Good old allergies

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mindyourmind
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Good old allergies

Post by mindyourmind »

I have one and one only health issue that can be quite invasive and a pain in the sitting area - those good old allergies.

My life is just structured in such a manner that I cannot in any significant way avoid the triggers - I am outside every day, I work in various offices and buildings, I have the odd smoker around me, lots of pets, pollen - you name it.

Any ideas or remedies from the Tibetan medicine pov? Any suggestions on diet?



Thank you :namaste:
Dualism is the real root of our suffering and all of our conflicts.

Namkhai Norbu
Malcolm
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Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Good old allergies

Post by Malcolm »

mindyourmind wrote:I have one and one only health issue that can be quite invasive and a pain in the sitting area - those good old allergies.

My life is just structured in such a manner that I cannot in any significant way avoid the triggers - I am outside every day, I work in various offices and buildings, I have the odd smoker around me, lots of pets, pollen - you name it.

Any ideas or remedies from the Tibetan medicine pov? Any suggestions on diet?



Thank you :namaste:

You can try applying ghee or sesame oil inside of your nostrils before you go outside, create a barrier in this way.

Avoid dairy, and get an oil called "anutailam" from Trihealth or otherwise, nasya oil from Banyan Botanicals. Use a neti pot, then nourish the membranes with the oil. It is important to use the oil after cleansing with neti, because otherwise, you will inflame and dry out the membranes.

A lot of allergies are actually a side effect of weak metabolic heat. So, check with an local experienced Ayurvedic practitioner -- they generally have more experience with allergies than Tibetan doctors at present.

Allergies are an urban illness. They do not affect people raised in the country so much.
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mindyourmind
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Re: Good old allergies

Post by mindyourmind »

Namdrol wrote:
mindyourmind wrote:I have one and one only health issue that can be quite invasive and a pain in the sitting area - those good old allergies.

My life is just structured in such a manner that I cannot in any significant way avoid the triggers - I am outside every day, I work in various offices and buildings, I have the odd smoker around me, lots of pets, pollen - you name it.

Any ideas or remedies from the Tibetan medicine pov? Any suggestions on diet?



Thank you :namaste:

You can try applying ghee or sesame oil inside of your nostrils before you go outside, create a barrier in this way.

Avoid dairy, and get an oil called "anutailam" from Trihealth or otherwise, nasya oil from Banyan Botanicals. Use a neti pot, then nourish the membranes with the oil. It is important to use the oil after cleansing with neti, because otherwise, you will inflame and dry out the membranes.

A lot of allergies are actually a side effect of weak metabolic heat. So, check with an local experienced Ayurvedic practitioner -- they generally have more experience with allergies than Tibetan doctors at present.

Allergies are an urban illness. They do not affect people raised in the country so much.

Thank you very much.

I have tried the neti pot briefly, without the oil so maybe that is worth a new attempt. I realize that diary is a Bad Thing, and I try to cut down on that.

The other remedies, especially the oils, seem quite positive. I will certainly try that.

Does the "weak metabolical heat" mean that if my metabolism gets given a boost, say by exercise, that this will assist in combating the problem?

Send me your bill, doctor :bow:
Dualism is the real root of our suffering and all of our conflicts.

Namkhai Norbu
Malcolm
Posts: 42974
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Good old allergies

Post by Malcolm »

mindyourmind wrote:
Namdrol wrote:
mindyourmind wrote:I have one and one only health issue that can be quite invasive and a pain in the sitting area - those good old allergies.

My life is just structured in such a manner that I cannot in any significant way avoid the triggers - I am outside every day, I work in various offices and buildings, I have the odd smoker around me, lots of pets, pollen - you name it.

Any ideas or remedies from the Tibetan medicine pov? Any suggestions on diet?



Thank you :namaste:

You can try applying ghee or sesame oil inside of your nostrils before you go outside, create a barrier in this way.

Avoid dairy, and get an oil called "anutailam" from Trihealth or otherwise, nasya oil from Banyan Botanicals. Use a neti pot, then nourish the membranes with the oil. It is important to use the oil after cleansing with neti, because otherwise, you will inflame and dry out the membranes.

A lot of allergies are actually a side effect of weak metabolic heat. So, check with an local experienced Ayurvedic practitioner -- they generally have more experience with allergies than Tibetan doctors at present.

Allergies are an urban illness. They do not affect people raised in the country so much.

Thank you very much.

I have tried the neti pot briefly, without the oil so maybe that is worth a new attempt. I realize that diary is a Bad Thing, and I try to cut down on that.

The other remedies, especially the oils, seem quite positive. I will certainly try that.

Does the "weak metabolical heat" mean that if my metabolism gets given a boost, say by exercise, that this will assist in combating the problem?

Send me your bill, doctor :bow:

Yes, exercise, a metabolism increasing diet, or rectifying metabolism.

There are three different types of allergies based on your phenotype, i.e. vata, pitta and kapha. So the type of exercise and diet you have should be seasonally changed, in accordance with your type. You cannot fix allergies from outside, you can only fix them from inside,

Let me ask, did you never not have allergies, if so when and where?
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mindyourmind
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Re: Good old allergies

Post by mindyourmind »

Namdrol wrote:
Let me ask, did you never not have allergies, if so when and where?

I've pretty much always had them in mild form as a child, but now, at age 47, they seem to have become worse, if stabilized.

As a layman I experience a change in weather conditions and temperature as having a big effect on my sinuses / allergies. Is that possible?
Dualism is the real root of our suffering and all of our conflicts.

Namkhai Norbu
Malcolm
Posts: 42974
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Good old allergies

Post by Malcolm »

mindyourmind wrote:
Namdrol wrote:
Let me ask, did you never not have allergies, if so when and where?

I've pretty much always had them in mild form as a child, but now, at age 47, they seem to have become worse, if stabilized.

As a layman I experience a change in weather conditions and temperature as having a big effect on my sinuses / allergies. Is that possible?

Yes, definitely. Allergies always indicate a imbalance. Imbalances are caused by season, diet, behavior, and spirits.
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mindyourmind
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Location: South Africa

Re: Good old allergies

Post by mindyourmind »

Namdrol wrote:
mindyourmind wrote:
Namdrol wrote:
Let me ask, did you never not have allergies, if so when and where?

I've pretty much always had them in mild form as a child, but now, at age 47, they seem to have become worse, if stabilized.

As a layman I experience a change in weather conditions and temperature as having a big effect on my sinuses / allergies. Is that possible?

Yes, definitely. Allergies always indicate a imbalance. Imbalances are caused by season, diet, behavior, and spirits.
Behavior such as ?
Dualism is the real root of our suffering and all of our conflicts.

Namkhai Norbu
DGA
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Re: Good old allergies

Post by DGA »

Interesting.

I get seasonal allergies if I'm in a part of the world that is new to me (contains pollen I'm not particularly accustomed to). I grew up in Oregon, where there's no ragweed, and conifer trees overwhelmingly outnumber elms. Here in Virginia, my face is definitely swollen and drippy. Each year is less troublesome, though.

Does this phenomenon of becoming acclimated to an allergen over time and exposure sound reasonable from a Tibetan Medicine POV, or is there something else going on?

PS: I find it helpful to eat local honey as well, but this may be my way of justifying a sweet tooth to myself
Malcolm
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Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Good old allergies

Post by Malcolm »

mindyourmind wrote:
Behavior such as ?
(Diet) and Behavior in your case that causes your digestive fire to be weak. Could be behavior for many years running. Being around industrial pollutants, tainted water, etc. Most people who have allergies are from the city. I personally think chlorinated water has a lot to do with it, these days.

N
Malcolm
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Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Good old allergies

Post by Malcolm »

Jikan wrote:Interesting.

I get seasonal allergies if I'm in a part of the world that is new to me (contains pollen I'm not particularly accustomed to). I grew up in Oregon, where there's no ragweed, and conifer trees overwhelmingly outnumber elms. Here in Virginia, my face is definitely swollen and drippy. Each year is less troublesome, though.

Does this phenomenon of becoming acclimated to an allergen over time and exposure sound reasonable from a Tibetan Medicine POV, or is there something else going on?

PS: I find it helpful to eat local honey as well, but this may be my way of justifying a sweet tooth to myself

No, eating local honey is one of the best ways to acclimatize your body to allergens.
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mindyourmind
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Re: Good old allergies

Post by mindyourmind »

Namdrol wrote:
Jikan wrote:Interesting.

I get seasonal allergies if I'm in a part of the world that is new to me (contains pollen I'm not particularly accustomed to). I grew up in Oregon, where there's no ragweed, and conifer trees overwhelmingly outnumber elms. Here in Virginia, my face is definitely swollen and drippy. Each year is less troublesome, though.

Does this phenomenon of becoming acclimated to an allergen over time and exposure sound reasonable from a Tibetan Medicine POV, or is there something else going on?

PS: I find it helpful to eat local honey as well, but this may be my way of justifying a sweet tooth to myself

No, eating local honey is one of the best ways to acclimatize your body to allergens.
How local? That specific area (as narrowly defined as possible) I suppose makes sense, an area that is similar to where you live. I take it that specific honey would contain those pollens?

This is a brand new concept to me. Interesting indeed.
Dualism is the real root of our suffering and all of our conflicts.

Namkhai Norbu
DGA
Former staff member
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Re: Good old allergies

Post by DGA »

I use honey from a farm just up the road from my home, but I'm lucky because I have access to a farmer's market. When I lived in Nevada (pollen hell, surprisingly), I had some OK results with honey from the northern part of Mexico. That's like living in J-burg and trying honey from Mozambique, but it helped some.
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mindyourmind
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Re: Good old allergies

Post by mindyourmind »

Jikan wrote:I use honey from a farm just up the road from my home, but I'm lucky because I have access to a farmer's market. When I lived in Nevada (pollen hell, surprisingly), I had some OK results with honey from the northern part of Mexico. That's like living in J-burg and trying honey from Mozambique, but it helped some.
Thank you, I am going to start looking at some local honey.
Dualism is the real root of our suffering and all of our conflicts.

Namkhai Norbu
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