Ayurveda & Hay Fever

Spring is Kapha season and one of it’s major downsides for thousands of people is the on-set of hay fever. If you are one of these people, then ideally you should begin thinking about hay fever prevention from late winter onwards. However, it’s not too late to introduce some simple things now which will make a huge difference to your experience this Spring.

In Ayurveda we look at hay fever as either Pitta related or Kapha related depending on the symptoms. Often it is a combination of the two energies. With Pitta and it’s core element of fire we will see symptoms such as burning and itching of the eyes and any inflammation (in the sinuses or around the eyes). With Kapha, having more water & earth qualities, we will see symptoms such as runny nose, mucous accumulation & congestion in the sinuses and nasal passages. Much of the time one of the underlying causes of allergies is Ama in the physiology. Ama is essentially toxic matter in the body which weakens the digestive fire. If you have Ama, then Ama Pachana is a great place to start your hay fever treatment. This is a simple 5-7 day cleanse including herbs and simple foods. Read more about the treatment of Ama on my blog.

An Ayurvedic treatment plan should always consist of advice on the following 5 things; Food, herbs, therapies, yoga & lifestyle modifications.

Food

  • Begin the day with 250mls of hot water on an empty stomach;

  • Follow this with a hot lemon & ginger tea with 1tsp of Chyawanprash dissolved in it;

  • Make a flask of Tulsi tea and sip throughout the day;

  • Avoid all heavy dairy foods during hay fever season;

  • Drink 1 cup of lemon & ginger tea after each meal to keep digestion strong.

Herbs

  • Take 2 capsules of Tulsi (Holy Basil) on an empty tummy following morning lemon, ginger & Chyawanprash tea;

  • Take 2 capsules of Triphala at bed time. A cornerstone of Ayurveda this herb stimulates the digestive fire;

  • For Kapha hay fever take 1 capsule 3x per day of Pippali - this stimulates the immune system which is often weakened by allergies;

  • For Pitta hay fever take 1 capsule 3x per day of Brahmi - this is calming and anti inflammatory on the Central Nervous System.

Therapies

  • Nasya Therapy - this can be done by an Ayurvedic therapist but if doing at home you can simply add 1 or 2 drops of oil to each nostril after your morning bath or shower, being sure to very gently and slowly breath the oils in. For Pitta hay fever use Anu Oil and for Kapha hay fever use Shadbindu Oil. This is fantastic for hay fever which is causing headaches and migraines;

  • Jala Neti - this must be done very first thing on an empty tummy. Add warm to hot water, a good pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp of your chosen oil (or even sesame oil) to the neti pot. Do not do without oil as this will lead to the eventual drying out and burning of the nasal passages.

Yoga

  • 3-5 rounds of Sun Salutations (to stimulate the digestive fire) followed by 3-5 rounds of Moon Salutations to reduce inflammation and burning;

  • Practice 3 minutes of Alternate Nostril Breathing.

Lifestyle

  • Try fasting once a week. This involves eating only one main meal per day between 10am - 2pm (ideally at 12pm when digestion is at it’s height). You could add in a fresh juice or two with added fresh ginger and plenty of herbal tea to keep warm. Avoid bread and overly spicy food. Kitchari is ideal (see blog for recipe)

Wishing you a happy & healthy Spring.

Mairead MoodieThe Sacred Space