Dr. Christine Cui 2018-Sep-17

As spring is here, many people have started experiencing the symptoms of hay fever. Hay fever, which is also known as allergic rhinitis, is caused by the nose or eyes getting contact with allergens; such as pollen, dust mites, or animal hair. It is an allergic reaction, where the immune system perceives the harmless objects as ‘dangerous’, and therefore producing mucus, as the nasal passages become inflamed.

A lot of people will tend to rely on antihistamines as the quick way out to relieve the hay fever symptoms.  However, studies have shown that antihistamines could affect fertility negatively as it decreases the blood flow to the uterus. Recently, a study shows that over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamines could cause the reduced count of sperm, and its quality, also lower production level of male sexual hormones in the testicles.

However, don’t worry as there are still many other ways to combat hay fever this spring:

1. Monitor the pollen count

With the advancement of technology these days, we can now track the pollen counts through a number of applications, such as a weather app. The weather app will tell you the number of pollen-based on your location via GPS. It will help you to plan your day, whether to take extra protection or avoid outdoor activities when the pollen count is high.

2. Consume more Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the best natural antihistamines, and it is easy to be found in fruits and vegetables, or supplements. Vitamin C helps in reducing the amount of histamine secreted by white blood cells. In a study, participants were given intranasal spray containing vitamin C and were asked to use it daily. After two weeks, more than 70 per cent of the participants have found decreased nasal blockage and secretion.

3. Consume Horseradish and Garlic

In addition to the consumption of Vitamin C, both horseradish and garlic are known to relieve hay fever symptoms. Horseradish has been used to relieve mucus congestion and clear nasal passages. It also helps to break down the mucus in order for it to be expelled easily from the body.

Garlic is an excellent source of quercetin, which is a natural anti-histamine. It has been used for thousand years in increasing immune system and helps to relieve nasal congestion and help preventing the symptoms from getting worse.

These two ingredients could be easily added to meals or consumed separately in the form of a supplement.

4. Try Chinese Medicine and acupuncture

As it was mentioned before, hay fever is caused by an over-reacted immune system of one’s body. It is triggered by the imbalances in the body. It is also caused by the weakness of one of the organs in our body; such as spleen and kidney. Spleen system is very important as it affects the ability of one in digesting and absorbing the nutrients from food. Kidney deficiency is very common these days, as most people tend to get stressed out and experience adrenal fatigue.

Chinese medicine may help in relieving the symptoms and also addressing the underlying cause of one’s condition and treat it directly. Regular treatment will help re-balancing the yin and yang in the body, thus help improving one’s health and immune system.

Acupuncture is may help to ease symptoms of hay fever. 

When both acupuncture and Chinese medicine are combined, it may reduce the frequency and intensity of the symptoms as the treatments are carried on. It will help to strengthen the Qi flow, therefore improving the quality of life.

As each treatment and Chinese medicine, the formulation is tailored to each patient’s condition, it is designed to attack the underlying cause, and may help improve one’s immune system to not overreact to allergens.

If you need consultation or assistance or enquiry please do not hesitate to contact us on 9820 8651 or email: info@medccc.com. We are looking forward to assisting you.