Spring is here! Your eyes are itchy, your nose is runny, you feel irritable, it must be allergies, right? Not necessarily! In most cases that I have seen, during the early spring here in New England, the seasonal change from winter to spring tends to cause a condition of overheating internally that dries out the eyes and sinuses and leads to symptoms. similar to those of an allergy.
Let me explain.
Your body needs to get used to generating more heat during the winter compared to the summer. This natural ability develops during the fall, but as spring approaches, a warming tendency develops and your body now has to reduce its heat production to maintain a healthy body temperature balance. I have an analogy for you… think of the body as a wood stove. To keep the house warm on a cold winter day, let’s say it’s 20 degrees outside, you have to put a lot of wood in the wood stove to heat the house. The same happens with the body that needs to generate more heat in the winter. Now when spring comes along with the warmer days, let’s say like 40 or 50 degrees, if you keep putting the same amount of wood in the wood stove, it’s going to overheat the house. Again, the same with the body, but the body takes time to change. As the body overheats in the spring, body heat rises to the head and dries out the tender, moist tissue in the eyes and sinuses, causing itching and irritation.
This excess heat also warms us internally and makes us feel irritable, as if you were in an excessively hot room and felt uncomfortable. Your body needs time to change – slow and steady wins the race, but here in Rhode Island, irregular weather patterns stress our health. As the saying goes, if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.
Now I say, this is less about allergies and more about seasonal changes. Suddenly, in early spring, people were walking into my clinic with allergy-like symptoms, but where’s the allergen explosion? For example, where is the pollen? There are no big blooms in early spring, unlike in late spring (June), when the oak trees release their greenish-yellow pollen that coats everything in sight – release the Kraken!
So what can we do? We need to remove heat from the body to balance the seasonal change as the days get warmer. This is tricky because the weather goes up and down during the spring.
My suggestion is to focus on the basics: sleep and diet, and when things get hot, get some acupuncture and natural herbal medicine. Sleep helps to cool down the body and rejuvenate the body. Lack of sleep needs to be addressed if you want to get to the root of the problem before rushing out to find a strong medication to dry up postnasal drip. Although, if you need a quick fix, there are all-natural herbal formulas like what I call “nose pills” in my clinic, which can be gentler and very helpful. Acupuncture can also be helpful in removing heat, relaxing the body, and restoring balance naturally.
Also, eating more foods that remove heat, such as salads and assorted fruits and vegetables, such as apples, pears, cucumbers, asparagus, lettuce, and celery, can remove heat. Also get rid of the heat by avoiding long-term, hot-cooking winter foods like casseroles and roasts, which require a lot of heat to energetically prepare. Foods cooked for a long time are very hot for the body and should be eaten less during spring and summer. Also cut back on starches and sugar sources that can lead to inflammation and weight gain. Eating less and losing a few pounds can also help.
It is interesting to note, in many cultures and traditions, such as during the Lenten season, that fasting is part of the tradition: fasting not only weighs less on your spirit, but also has an uplifting effect on your energy that is a great support for your health. There are different types of fasting and it’s not right for everyone, so be sure to seek professional help before attempting any major changes to your diet.
If you are interested in an all natural solution for your health, please consider contacting the clinic and requesting a free consultation to learn more. Learning about traditional nutrition can restore balance and bring greater happiness and a healthier life for you and your family.