It’s that time of year again- Asthma and Allergy season!
Asthma and Seasonal allergies, despite coming around every single year, they are still a big challenge for many. Asthma and allergy symptoms may limit one’s ability to perform daily activities. In both conditions, one can feel shortness of breath, wheezing, irritating cough, or sneezing, and all these symptoms can be worsened by environmental factors or triggers, including air pollutants or certain types of food.
Let’s start with Asthma. Asthma is a condition of the lungs that causes inflammation and narrowing of the airways. Over the past 30 years, the diagnosis of asthma has increased by approximately 60%. With studies being conducted and more research being published, more knowledge about asthma has led to a more frequent diagnosis in both children and adults. This is a leading chronic condition across the nation today, especially among children, as approximately 6.8 million school-aged children and an additional 30 million adults suffer from asthma.
Next, let’s dive into what causes allergies. Generally speaking, your immune system recognizes and removes harmful substances from the body, when functioning correctly. But occasionally, your immune system goes into protection mode against a substance that is usually considered harmless.
The respiratory system is directly linked to spinal health. The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system, when nerves can’t communicate properly, the body can’t function and it can lead to a health problem, including asthma and allergies. Any dysfunction of the central nervous system can cause chaos in the body’s many systems, including the respiratory system. Spinal misalignments are most often the root cause of disruption of the central nervous system than can weaken your immune system and exacerbate asthma and allergy symptoms. A healthy nervous system keeps all other systems of your body functioning properly. This, in turn, helps your entire body work better.
Natural Strategies to Deal with Asthma and Seasonal Allergies:
- Keep your nose clean - The pollens and other allergens in the air bind to the mucous membranes inside of your nose. Cleanse your nasal passages with saline to help wash away those irritants and keep your mucous membranes moist.
- Reduce stress - The pollening is a stressful time on your body, so try to reduce the havoc that stress hormones can wreak on your body by trying to reduce other stresses in your life. Self-care is of vital importance when you’re feeling bad due to seasonal allergies, so take time to relax and be good to yourself to help relieve stress.
- See us a Bettendorf Chiropractic Wellness Center - We have one goal: To help your body work the way it was meant to. Chiropractors help to identify issues that may be disrupting the natural workings of your body, such as joint dysfunctions, and treat them so that your body can do what it was made to do. Proper nerve function can significantly reduce other health issues and even alleviate this disease. In addition, regular chiropractic visits can really boost the immune system, decreasing the risk of getting colds and other respiratory problems that can make allergy and asthma attacks even worse.
- Eat right - You should make sure you’re providing your body with the proper nutrition it needs to stay strong and healthy. Plus, eating right means that you’re contributing to good gut health and your gut is your immune system’s first line of defense. Keep your gut healthy by cutting down on processed foods and added sugars and you will help to improve your immune function, too.
- Clean your house - Allergy triggers can easily build up in your home, so make sure you change air filters often and dust your shelves and vents -- and anyplace else pollen can collect. You should vacuum any carpets in your home at least twice per week and make sure to regularly change your pillowcases so that any allergens that have transferred from your body to your pillow don’t cause problems as you sleep.
Yes, spring is in the air -- unfortunately. But it doesn’t have to make you feel wretched. Instead, try a few of these tips to help calm your allergies and enjoy the spring flowers for once!