Rhinitis is one of the most common chronic conditions of today; although it only brings small discomforts, the illness itself is hard to eliminate entirely. Especially with allergy-induced rhinitis, one must completely change the nature of one’s body, in order to have some hope of treating the illness.
It’s important to know that rhinitis isn’t only a problem with the nose itself, so focusing treatment on the nose and sinuses isn’t going to be effective in the long term. In the case of rhinitis, the nose is nothing but a scapegoat; the real problem lies within certain organs of the body, which are not working properly.
To put it simply, rhinitis can be categorized into two types: one type is accompanied by symptoms such as clear nasal mucus, sneezing, and a stuffy nose. The other type is accompanied by thicker, yellow nasal mucus and a duller or absent sense of smell. The former is a condition related to an obstructed Pang Guang meridian and Kidney meridian—it must be treated through dispelling cold from the body’s interior, ridding the spleen of excess dampness, and replenishing the lungs and kidneys. The latter condition is caused by an obstructed Stomach meridian and Gallbladder meridian, and must be treated by clearing excess heat/inflammation in the liver, dissolving phlegm buildup in the respiratory system, and clearing the pathway of the digestive system. Now the question is, how must we go about accomplishing this?
Those with the first type of rhinitis—clear mucus and a stuffy nose—can use the Gwa Sha method on the back, from Du Mai along the Pang Guang Meridian, applying until the skin becomes hot. If you easily get coughs during the fall and winter, especially if there’s wind, use moxa on the Bei Yu, Yan Feng Men, Fei Yu, Pi Yu, Shen Yu points (see accompanying diagram). Apply moxa over these areas until the heated skin feels itchy or hurts. For people who easily get cold or have allergies, it is effective to use the “Make Yourself Sneeze Method” (introduced in an earlier blog post). Or, you can boil ginger and jujubes (Chinese dates) in hot water and drink the soup.
People who have clear nasal mucus tend to have what Chinese medicine refers to as “Cold Dampness” in their bodies; if your stomach feels cold often, you should take Fu Zi Li Zhong teapills to bring warmth to it. If you have a lot of phlegm in your throat, and seldom feel thirsty, it is good to take Shen Ling Bai Shu teapills to dispel the dampness, while drinking little water. For those of you who often feel the urge to sneeze, but the sneeze never comes out, take Bu Zhong Yi Qi teapills to strengthen the heart and lungs. If you have dry skin and can’t sneeze, drink Ren Shen Sheng Mai, as this will strengthen your heart and nourish the skin.
The nose and lungs have an unmistakable relationship. It is also said that that the lungs are responsible for the skin and pores. The skin is the body’s first line of defense against exterior harms. Sweating easily or being afraid of cold drafts are signs that the pores are open when they shouldn’t be, letting the cold air into the body. Taking Yu Bi Feng San granules will help increase energy in the spleen and lungs, while also preventing cold and wind from entering the body.
However, there are not a great variety of medicines to cure every single illness that exists, and on top of that, everyone’s condition is a little bit different. Some people also might not find it convenient to go out to an herbal medicine store to buy the medicine. The best solution is to drink a porridge made of Gorgon fruit, Chinese yam and Job’s tears. Although this is not as instantly effective as taking herbs, as long as you persist to drink it every day, results will definitely come.
Another solution is to massage the Wei Zhong point, located at the back of the knee, which will open up the nasal passages temporarily. Stimulating the Pang Guang Yu point will also have the same, but more long term, effect.
If, after using the “Making Yourself Sneeze” method, you feel that your nose is even more clogged than before, you may use some nasal spray to relieve this temporary side effect.
Having weak kidneys is the root cause of allergy-induced rhinitis; to eradicate all traces of the illness, one must make the kidneys stronger by using moxa over the Guan Yuan point above the belly button, the Shen Yu point on the back (you can use cupping here too), and the Tai Xi point on the Kidney meridian.
Now let’s talk about the second type of rhinitis. Remember, this is the type accompanied by a loss in the sense of smell and thick, yellow mucus, and sometimes headache in the front area. Compared to the first type of rhinitis, the second type is much easier to treat—one of the reasons is that there are more herbal medicines intended to treat this type of rhinitis. This kind of rhinitis is caused by a weak digestive system, so one of the ways to treat it is to apply the “Rub Your Stomach” method, and applying pressure to the stomach meridian often, especially to the Feng Long point.
Some people don’t really like the idea of taking medicine, so I will introduce another method to you. It is effective in treating both types of rhinitis.
Lie facing upwards on the bed so that your legs are lying flat against the wall and your body is forming a 90 degree angle. Flex both feet so that the soles are parallel to your chest—this is the starting position. Then, reach both feet at the same time so that they are flat on the wall, with the soles of your feet touching the wall—at this point, your lower back will naturally lift up and your knees will bend. Do this every day for at least 5 minutes, and symptoms of rhinitis will start to go away. The reason this method works is that it exercises the Pang Guang meridian and Stomach meridian. Maybe you can try to invent your own methods, too!
