on the page.

Today, I'm taken with how much pathology can look like health. I was out in my garden, pulling weeds. It takes a really trained eye to distinguish between some of the weeds and the desired plants. There is a "bush" growing right from the base of my bluberry bush that looks EXACTLY like the blueberry bush---but it isn't the blueberry. The leaves are the same color, shape and texture. Last year, I didn't find out it wasn't the blueberry bush until AFTER it had sucked all the nourishment out of the soil and grew and grew and eventually took over the blueberry. This year, I'm arguing with myself about poisoning the undesirable visitor so that the berry bush can re-claim it's victory in the garden. I'm also noticing that weeds growing in the groundcover try to mimic their surroundings---sporting the same height, the leaf density, and color, of the intentionally planted landscape. These parasitic plants are masquerading as invited guests so they will be fed and cared for and allowed to flourish!!! So what am I writing this for?

Well, in my acupuncture practice, another colleague brought a patient for a consultation. The patient's complaint was "painfully hot feet and hands." Indeed, her feet were very red and swollen, (and her hands less so) but to the touch, her feet were ICE COLD. To get relief from the subjective feeling of being hot, the patient has been soaking her feet in ice water and packing them with ice packs every night. The other signs observable in this patient resonate with COLD (her pulse, her tongue). The cold is masquerading as heat so that the cold will be "nourished" (fed) by outside pathogenic behaviours of the patient. ("Cold" can be experienced subjectively as "heat"---think: dry ice.) In this case, the treatment for her feet and hands is to warm them up.

When we behave in a way that SEEMS to reflect our needs, can the behavior be "wrong?" Yes indeed. Think of all of us out here that are addicted to sugar or fats. We can SEEM hungry, when in fact it has only been an hour since our last meal, and there is no way we could be legitimately hungry. The pull toward consuming more and more of what we crave is, in itself, an illness. The illness perpetuates itself in the craving. This is also true with those of us addicted to working, caffeine, etc. When we overdo, and can't stop, then the activity itself is perpetuating the problem, just like the over-tired child who just can't go to sleep because he is over-tired. This is when we have to let our common sense intervene, and stop the cycle of getting deeper and deeper into the weeds.

Tending ourselves like a garden, we must be able to recognize which behaviors are the "weeds" needing elimination, and which are the plants needing cultivation. When the Chinese talk of "cultivating the qi" they mean to promote health and discourage un-health. It an be harder than it appears at first blush, because those damned weeds often appear to be healthy plants. But are they?

Introduction

This is the first, albeit short, entry to MovetheQi, an occasional posting about Chinese Medicine, lessons from the classical Chinese Medical Literature, learnings from my clients, nature and my teachers. Thanks to those who tune in.

I have been in the practice of acupuncture for neigh on 18 years at this point (since 1989: the year of Tienenman Square and the fall of the Berlin Wall). At that time, the walls of my perception came tumbling down, when I realized the poetry and Truth of this ancient medicine. From that time, I have been amazed at the changes that can happen when the healing comes from the inside out. I started looking seriously at Chinese Herbal Medicine about 10 years ago, and found that all maladies that currently affect humankind have always existed. In the old texts, they describe remedies that address things that we arrogantly think of as "modern"---HIV, heart disease, strokes, migraines (although they weren't called such) etc. I have since come to think of herbal formulas as "those things that are missing from our diets." So with this meager knowledge, I write.

Why a Blog? One foot in the 21st century, and the other foot in the year 1000 (or so) is why. My clients are tech-savvy (some of them). They are also tuned in to their bodies, nature and know that wisdom can come from anywhere. It's also a place for me to record my observations about nature, so that I can learn and have a record of it.

So here goes. Pardon if the posts are irregular or maybe a bit esoteric. But I'll try to make them understandable to all by referring to what's going on in nature.

Thanks for checking it out occasionally.

CS