Spring Allergies

Sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose…. sound familiar? Having suffered spring allergies for many seasons in my life I empathized with my fellow allergy sufferers. I understand that we would do anything to relieve the symptoms as well as get rid of them for good. You will be glad to know that there is actually a way to treat yourself holistically and successfully. Ayurveda is highly effective in treating autoimmune disorders such as spring allergies symptomatically and long term.

The first time I encountered seasonal allergies was when I moved from Bangkok, a barren city to the lush hill country of Chiangmai situated north of Thailand in my junior year at Chiangmai University. I suffered a severe sinus infection and was bed ridden for a week. I had a fever, terrible headaches and at the end lost about 5 lbs which was a lot for my 100 lbs frame. Since then I suffered spring allergies consistently despite my inconsistent localities. When I lived in New York City, I suffered allergies about six months out of the year. At other locations including Texas and Oklahoma it was more less around three months out of the year.

When I first moved to California in 2001 I continued to experience spring allergies a couple months out of the year. The first year I did not suffer from spring allergies was the year of 2004 after I had been studying and practicing Ayurveda for about six months and doing yoga daily for about one and a half year. I also did not experience spring allergies two years later. Needless to say, I was ecstatic and full of confident in my faith for yoga and Ayurveda. Yet, I am not quite as allergies free as I had hope for.

This year, spring allergies made its visit to me. Earlier in the winter, I traveled to Canada and came back with a serious cold. I was a malaise for about a month. Ayurveda teaches that in order to be well we must be highly aware of our activities and how our body responses in regards to those activities. Often times we would say that we catch a cold from someone or something. That can be true. It is also true that we create within ourselves a condition susceptible to catching a cold from someone or something. My susceptibility to allergies was a result of the cold I experienced. The cold was a result of the lengthy traveling and the harsh weather in Canada. Why I became weak from the traveling and the cold weather condition had to do with my constitutional tendencies as well as the inherent imbalances I have accumulated throughout my life.

The concept of building Ojas or building our immunity is enormously crucial in claiming our health. Our habit of blaming on anything from a person coughing next to us to dirty air and eating wrong foods may give us comfort but it does not lead to a long-term solution. Ojas is our immunity or the essence that gives the bodily tissues and mind strength and endurance. In order to build health we must build Ojas or we run the risk of perpetually being a victim of anything slightly haphazard to our immune system. My story above shows that building Ojas is a dynamic process. Hence, the most important requirement for building Ojas is, awareness. We can build our Ojas by becoming conscious of our activity level and our body response. Harmonious activities result in strong Ojas.

Picture an immune system as a troop. An allergy occurs when the troop mistaken an allergen to be harmful. To protect the body, the troop sends out soldiers called IgE antibodies to attack the specific allergen. These soldiers then stay on to guard the body at the surface of tissues in the mast cells and blood basophils found throughout the body. When the soldiers detect the same substance, they alert the mast cells and blood basophils to release chemicals such as histamines, resulting in the symptoms of an allergic reaction (vasodilation, smooth muscle spasm, swelling, glandular hypersecretions). Upon re-exposure to the substance the troop can initiate a faster and more aggressive attack which leads to a more intense allergic reaction.

For those who are predisposed to allergic reactions such as myself, the exposition to allergic substances must be minimized. Otherwise, we become a victim of our own troop. This is the only time of year I suggest people walk on a treadmill or better yet, stick to an indoor yoga class instead of hiking in a park. Exposure to allergic substances keeps the immunity weak which results in weaken digestive strength. A weaken digestion builds up toxicity in our body and reduces our immune strength even more. This wicked cycle continues on as we become more firmly established in an allergic state. Ojas is needed in order to substantiate our body tissues and prevent allergic reaction. To break the cycle, build your Ojas and say good-bye to your spring allergies, here are what you need to do.

1. Learn what you should eat in order to rekindle your Agni and strengthen your digestive fire. Read a book on Ayurveda and find out your constitution and your imbalances then, eat your food according to the findings. The use of digestive spices is vital in aiding your digestion. If available to you, visit an Ayurvedic practitioner who can help guide you through the whole process including the rest of what you need to do on this list and more.

2. Learn to create a healthy daily routine that does not drain your energy and keep your emotion stable. Somehow we are in a denial that our daily activities have consequences to our mood nor do we understand that our mood leads us to act in certain ways. Weak body equals weak mind and vice versa. For example, if you stay up past midnight watching a violent movie, drinking beers and eating potato chips, how do you think you would feel the next morning? And what happens when you keep doing it nights after nights? Right, you get the picture. This is a crude example. The same logic can be applied to any activity that is not harmonious and is done on a regular basis. Creating a balance routine is a requirement for building Ojas.

3. Exercise on a regular basis. There should be no doubt to positive effects of a regular exercise. Exercise keeps us fit physically and mentally. The heat generated during an exercise invigorates blood and circulation, build digestion and over time strengthen body tissues. Yoga Asana has many added benefits beside building cardiovascular strength. It also calms and tones the nervous system and in turn relieves allergic reaction.

4. Practice Neti then oil inside your nostrils with sesame oil or ghee afterward. Using warm water mixed with a little salt in a Neti pot, let the solution runs through and cleanse your nasal passages. Oiling inside your nostrils lubricates the nasal walls and prevents allergic reaction. You may also drop 2-3 drops of Nasya oil (medicated oil) into your nostrils to prevent or alleviate sinus allergies.

5. Again, minimize your exposure to allergic substances. For pollens, weeds, grass, trees, reduce outside activities. You may be allergic to your dog or cat and may have to do some soul searching in order to find a solution. Continually exposing yourself to allergic substances of any kind keep your Ojas low and progressively weaken your immunity.

6. Take herbs to strengthen Agni and relieve allergies. A good herb to take on a regular basis is Triphala for digestion and elimination. Good elimination is highly important to one suffering from allergies since it keeps the toxic accumulation in check. You can find Dosha specific herbal formulas for allergies in the book by Dr. Vasant Lad, The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies. An Ayurvedic practitioner can also prescribe you a formula designed specifically to your Dosha or imbalance.

7. Practice Pranayama or breathing exercises. Bhastrika and Kapalabati or breath of fire are best for spring allergies. Ujaiya breath done alone or during Yoga Asana helps strengthen your immunity and is beneficial for all types of allergies.

8. Meditate regularly. Allergic reaction is a stressful state. When there is stress in the mind there is stress in the body and vice versa. Hence, calming the mind through meditation can improve allergy conditions, strengthen the immunity as well as build Ojas.

Three days ago after spending a few hours outside during a sunny, breezy, perfect spring morning, I later suffered the spring allergy symptoms. I thought I would never see a perfect spring day again. Today, I am sitting inside looking through a glass window seeing yet another perfect spring morning with zero side effect of the spring allergies. I thank the universe for providing such magnificent gift of springtime. I also thank my Ayurveda and yoga practices for making it possible for me to enjoy that gift. Perhaps, I will always have to be inside to marvel at the beauty of spring. But having suffered spring allergies six months out of the year (with more time spending indoor) in my previous life, I am more than hopeful that the spring allergies will not be visiting me for long.