Ease Stress To Relieve Allergies

Stress can bring on asthma attacks, and some experts believe it probably exacerbates nearly every kind of allergy. What does stress have to do with allergies when it's your immune system's overreaction to certain allergens that causes the problem? Stress increases the adrenal gland's production of cortisol and spurs the sympathetic nervous system to make more epinephrine and norepinephrine. An oversupply of these hormones cuts your immune system's effectiveness.

Suppose you get in the way of some pollen being carried on a gentle summer breeze. When the pollen enters your nose, an SOS signal is immediately sent to your brain, which orders a specific response—maybe three sneezes and a small rush of mucus to eject the foreign invader. The response ought to be within reason: big enough to do the job, small enough to trigger only as many defences as are necessary.

When stress is involved, though, things can start to go haywire. Stress lowers the level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), a neurotransmitter that keeps air passageways open and prevents the brain from ordering an attack-the-allergens response. That's why anything that significantly lowers stress might also lower allergic reactions.

To take advantage of the benefits of a low stress level, read about the following stress-reduction techniques.

Massage away tension
Getting a massage is one of the best ways to get stress out of your system. "Research shows that the rhythmic pressure of massage lowers heart rate and blood pressure while improving blood circulation," . Massage also carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells and removes waste products such as lactic acid, which causes muscle cramps.

A study conducted in 1998 examined the potential of massage in 32 children with asthma. Though the youngest children seemed to benefit most, anxiety and stress-related hormone levels decreased immediately for children of various ages. Measures of airflow improved significantly as well.

 Be aware that many states require no licensing or examinations for massage therapists. Before hiring a massage therapist, ask what accreditation or training the person has. Both the Commission on Massage Training Accreditation and the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork hold high standards. The American Massage Therapy Association helps people find qualified massage therapists for its more than 42,000 members nationwide.

Of course, one of the greatest benefits of massage is that you can use the techniques on yourself. For instance, during an asthma attack, lightly tap your fingertips in a circle around your sternum (breastbone), suggests a Dr. Then, using a light, flat-handed stroke, push downward from your sternum, along the left side of your body, toward your stomach.

Clear your mind with meditation
Our brains are problem-solving machines. And most of the time they're quite good at what they do. But when they get overstressed, they become inefficient. It's then that they can become problem-causing machines.

Think of meditation as a reset button. It gives the brain time to rest, so it can come back to work fresher and happier. Research has documented that meditation can decrease blood pressure, lower heart and respiratory rates, and increase blood flow. All of these signal relaxation, which can help keep allergies at bay. Meditation is easily learned. Classes are offered by many schools and yoga centres, and books and tapes on the subject are widely available.

The practice of meditation works by gently focusing one's attention on a single object. This object of meditation can be as simple as your breathing or a mantra—a word, short phrase, or sounds. "Anyone can meditate, even if it's only for 1 minute,".

Try this easy meditation. "For a simple breathing-awareness meditation, all you have to do is sit in a firm straight-back chair or cross-legged on the floor with your head, neck, and trunk straight. Rest your hands on your thighs and gently close your eyes. Let your attention focus on the bridge between the two nostrils, where it meets the upper lip. Then, with full concentration, attend to each inhalation and exhalation for a period of 1, 2, or 3 minutes.

While focusing your attention in this manner, allow your breathing to become even, quiet, and full, without any pauses or sounds. As thoughts appear, witness and honour them without getting involved and quickly redirect your attention back to your breathing. When practisced daily, this simple breathing-awareness meditation creates physical, mental, and emotional benefits, which enhance one's overall sense of well-being."

Eastern traditions see the breath as the physical manifestation of the mind. Therefore, calming your breathing calms your mind.

Write your way to relief
Believe it or not, keeping a journal can help in the fight against allergies. That's because, over time, negative feelings can undermine your immune system. Before you can change negative feelings and thought processes, you need to clearly identify them. And the best way to do that is to put it in writing.

Researchers randomly assigned a group of people with asthma or rheumatoid arthritis to write regularly about the most stressful experience in their lives or about emotionally neutral topics. After 4 months, 47% of those who wrote about the most stressful event in their lives showed greater improvement and reduced symptoms of their illnesses. Of the people who wrote only about emotionally neutral topics, only 24.3% showed improvement.

If you'd like to try journalling, here are some guidelines:

Set a realistic schedule for your writing and stick to it.
When you write, keep the verbal flow going no matter what. No one else will see your writing, so why worry about grammar or punctuation, or even about making perfect sense?
It's important to open the reservoir of feelings and write about them regularly. If you do, your allergy symptoms will significantly improve.

Get connected
Social connections are a terrific buffer against stress, and therefore helpful in the fight against allergies. In fact, scientists know that having a social support system is an all-around predictor of good health.

In one study, 276 people were interviewed to learn how many close social ties they had. They were then injected with a cold-causing virus. Subjects with six or more close social ties were only one-fourth as likely to catch a cold as those with three or less. The pattern held true overall: More social ties equalled less illness. Scientists theorize that the decreased stress levels that come with a strong social support system lead to a stronger immune system and better resistance to infectious disease. It's possible, then, that this increased functioning of the immune system can help the body better fight off allergens.How should you go about increasing your social connectedness? Reflect on the things that naturally interest you, then go wherever people with the same interests are likely to congregate, suggests a Dr.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

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