Spring is in the air, and so is allergy season! 🌸 

So many of my patients are already feeling the shift in weather through allergy symptoms like itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, and even skin symptoms like itching, dry patches, redness and hives.⠀

How can you manage these symptoms? Or prevent them if you’re prone to allergies but not experiencing them just yet?⠀

1) Get acupuncture: You knew I was going to say that, right? 😂 Acupuncture is outstanding at both preventing seasonal allergies and helping manage annoying allergy symptoms if they’ve already started.⠀

And it’s backed by science. A study in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology showed that acupuncture was effective at reducing allergy symptoms with no side effects. You can read the full article here.

Ideally you’d start acupuncture a month before your symptoms usually start, in order to prevent them from being severe. But even if your symptoms have already kicked in, acupuncture can still help quite a lot.⠀

2) Take a probiotic. Seasonal allergies are an excess immune reaction in your body. ⠀

A huge portion of your immunity is regulated by the nerves in your gut, so good gut health is essential for a balanced immune response. ⠀

Choose a probiotic with multiple strains to keep your gut flora diverse, and (like acupuncture) start a month in advance of anticipated allergy symptoms if you can. (Or just start now!)⠀

3) Try nettle leaf tea 🍵 Nettle leaf can help naturally reduce the amount of histamine in your body, which is the cause of many allergy symptoms. [Reference] (Of course, consult your doctor/health professional before beginning any new supplements.)

If allergy symptoms are creeping up on you, sign up for an acupuncture appointment today to keep them from progressing this season! 

As always, feel free to respond to this email with questions!