Alternative Treatments For Allergy Sufferers

Doctors often prescribe medicine to treat allergies. But taking medicine has caused some allergy suffers to endure unnatural effects such as drowsiness and headaches. With growing concern of chemicals and pills, alternative approaches to treating pollen and springtime allergies are becoming more popular.

Interestingly, alternative medicine is being considered even by the mainstream. Approximately 40% of all Americans have tried some form of alternative medicine including some of the ones listed below.

Acupuncture is an age-old procedure that places or inserts needles to certain points in the body. To people who have never heard of this procedure, it might sound hard to believe that needles help someone with allergy prevention. However, a rising number of patients claim that acupuncture has helped them with their allergy problems.

In an acupuncture session, the therapist places needles on the face and corresponding areas of the body. To treat allergies, sometimes the Chinese herb moxa is placed on the tip of the needles. By doing so, the process is intended to clear the sinuses and restore normal breathing.

There?s a philosophic basis for acupuncture. The Chinese believe in an energy force called the Qi, which flows through the body near the skin. Based on this belief, the Qi must be balanced through the entire body. If the flow is broken, deficient, or disrupted, the individual feels pain. By pressuring the points throughout one?s body, the energy can become balanced and ultimately restore the health of the patient.

Similar to acupuncture, massage can help the allergy suffers; particularly individuals suffering from sinus problems. Tightened muscles could contribute to congestion. By relaxing the muscles in the neck and face, the therapist can help get rid of the congestion and allow easier breathing.

Sometimes the best way to combat allergies is to fight fire with fire. Some have argued that eating local honey can help you treat allergies to pollen. The thinking is that the local honey has the native pollen and eating it would allow you to become more accustomed to the effects. With this alternative treatment, one can build natural immunities without the use of chemicals. Although there?s no conclusive study that supports this claim, many have claimed some benefits of applying this practice.

Others have claimed a well-balanced diet is a great way to fend off allergies naturally. There is no specific food or drink that prevents these reactions, but the overall goal is to live healthy. A healthy diet means a healthy body and system. And we all know that combating allergies centers on a good immune system. Foods with good sources of vitamins can contribute to this well-being. Vitamin such as B6 and B12 help the creation of antibodies and reduce the effects of airborne allergies. Other vitamin such as C and E are antioxidants that charge the immune system by improving white blood cell production and cell membranes.

Alternative therapies shouldn?t always be considered as a replacement for conventional treatment for allergy suffers. Consult with a doctor before applying any of the approaches discussed here. There are no specific studies that claim that any alternative treatments to allergies are very effective. As such, these alternative treatments to allergy suffers should supplement medically prescribed treatments.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Allergies