Allergy & Chronic Sinus

What Are Allergies?

Allergies are a sign of immune system issues. The immune system works hard to keep the body safe from bacteria, viruses, and other invaders. An optimally functioning immune system can differentiate a significant threat from a harmless substance.

Allergies occur when the immune system goes into overdrive. As a result, everyday substances such as pollen, dust, or animal dander trigger massive immune responses. Symptoms such as sneezing, tears, or itching result from the body trying to do everything it can to eliminate the offending substance.

Many individuals use over-the-counter allergy medications to “treat” their allergies. While these medications relieve the symptoms, they do nothing to address the underlying immune dysfunction that is occurring. In fact, they shut down the body’s natural, healthy immune response.

Here at Vital Wellness Center, our chiropractic for allergy addresses the underlying cause of seasonal, household, and other allergies. Our care enhances the immune system’s ability to manage allergens more normally, leading to reduced symptoms.

What Are Chronic Sinus Issues?

The sinuses are eight mucus-lined spaces located in the temples, forehead, and cheeks. When they work as they should, they filter and add moisture to the air to make breathing more comfortable. Some of the substances they filter include dirt, dust, and many other pollutants. They are one of the body’s first defenses against outside invaders.

As is the case with tissue anywhere in the body, sinus tissues swell when they become infected. Whether this is something that we would consider an infection such as the common cold, or a flare of allergy symptoms, the process is the same. Once the sinus tissues become inflamed, they are unable to drain normally. As a result, they begin to fill with excess mucus.

Swelling and increased mucus content create painful pressure around the sinus region. Many of our patients also suffer from fever, chills, and congestion. Some of our patients even suffer from extreme dizziness as sinus issues spread to the neighboring ears.

How Our Chiropractic Helps Allergies and Sinuses

Chronic sinus chiropractic addresses the underlying issues with the back, neck, and facial bones that can encourage sinus congestion. Chiropractic adjustments also work to bring the body’s neurological system into appropriate balance. When the nerves function correctly, so do the blood and lymph vessels that are crucial for carrying immune factors to the site of the issue.

Comprehensive Diagnostics

When a patient with allergy or sinus issues comes into Vital Wellness Center for a consultation, Dr. Foss begins with a detailed medical history evaluation. Since we firmly believe that all aspects of life affect the health, we ask about family relationships, professional life, hobbies, or other free time pursuits. While other chiropractors may skip these kinds of questions, we believe they provide valuable insight into each patient’s health history and current lifestyle choices.

We always believe each patient that enters Vital Wellness Center is the best expert on their condition. While we’ve read many textbooks and journal articles, not every patient is a copy of a typical “clinical portrait” for a particular condition. This is especially true when considering conditions such as allergies which include a profound interface between the immune system, the outside world, and other body systems. As a result, we first consider what patients tell us about what they know causes, worsens, and improves their symptoms.

Once we’ve developed an individualized clinical profile for chiropractic allergy relief, we perform a detailed physical assessment. In the case of allergies and sinus issues, we search for a deviated septum or other physical problems that may contribute to symptoms. Sometimes, we get a closer look at how the bones are aligned through an X-ray or other imaging study.

Chiropractic Adjustment

While many of our new patients equate chiropractic adjustment with manipulating the spine, they quickly learn that we can optimize alignment anywhere in the body. Chiropractic for chronic sinus can include the small bones of the face or those near the ears.

Natural chiropractic allergy relief includes restoring normal circulation of the body’s fluids for healthier immune system function. When large amounts of mucus are pooling inside of the sinuses, it creates a reservoir of potential infection. One technique we use involves manually loosening the mucus inside the frontal and maxillary sinuses. Once the mucus is moving through the sinuses again, pressure is relieved, and healing can begin.

The thoracic region is another area we frequently adjust for our patients with allergy or sinus-related conditions. We first use chiropractic adjustment to relax the spine in this region. Once a patient has less tension in this area, we use chest percussion to remove any excess phlegm. Chest percussion involves strategically striking the chest to encourage phlegm to move so a patient can cough it up to make breathing easier.

Natural Chiropractic for Allergy and Sinus Relief

If our patients only come in for an adjustment and fail to apply the natural sinus and allergy relief methods we teach them, we have failed as a Wellness Center. After sinus adjustment, consistent aftercare is critically important. We want our patients to use the saline solution we suggest to keep their nasal passages as clear as possible. Hydration from the inside is also important, and we encourage our patients to drink enough water each day.

In our experience, some of our patients have food sensitivities that can make their symptoms worse. In the case of allergy and sinus issues, dairy products tend to cause increased symptom flares. As a result, we recommend our patients with sinus problems or allergies substitute non-dairy alternatives for milk, cheese, and other favorite dairy items.

Another food that worsens allergy symptoms for many of our patients is sugar. If you read labels, you know that sugar is in most prepared foods. While getting children (and many adults) to give up sugar altogether can be extremely challenging, it is possible to reserve sugar for occasional treats and substitute healthier alternatives, including stevia and honey for everyday sweetening.

Consuming a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is an excellent way to give the body what it needs for all systems, including the immune system. Fresh produce contains a variety of potent phytochemicals or plant chemicals that help reduce inflammation. Eating them seasoned with anti-inflammatory herbs such as turmeric can intensify the benefits.

You Deserve Chiropractic Allergy Relief

While over-the-counter medications might seem like a fast and easy way to deal with allergy symptoms, they reduce symptoms at a hefty cost in terms of immune system health. Antibiotics are also, unfortunately, still mistakenly prescribed for allergy symptoms. Antibiotics will do nothing to correct an underlying immune system imbalance and can make any bacteria invading the sinuses more resistant to treatment. Over-the-counter allergy medications and antibiotics also have a variety of side effects.

If you’re looking for a safe, effective alternative for your family, consider yourself fortunate for finding us. Here at Vital Wellness Center, we are experienced in helping local patients reduce their painful allergy and sinus symptoms. Give us a call today to schedule a natural allergy relief consultation.