An Ayurvedic Approach to Seasonal Allergies

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Ayurveda, 5,000 year old holistic health science, seeks to understand the underlying root cause that contributes to a person’s over-reactive histamine response to allergens. Then offers easy solutions to mitigate seasonal allergies.

Spring weather inspires the heart and mind with its warmer weather, sunshine green plants, blossoming flowers and trees. On the other hand, spring pollens can make some miserablefrom allergic reactions that can often trigger asthma, gastric upset, skin rashes and more. Ayurveda considers Spring as the time when Agni (digestive/metabolic strength) is at its lowest. During winter, kapha (earth and water elements) increase but don’t lead to imbalance. When the season transitions to spring, the weather warms up and much like snow melting in the mountains, leading to streams swelling and clogging from forest debris. As we are an extension of nature, the wet, dense and heavy nature of spring increases the same tendencies in our body with clogged channels (blood vessels, respiratory tract, digestive tract and skin pours). This clogging leads to a build-up of Ama(toxicity) which can act as an antigen with downstream allergy symptoms. Ayurveda combats this with two simple principles, ‘like increases like’ and ‘opposites balance each other.’ For instance, to avoid heaviness, we eat light food and stay active. Similarly, to combat cold, we have warm food with warming spices—and bundle up!

Ayurveda suggests that the root cause of allergies is thisaccumulation of Ama (toxins) combined with lowered immunity. Some contributing factors to toxin accumulation and lowered immunity can be genetic factors, inappropriate diet, lifestyle, stress, trauma, seasonal changes or chronic ailments that deplete Ojas (vital life force) and weaken the immune system.

When Agni (digestive and metabolic fire) is weak, Doshas(energy principles related to the ratios of the basic elements of life) go out of balance and Ama accumulates. Ama acts as an internal antigen triggering an auto-immune reaction that can manifest as respiratory, skin or gut allergies and often, a combination of these. In Ayurveda, we seek root cause to the allergy issue, and then provide a comprehensive, personalized plan manage the allergies in a holistic manner.

The Ayurvedic approach offers three distinct actions to manage allergies.

• Avoiding allergens. if you’re allergic to pollen, it helps to try and stay indoors when pollen counts are high, keep the doors and windows closed with air conditioning on, car set to circulation of internal air and when you come home from outdoors, shower, wash your hair and change your clothes.

• Stabilize and balance the system, and support strengthening the immune resistance through Ayurvedic interventions. This is accomplished in two significant ways.

1. Shamana (pacification through diet, lifestyle andherbal formulations)

2. Shodhana (cleansing detox treatments).

• Reintroducing the sensitive items eventually in an integrative approach.

Ayurvedic Dosha (Constitutional Types)

Everyone has a unique Prakruti, (Ayurvedic constitution)) and Vikriti (imbalance). The three distinct Dosha types are collections of two the five basic elements of life: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space. The doshas are:

• Vata (Aire & Space) with the qualities of light, cold, dry, mobile, rough and subtle.

• Pitta (Fire & Water) with the qualities of hot, sharp, light, liquid, spreading, oily.

• Kapha (Earth & Water) with the qualities of heavy, slow, cold, smooth, dense, soft, stable, gross, cloudy, sticky.

Vata type allergies and ways to create balance

Oftendigestive tract with symptoms such as burping, bloating, digestive discomfort, gas, gurgling intestines, vague abdominal pain, and intestinal colic. They can also include symptoms of constriction such as wheezing or headache, as well as sneezing, ringing in the ears, joint pain, sciatica, muscle twitching or spasms, insomnia, nightmares, and other vata-type discomforts.

Vata imbalances can cause food sensitivities to raw foods, many beans (black beans, pinto beans, adzuki beans, etc.), and certain animal proteins, like pork. These foods can also aggravate vata types of allergies.

When vata is aggravated, it is important to slow down, keep warm, stay hydrated. Avoid raw and cold foods or drinks, avoid large bean dishes, and include well-cooked whole grains and root vegetables. Vata types of allergies are often soothed by warm herbal teas with an added drop of sesame oil or ghee to counteract vata’s dry quality, as well as warm and grounding herbs.

Pitta type allergies and ways to create balance

Pitta predominant people will experience allergies when the hot, sharp qualities of an allergen encounter the skin, and then through the skin, they enter the bloodstream. These skin-basedreactions present as hives, rashes, itching, allergic dermatitis, eczema, and may also involve bloodshot eyes. In the GI tract, pitta allergies can cause heartburn, acid indigestion, stomach upset, nausea, or vomiting. Pitta-type allergies can also induce hot flashes.

Increased pitta can cause food sensitivities or allergies to hot, spicy dishes, citrus fruits, sour fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and fermented foods. These foods can also aggravate pitta types of allergies.

When symptoms appear, it is best to keep cool, to avoid exercising at midday, and to eat a diet of cooling types of foods such as cucumbers, melons, coconut, cilantro and cleansing herbs can also be supportive. Because pitta has such an affinity for the blood, purifying the blood is often tremendously helpful.

To balance and soothe the skin, try one of the following therapeutic strategies:

Fresh Cilantro Juice

Drinking cilantro juice cools and calms the entire system and promotes optimal health, comfort, temperature, and fluid balance in the skin. Simply place a handful of fresh cilantro in a blender with about 1/3 cup water and blend. Strain the pulp and drink the juice.

Cilantro Pulp

Applying fresh cilantro pulp directly to the skin offers more localized soothing support and can be used in conjunction with cilantro juice. The pulp can be applied to the skin after it has been separated from the juice.

Kapha type allergies and ways to create balance

Kapha-type allergies are the most likely to be exacerbated during the spring season because of the onslaught of pollen-based allergens. Kapha allergy symptoms include irritation of the mucus membranes, hay fever, cold, congestion, cough, sinus infection, water retention, bronchial congestion, asthma, and even sleeping disorders. In the digestive tract, kapha types of allergies can create a certain heaviness in the stomach and sluggish digestion.

Imbalances in kapha can cause food sensitivities, or allergies to dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, also to wheat, cucumber, or watermelon. These foods are also likely to aggravate kapha types of allergies.

When trying to balance kapha, it is best to keep warm and dry, to avoid daytime napping, to stay active, and to eat a diet that is light, with plenty of deep green leafy vegetables and warmly spiced. Drinking lightening and clarifying herbal teas can also help liquefy, dry, and eliminate excess kapha. Using small amounts of local honey as a sweetener serves to cleanse the system of excess kapha and can also help diminish sensitivity to local pollens.

In addition, warm and stimulating herbs can help clear excess kapha from the chest and stomach, promote proper fluid balance in the tissues, and restore strength to a sluggish digestive fire.

If you tend to struggle with kapha type springtime allergies(congestion, sneezing, runny nose, cough, sluggish digestion), a dietary cleanse at the junction between winter and spring can help clear the stomach and lungs of the excess kapha.Throughout the rest of the spring, a weekly one-day fast—whether a total fast, a fruit or juice fast, or a mono-diet ofKitchari (Mung Dhal and Rice or Quinoa with warming spices) can help keep kapha balanced.

10 Ayurvedic tips to treat and or avoid springtime allergies.

1. Strengthen the agni (digestsive fire) and eliminate ama(toxicity). Try drinking digestive teas like CCF (cumin, coriander, fennel), Tulsi tea, Ginger tea orTrikatu Tea (ginger, black pepper, pippali) Balance doshas and deal with any underlying health issues you may have to combat allergies (schedule an Ayurvedic consultation with one of our experts)!

2. Favor a Kapha pacifying diet: minimize cold, heavy, fried, sour and salty foods, sweets, refined sugar, refined flour and dairy. Favor bitter, pungent and astringent tastes, legumes, whole grains like brown rice, basmati, barley, millets, quinoa and amaranth, lightly cooked vegetables particularly deep green leafy veggies, warming spices like ginger, cumin, mustard seeds, cardamom, turmeric and cinnamon. Reduce fermented foods, nuts and seeds, nightshades. Avoid salads, yoghurt, ice cream, and cold beverages.

3. Incorporate these routines in your or daily regimen,

• Start the day with warm water, lemon (if it suits you) and local honey.

• Try Jala Neti for a gentle saline rinse to flush out mucus, debris or pollutants that can trigger an allergic response; this particularly helps with kapha congestion. Make sure you are trained to do this practice or do it under the guidance of a trained yoga or Ayurveda practitioner.

• Do a daily Nasya. Apply a couple of drops of oil to the nostrils (Anu Thaila, Sesame oil, Ghee or Coconut oil).

• Oil pulling. In the morning, take a teaspoon of sesame oil, or coconut oil, swish it about in the mouth for about three minutes and spit it out.

• If you have allergies, gargle with warm water, a pinch of turmeric and salt, or water boiled with Triphala (Amalaki, Bibtaki, Haritaki).

• Try steam inhalation with Ajwain (carom seeds) or mint, eucalyptus oil or tea tree oil.

4. Get moving! Step up your exercise, whether it be biking, walking, dancing or anything you enjoy. But be mindful though, if going outdoors triggers allergies, you could stick to exercising indoors.

5. Try active vinyasa style yoga with sun salutations, back bends, warrior, triangle and tree pose, and lotus pose, brief inversions and bridge pose.

6. Incorporate warming pranayama like Bhastrika and Kapal Bhati. Other powerful pranayama practices for allergies include Ujjayi, Nodi Shodhana. If not familiar with these practices, seek a trained yoga instructor or yoga therapist.

7. Minimize exposure to cold (internally, through warm food and externally, by staying warm!). You can reduce cold showers or make sure you don’t go out with wet hair.

8. Avoid daytime sleep, which increases kapha.

9. Do an Ayurvedic Seasonal Detox Cleanse. Spring is the optimal time for a therapeutic Ayurvedic cleanse, it stokes the digestive fire, corrects imbalances and most importantly, prevents their recurrence in the future according to the root text, Charaka Samhita.

10. Meditate regularly. There is a strong link between stress and allergy symptoms. Studies have shown the incredible benefits of meditation for reducing stress along with a myriad of other health benefits.

Ayurveda offers a steady time-honored tradition of gradual positive evolution of your health. This is not a quick fix or silver bullet approach. This thousands of years old tradition of holistic healing continues to offer solutions for our modern time, including seasonal allergy relief. Whild it may take a little effort to find your particular path toward balance and your specific avenue toward resolution of your symptoms, this is a powerfuljourney to be embarking upon. Our sincere hope is that through Ayurveda you can find support and solutions for your health and overall wellbeing. Here’s to a vibrant spring, and a life of ever-improving health and wellness.

For more support, call our office to schedule an Ayurvedic Wellness Counseling Consultation. (253) 447-6667