Hay fever is a common condition affecting the nasal passages, and up to five percent of Americans will experience it at some point during their life. Symptoms include runny nose, sinus pain and pressure, sneezing, congestion, and eye watering. For some people, these symptoms can be problematic enough to interfere with work or other daily tasks.
There are over-the-counter options for hay fever, as well as Chinese medicinal herbs that can be used to treat the condition. One such botanical is Xin Yi, derived from magnolia flowers.
How Chinese Medicine Practitioners Address Hay Fever
In western medicine, hay fever is the result of environmental allergens provoking an allergic response by the body. From Chinese medicine’s perspective, though, it’s not the allergens that are the problem, but rather the body’s inability to handle the environment.
Treatment, then, focuses on building up the organs most responsible for governing the nasal passages. In Chinese medicine, that’s the lungs and the stomach.
How Xin Yi Can Help with Hay Fever
Xin Yi is the Chinese name for magnolia flowers, though the magnolia species used in Chinese medicine is different than the magnolia we’re familiar with in the U.S.
On its own, Xin Yi is considered a warm herb, capable of dispersing cold and wind in the lungs. In Chinese medicine, “wind” and “cold” refer to pathogenic states in the body, used to refer to conditions that bear similarities to the reference natural phenomenon. For example, just like wind in nature comes and goes suddenly, sometimes with destructive force, wind-related conditions in Chinese medicine are those that produce symptoms that present only occasionally.
Xin Yi can fortify the lungs and stomach to protect against allergic attack. It’s also useful for opening up the nasal passages and removing congestion or sinus pressure.
A popular botanical combination in Chinese medicine includes Xin Yi and Cang Er Zi, another herb effective against allergic rhinitis and other sinus issues. A Houston practitioner can properly prepare these botanicals and provide precise dosing to patients, ensuring they derive maximum relief from the herbal mix.