Colds, Flus and Hay Fever

Here on the Gold Coast colds, flus and hay fever are common and our acupuncture and chinese medicine clinic can help. So have you thought about boosting your immune system? Have you thought about acupuncture?

Acupuncture studies have shown the benefits in managing the symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis with symptoms of runny nose, inflammation, which, did you know the immune system actually triggers in its attempt to fight off the virus/bacteria (2).

A systematic review & meta analysis of over 2300 participants showed the benefit of acupuncture in reducing serum IgE (responsible for the immune histamine/allergic response) and assist with reducing nasal symptoms in participants (1).

What else can you do?

• Keep hydrated. Lots of water, herbal teas (caffeine free), soups & broths all help to boost your liquid intake throughout the day. It also helps keep you insides warm. Iced drinks and smoothies should still be avoided where possible in the cooler months (as for some this can also cause increase in mucus).
• Increase your fruits and vegetables to boost essential immune vitamins like A, C, E as well as zinc (oysters/seafood, pumpkin seeds, red meat), not to mention adding garlic, ginger and spices to your meals too!
• Stay warm! We understand it can get quite warm in the sun in the middle of the day, but mornings and nights and in the shade, it is still quite fresh, so dress appropriately. It’s so easy to shock our immune system into thinking its fighting something and trigger that nose drip and congestion!
• Rest!!! We can’t emphasise this enough. If you’re tired, sleep. If you’re not feeling up to something, don’t do it. When we over exert ourselves that’s when we run into trouble. Listen to your body and do what’s best for you.

And don’t worry, it is actually good to get sick occasionally! We want to keep your immune system on its toes to ensure it is effective in fighting off bugs, so having it challenged occasionally boosts your immunity. It’s when you’re constantly sick and lasting for weeks at a time that you really should be looking at ways to boost your immune dysregulation.

If you would like an appointment, book online through the website, or call us on (07) 5531 6461.

References:

1. Feng, S., et.al., (2015). Acupuncture for the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. [online] Journals.sagepub.com. Available at: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2500/ajra.2015.29.4116?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3dpubmed#articleCitationDownloadContainer [Accessed 13 Aug. 2018].