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Living in the Midwest we are used to a long winter and when spring arrives, we celebrate! This spring the snow melted extremely quickly and with that a lot of the patients we see in the office were coming in with complaints of headaches, post nasal drip, feeling fatigued and having sleep disturbances. While most patients were assuming they had a cold or possibly a sinus infection, what they didn’t necessarily suspect was allergies. Let’s talk about what allergies really are, how symptoms can present and what we are your chiropractor are going to do about it.
Allergies occur any time your immune system reacts to a foreign substance, these substances range from pollen to a bee sting, mold to certain foods. In extreme cases allergies can cause anaphylactic shock and in a mild case you don’t even pick up on the fact that your body is having a reaction because it occurs so slowly. In either case your body produces an antibody which targets a substance as harmful (even if it isn’t) so that the immune system can destroy it. The immune system can respond to these allergens in many ways from inflammation in the skin, sinuses, breathing airways or the digestive system.
Different types of allergies can cause different symptoms. Here are some of the common ways the body reacts:
- Hay Fever
Sneezing
Itchy eyes, nose, roof of mouth
Runny and stuffy nose
Watery, red, swollen eyes
2. Insects
Swelling at sting/bite site
Itching and hives
Cough, wheezing, shortness of breath
3. Mold Exposure
Fatigue
Headache
Difficulty concentrating/poor memory
Sinus congestion, coughing, shortness of breath
These are just a few and the list is otherwise quite long
4. Food sensitivities
Headaches/migraines
Stomach ache/bloating
Constipation/diarrhea
Cough, runny nose
Fatigue
The question now becomes, what can chiropractic do about allergies? There is a link between the nervous system and the immune system. Which is good news for chiropractic patients because when you get an adjustment interference is relieved from the nervous system allowing the immune system to function at its highest potential. When it can do that your body will have a much easier time fighting off allergens that cause the allergic reactions. It is also common when dealing with allergies to have restricted airways which can cause sneezing or trouble taking a deep breath. Getting adjusted also supports the respiratory system to allow an increase in function which will help you to breathe easier. In addition to getting adjusted, chiropractors can generally give nutritional and lifestyle educational tips to fight allergies naturally and allow you to get through the spring allergy season (stay tuned for future blogs on this very topic).
If you or someone in your family suffers with seasonal allergies and you want to learn more, be sure to tune into our Facebook Live webinar all about allergies. It’s coming up on May 22nd at 6:00pm. For more information head to our Facebook page and clink on the events tab to register.
