Springtime Allergy and Sinus Relief with Chinese Medicine

After a long winter, it finally feels like spring. The air even smells like spring as plants love this season as much as we do. They respond to the long-awaited warm weather with a big pollen season. I'm seeing a lot of allergies and sinus infections in my practice and I thought I'd offer a springtime allergy and sinus essential oil formula to help people adapt to the change in seasons.

We often talk of "spring cleaning" and this is another part of the reason for those sniffs and sneezes. Rather than simply being symptoms to suppress, these are signs that the body has a chance to clear out old accumulations in the sinuses from previous seasons. In one of the oldest medical texts in Chinese medicine, it states that the issues of this season can be a way of releasing the ways our body was taxed in the previous one. It was a tough, cold winter for a lot of us, so now's the time to help our body's immune system fully recover and renew itself. And that's another part of what my formula is designed to help with.

Essential Oils For Allergy and Sinus Relief:

Rosalina.

This lovely oil is a relative of tea tree and it's excellent for ears, nose, and throat.

This oil softly awakens the senses and it's safe for everyone at appropriate dilutions. It's gentle, yet has a nice antiseptic and opening effect on the sinuses.

Petitgrain

This oil is the leaf of the bitter orange tree and it is one of my favorite oils. It's very useful for opening and loosening the chest for easier breathing. It's anti-spasmodic for coughs and supports Rosalina in clearing the throat. Petitgrain also helps with digestion. Zhu Dan Xi, a famous doctor from the 12th century, said Petitgrain clears lymphatic stagnation and breaks up accumulations in the body. And it smells nice!

Peppermint.

We all know Peppermint! Peppermint's spicy cool scent soothes irritation and dilates the tissues in the nose temporarily so the other oils can act more quickly. In Chinese medicine, peppermint is often used to help relieve itchy, red eyes (but don't get in the oil in your eyes, please).

Magnolia flower.

Magnolia flower oil has a nice supporting action for the head and sinuses. This oil is good for sinus headaches and helps to anchor the blend, prolonging its effects.

The Blend: 

We'll add:

• 30 drops Rosalina

• 20 drops Petitgrain

• 5 drops Peppermint

• 5 drops Magnolia flower

Mix all ingredients with 1oz of a carrier such as sweet almond, fractionated coconut or rice bran oil.

These ingredients are all available from:

https://www.edensgarden.com/

Application:

Apply a small amount three times a day by the sides of the nose, on the temples and behind the ears. We actually have sinuses behind our ears, the mastoid sinuses. There are powerful acupuncture points there as well. So, massage the blend in for best effects, you'll be giving yourself a little acupressure treatment. Take care to keep it out of the eyes (it'll sting). As always, use common sense and you can write to me for substitutions if you are allergic to one of the ingredients. 

There are also fantastic acupuncture treatments and Chinese herbal formulas to treat more chronic allergies and sinusitis. In addition, I've had excellent results with courses of treatment for my patients with asthma and bronchitis. So, you are welcome to see me and start feeling better!

Neti Pot:

This is a good time to make friends with your neti pot to wash out your sinuses once a week.
Experienced neti pot users can add a drop of our essential oil blend for a stronger cleanse.