How to help Hayfever
Today it is raining, which is good as it has been very dry of late, providing some brief respite for hayfever sufferers. I don't particularly class myself as a hayfever sufferer but I have noticed over the past few years that when the rape flowers are out (I live in a rural area with plenty of rape fields) I notice an increase in throat irritation, low level headaches & eye irritation. If I spend too much time hanging out in elderflowers trees (foraging is a popular springtime hobby for myself when I'm not in my Bowen Therapy clinic!) my throat feels extremely irritated.
Seasonal allergic rhinitis, the posh name for hayfever, is an immune response which is activated when the immune system detects pollen from the environment in the upper respiratory tract & confuses it with harmful pathogens. The immune response produces a specific antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) which triggers substances from the eyes, nose and throat. One of these substances is histamine & this is what causes hayfever symptoms.
Common treatments for hayfever symptoms include over the counter or prescription antihistamine medications which block the histamines released by the immune system. Some opt for more natural routes & use homeopathic or herbal treatments for their symptoms. I have found drinking elderflower infusions helpful - ironic! - as they contain quercetin, a natural antihistamine.
But treating the symptoms alone may not be enough - if hayfever is a result of the immune system confusing pollen for harmful pathogens surely there is a need to rebalance the whole system to minimise the occurrence in the first place? There could be a multitude of factors involved- why do some suffer but others don't? Why do some develop hayfever after never having suffered in previous years? A combination of genetics, environmental factors, stress levels, diet, lifestyle etc etc can contribute to getting, or not getting, hayfever at some point in your life.
Therefore a multimodal approach to hayfever is preferable, looking at the system (body) as a holistic entity.
This is where The Bowen Technique fits in. How can a physical therapy help hayfever????? Bowen Therapy is much more than a musculoskeletal remedial technique - though subtle or light in touch the information targets nerve receptors within the surface & deeper layers of tissue which carry sensory information to every nerve in your body. The information reaches the brain, gets analysed & computed, then sent back into the body with new instructions which have the potential to effect changes at the cellular level & within all bodily systems.
The best way to help your body cope with hayfever is to prepare the body for the event a few weeks prior to the season with 3-4 Bowen technique sessions, but if this window has been missed then sessions during the season have proven to reduce the impact of symptoms by 40-80% in previous clients, depending on lifestyle factors, genetics, medication or herbal medication & other influencing factors.
Get in touch , it's not too late to try!