What is rhinitis?
Rhinitis is a reaction that occurs in the eyes, nose and throat when airborne irritants (allergens) trigger the release of histamine. Histamine causes inflammation and fluid production in the fragile linings of nasal passages, sinuses, and eyelids.
There are two categories of rhinitis, allergic and non allergic. Allergic rhinitis comes in two main forms: seasonal - occurs particularly during pollen seasons and perennial - occurs throughout the year.
The most-common causes of allergic rhinitis are: pollen, dust mites, mold and animal dander. Reactions from allergic rhinitis include: sneezing, congestion, runny nose, itchy nose, throat, eyes, and ears.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, TCM practitioners do not focus on treating the symptoms of conditions such as allergies, but rather, they work to restore balance and harmony within the body and key organs. They try and achieve this goal by encouraging healthy lifestyle changes like supporting a person’s body with diet modifications, herbal supplementation & stress reduction. In TCM, the goal is to provide maximum health support so that the body may better heal itself and maintain optimum health.*
