Two Internal Factors Contributing to Allergies Allergies are a common hypersensitive reaction or intolerance of the human body to some allergens in nature. Some people can be allergic to pollen, some food (such as milk, peanut, wheat, animals, etc. One needs to go through a lot of tests to figure out the allergens, And in the clinic, allergic reactions have many different manifestations such as sneezing, tearing, eye itching, congested nose, skin rash, asthma, eczema, etc. Of course the most important way to manage allergy, according to Western medicine, is to avoid exposure to allergens. However, when we see some people could be allergic to something while some other people may not, we have to wonder, what contributes to the difference. In Chinese medicine, allergic reactions are the result of allergens acting on the body, it should be the differences in the constitutions of different people that determine the occurrence of allergies, and thus, it should be possible to change the reaction by changing the internal factors contributing to the allergic reactions. How can we figure out the differences? Although we can do survey among patients to see what pattern or what kinds of special constitutions they have, there is a traditional way to figure it out by analyzing the clinical manifestations when they have allergic reactions. Actually, all the allergic reactions can be classified into two types. One type is more manifested as sneezing, tearing, itching, increased nasal discharge that is watery and clear, or asthma attack with clear phlegm. In Chinese medicine, this is more the manifestations of invasion of wind-cold. Wind causes itching, while cold contributes to the watery discharge. As for why someone is more susceptible to wind cold, Chinese medicine believes that he should have qi or yang deficiency. Qi or yang functions to warm up the body, when they are not enough, wind cold will have more chance to attack the body. So in treatment of this type of allergies at the acute stage, we can disperse wind cold, which is the trigger; while at the remission stage, it is more important to build up qi or yang qi of the body to reduce to chance to develop allergies. For example, if someone has an acute attack of allergic sinusitis, we can use Hua Fen Bi Min Gan Pian, which functions to disperse wind cold, open the nostril, etc., to relieve the allergic reactions. But at the remissions stage, patients can take Yu Ping Feng San (A formula to tonify qi of the body and prevent invasion of wind cold). This will great reduce the chance to develop the allergy or even totally cure the allergy. Another example is asthma attack due to invasion of wind cold. When there is acute attack, we can use the herbs like Ma Huang, Gui Zhi, Xi XIn, etc. To disperse the wind cold, open the lung qi and stop asthma. But at the remission stage, taing Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan (A formula for kidney yang deficiency) can greatly prevent the asthma attack. Another type is more manifested as nausea, diarrhea, skin rashes, red eyes, etc. This type happens more after eating something such as milk, peanuts, wheat, etc. In Chinese medicine, these manifestations are more from damp heat in the gastrointestines. So when there is some food that could bring more heat or damp heat into the gastrointestine, it makes the damp heat in the interior stronger, which blocks the movement of spleen qi and stomach qi, causing vomiting and diarrhea, or force blood to go out to cause skin rashes, or the damp heat can steam upward along meridians to cause red eyes, etc. So at the acute stage, it is important to clear the damp heat and cool blood or purge fire. But eliminating the damp heat in the interior part of the body can be a radical cure. To do this, you can take herbs that can promote digestion to prevent food accumulation or herbs that can clear damp heat or stagnated heat in the interior, such as Bao He Wan, Xiang Lian Wan, etc. Of course at the same time, patients need to avoid the food that can increase the damp heat such as hot spicy food, fatty, greasy or sweet food, and eat more vegetables, or the food that is cool in nature and can be digested easily.
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 22:28:18 +0000
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