Acupressure for Allergic Rhinitis

People do lots of things to treat hay fever. They get allergy shots. They take antihistamines. They rinse their nostrils with neti pots and they go on allergy elimination diets.

All of these methods work, but the easiest way of getting control over allergic rhinitis so you can breathe comfortably again is using acupressure. And the best thing about this method is you can do it automatically with the help of the right acupressure massage device.

Acupressure is a great way to treat a runny or stuffy nose when allergy season comes around. And you don't even have to go to a therapist to do it.

Here are the three things everyone needs to know about this ancient proven healing method for stopping nasal allergies almost as soon as they start.

1. No needles are needed for massage treatment of allergies!

This form of modern therapeutic massage was based on acupuncture, the ancient system thought to redirect energy flows around the body by placing needles at specific points. Here the idea is to use pressure, rather than needles, to accomplish the same changes.

Do you have to believe in the scientific validity of "chi" to use this method? Of course not! Use massage to treat allergic conditions because it works.

2. The results of this kind of therapy are very fast

Traditional Chinese Medicine called what we call hay fever a "wind evil." This meant that the symptoms came in on the wind (as pollen), and that they came fast as the wind, which is really fast. Fortunately, the treatment for a "wind evil" also works quickly. That's because neither the immune reactions that trigger rhinitis nor "wind evils" affect the body as a whole. Localized symptoms allow fast allergic rhinitis treatment.

3. You can use this method "in a pinch."

And "in a pinch" is a good way to remember one pressure point that can relieve symptoms fast. Grab the webbing between either of your thumbs and your index finger. Using your other hand, gently massage this area until your nose stops running, or your sinuses open up just a little.

If you are at home, you might also take off your shoes and massage the area between your second and third toes. Massaging these points is meant to relieve tension in your jaws and to expel "toxins" in your upper respiratory tract.

And if you have a special problem with runny nose, rub the area above your heels.