Allergies are so widespread that they are almost, so to speak, ” physiological “. Especially at this time of the year, articles, TV reports and expert seminars on this issue are multiplying.

We too have talked about it several times and those interested can find out which are the natural remedies against seasonal allergies   and in particular the advice from naturopathy .

At this point, however, we want to broaden the horizons of our readers by approaching the question from an unprecedented angle, that of ayurveda .

Allergy arises from “non-tolerance”

First of all it should be specified that the vast theme of allergies in Ayurveda refers to the concept of samtya : it means the adaptation of the doshas  to the agents of the external or internal environment , therefore tolerance to them.

Therefore the term asamtya indicates the exact opposite, that is the non-adaptation and the reaction, in our context, the allergy.

What we commonly call “allergies”, for this medical school, are imbalances, pathophysiological “non-adaptations” that overload the immune system and determine those typical symptoms of skin, respiratory and food allergies.

These imbalances can be determined by various factors and among them one of the most important is ama, a word that, simplifying, summarizes the concept of “toxin”.

In turn, the presence of ama is a sign of a weak digestive fire ( agni ) : agni thus becomes an architrave in this discourse. Those with strong digestive fire are unlikely to suffer from allergies and are usually blessed with good health.

Yogic advice for seasonal allergies

Allergic symptoms typical of each dosha

Therefore, briefly exposed, the concept of ama , the discourse continues by stating that, in the face of these “toxins”, each dosha reacts differently, giving rise to symptoms typical of the nature related to them.

Generally speaking, therefore, we are talking about:

VATA- TYPE ALLERGIC REACTIONS : breathlessness, asthma, dizziness, headache, etc.

PITTA-TYPE ALLERGIC REACTIONS : urticaria, dermatitis, eczema, itching, redness, etc.

KAPHA TYPE ALLERGIC REACTIONS : rhinitis, sinusitis, cold, cough, asthma etc.

On the basis of the discourse addressed in the previous paragraph, whatever the symptoms and whatever the dosha, the first field of action is that of nutrition and, consequently, of digestion; in other words, to restore our agni to optimal levels so that it is able to “burn” ama.

Intervening on the diet a few months before the expected onset of symptoms (if we are talking about seasonal allergies) is a wise first step to take to deal with allergies.

Together, or as a second step, one can also resort to the many medicinal preparations indicated for the specific symptoms as well as to yoga, especially some simple pranayama exercises such as alternating nostril breathing or surya / chandra bedra.

If you decide to rely on Ayurvedic medicine to manage allergies and our advice, as always, is to rely on a qualified doctor. In this way, in all likelihood, the use of allopathic medicines will be reduced, which will be limited to very serious cases or acute phases.