It is that time of the year again folks, Hay fever season that can lead to irritation of the sinus cavities. It can cause havoc and disruption to our lives so I thought I would share some handy tips on how to manage these conditions and also boost your immune system at the same time:
Of course first on the list has to be......

Acupuncture
In most cases, very fine needles will be placed in the back of the head, around the sinuses, and a couple spots in the forearms & lower legs.  I have seen great results from acupuncture to clear congested sinuses, and provide relief from pressure pain.  Also Moxibustion is great at drying up the sinuses.

Nasal Washes
These are a great option for something you can do at home. I myself use NeilMed Sinus Rinse that is available as a starter kit and comes with 15 sachets. It is used to wash the nasal passages using a mild salt water solution.  You can find these  at your local chemist, and they will have directions for use. 

Self-Massage
This needs to be done daily, but results can be fantastic. I can show you how to do this and the massage takes about 10 minutes only and it is a great way to start the day and also to help you just before you go to sleep. Areas massaged are usually around the sinuses, the forehead, scalp, and hands.

Essential oil steam inhalation
Eucalyptus, Thyme, or Rosemary can all be used for this as they are pungent and clearing oils. You can place the oils into boiling/hot water, then cover your head with a towel to create a “tent” around the bowl, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. 

Nutrition & Diet 
Foods to avoid:  
Limit dairy intake as this can add to phlegm and by limiting/avoiding dairy intake it can often provide relief for hayfever, sinusitis, post-nasal drip, and even cough or asthma.  Inflammatory and acidic foods like red meat, refined wheat, e.g. white breads and pasta, sugar, salt, fatty & processed foods and also reduce citrus fruit.
Foods to include:
Anti-inflammatory foods like flaxseed & olive oil, goats milk, green vegetables, parsley, macadamia nuts, green tea, oily fish such as cod, salmon, tuna, mackerel, anchovies and sardines.  spices like turmeric and soy products.

An interesting little fact:  
Did you know that Green Tea, which is rich in catechins can exert anti-allergy effects:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/09/020919071413.htm 

Facial Rejuvination Acupuncture is not the latest fad or new thing on the market.  It has, in fact, been practiced in China for thousands of years.  It is Acupuncture on points to the face to stimulate the meridians and therefore improve muscle tone and skin contractions, this in turn helps eliminate fine lines and wrinkles.  The treatment also reduces the sagging jowls and helps eliminate puffiness by improving metabolism.

The skin circulation is greatly improved and this helps even out colour tone and tightens the pores.  As the treatment is totally natural and is working with the body's own energy, you will feel revitalised all over and your general sense of well being will be improved.  This is a fantastic alternative to medical and chemical treatments.

There are lots of ways that acupuncture can help with Fertility and the IVF process. 


Studies show that Acupuncture, in conjunction with IVF, greatly enhances a woman’s chances of conception. 

So how does it work?

How acupuncture works is by tiny needles (sterile & disposable) being inserted into your body, it triggers the nervous system to relax by producing endorphins and lessens the release of cortisol into the blood stream.  Acupuncture is a successful tool that treats the root cause of infertility, increases in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) success and prepares men and women for pregnancy.

Acupuncture also has the ability to help in the following ways:

• Stress - alleviates stress as the IVF journey is a stressful one.
  
• Helps with IVF medication side effects.
  
• Regulates your immune system - can boost your immune system
  
• Reduces uterine inflammation - encourages the embryo to attach to the uterus
  
• Increased blood flow to the uterus - improves the lining of the uterus so that the embryo can get the required nutrients once it implants
  
• Improving ovarian function - improves quality eggs & regulates hormones to produce larger number of follicles.
  
• Decreases uterine contractions - to ensure that transferred embryo's are not expelled
  

Male fertility:
Acupuncture can address male fertility factors as it has the ability to increase the parameters of sperm motility, morphology and count.  This further aids fertilisation of eggs leading to viable embryos.


Please see following research findings on acupuncture in conjunction with IVF/ICSI:

A study published in 2002 shows that acupuncture treatment administered 25 minutes before and 25 minutes after IVF treatment increased success of pregnancy by 15 percent. 

Acupuncture on the day of ET significantly improves the reproductive outcome of IVF/ICSI, compared with no acupuncture:
http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(06)00212-3/abstract 

Join Tracy & Philip Donegan's FertileMind workshop for women that will be held on Sunday May 20th at the City North Hotel in Gormanstown Meath (15 mins past Dublin Airport). At the one day FertileMind seminar you will also receive access to the 6 week FertileMind program (Mp3s & eBook) so you continue to enjoy the benefits at home.

So how does it work?It’s well documented that stress impacts hormonal balance and reproduction is one of our most delicately balanced biological systems. Psychological stress can affect our body's ability to perform in a balanced way on many levels, including inhibition of the hypothalamus that helps regulate hormonal levels, or over activation of the hypothalamus which can increase adrenaline.

FertileMind™ not only reduces stress but includes advanced hypnotic techniques specifically created to resolve or remove emotional blocks that affect your ability to conceive and carry a baby to term.

Combined Mind/Body treatment of fertility patients has been shown to both increase pregnancy rates as well as reducing psychological distress. Hypnosis combined with acupuncture has been shown to double IVF success rates.

For more information please check out: http://afertilemind.com/how_it_works.php

Insomnia is trouble falling asleep or staying asleep through the night.

Episodes may come and go (episodic), last up to 3 weeks (short-term), or be long-lasting (chronic). 

The Asthma Society of Ireland is marking World Asthma Day, May 1st, with a campaign to highlight the on-going tragedy of deaths from asthma in Ireland and launching their new asthma emergency information pack. With one-in-ten people in Ireland affected by this inflammatory lung condition everyone should know how to respond in an emergency situation.

The new Asthma Attack Card is available free of charge to patients, healthcare professionals, schools and sporting organisations and can be ordered by calling 1850 44 54 64 or you can download it from our publications page.

How can acupuncture help asthma sufferers?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the fundamental cause of asthma is the presence of phlegm. In Oriental Medicine, the passage of water is controlled by three organs, namely Lung, Spleen and Kidney. Lung regulates the water passages in the upper jiao, the Spleen transports and transforms water in the middle jiao, and Kidney dominates water metabolism in the lower jiao. Imbalance of Yin and Yang in any of these three organs may lead to stagnation of the water circulation, which then contributes to the production and storage of phlegm in the Lung. Storage of phlegm in the Lung becomes the main cause for recurrent asthma attacks.
Treatment principles during asthma attacks should focus on lowering the uprising Lung Qi, relieving wheezing (bronchial spasms) and dyspnea, and dissolving the phlegm.
Acupuncture is a safe, gentle and effective way to address the associated symptoms of Asthma by relieving wheezing (bronchial spasms) and dyspnea (shortness of breath) and dissolving phlegm.  This is done by correcting the imbalance in the body and rectifying the yin and yang balance and also my tonifying the lung qi.All treatments here at Anam Mai Acupuncture include detailed consultation,  Acupuncture session with sterile disposable needles.  Moxibustion, Cupping,  & Infrared Heat Lamp Therapy if deemed necessary based on your consultation. Please feel free to contact me if you require any additional information.