Respiratory Allergies and Emotions

Yes! There is a connection between emotions and constant respiratory allergy sufferers. To understand this connection we will first give a working definition of what an respiratory allergy is.
Respiratory Allergy - Is a symptom of an overactive or overly sensitive immune system. As the immune systems is working to neutralize irritants is causes mast cells to burst releasing histamine which causes the allergy symptoms. This is a simplified definition that allows for us to grasp the concepts easily.
Now that we know this we can dive further into this subject by understanding that an allergy at it's core is over sensitivity to a "thing".
Now let's take this one step further. The respiratory system is largely in charge of protecting the body as a good portion(roughly 30%) of the immune system is housed in the mucus lining of the respiratory  pathways. Considering that we breath constantly we can probably gather the sinuses and lungs are in a constant process of identifying what is life giving and what is potentially disease causing. Each breath in is feeding our life and each breath out is ridding our body of waste. O2 in and CO2 out. Pretty simple right? Hence, our respiratory system is an elimination pathway as well. This process never stops until you cease to be. If we look at what TCM teaches and combine it with what I have written here then we can understand the reason the Chinese associated the respiratory system with the element of Metal. This element helps us to protect ourselves(think knight in shining armor) while eliminating hostile forces that could overwhelm the system. So, think of an allergy as a battle between an overwhelmed army doing it's best to kill everything in site to protect you, yet it has gone overboard to the point of becoming paranoid thinking that everything is it's enemy because it has been at war so long. Ironically, kinda of like our military operations around the world looking for terrorist under every bed.
I hope this is a easy way for you to understand respiratory allergies.
Now it is time to understand the emotional connection that could drive this type of behavior. The easiest emotions to place with the respiratory system are irritation, grief, loss, over protective or overly rational. Each one of these emotions all deal with the attempt to protect or the inability to protect(vulnerability). Emotionally do you feel like you are constantly irritated with people, your life, your situation? Do you feel like you are the smartest person in the room and nobody can connect with you because that are not smart enough to grasp your logic? Are you grieving a loss of a family member to the point of feeling "exposed" and "overly sensitive" to everything? Do little(seemingly insignificant things) constantly aggravate or agitate you? Are you getting the picture now? Not only can you experience allergies to environmental irritants, but your beliefs and emotions can become that irritant too. If we have excessive "trapped" emotions in our metal or respiratory system then we can experience an overly reactive immune system attempting to move out the energy of the irritant.
So, think of someone you have known for a long time that has suffered from allergies. Emotionally do they fit the "bill". Do they seem to be the smartest person in the room or easily frustrated with life or other people? Do they seem "guarded" emotionally? If so, then there is relief. There are herbs that can help to correct the imbalance of energy and support the emotional health of this person without blocking the symptoms. The symptoms are giving us direct information of the change the body wants to make. Does it make sense to you to tell the body to "Shut up and leave me alone" or nourish your body's desire for change. Sometimes it could be both, but most of the time it is the latter. If you are unsure then seek help from your local herbalist or alternative health practitioner so that you can find a remedy that works.
Doses will vary from person to person, however, most of the time with respiratory herbs we can take pretty high doses to begin with then taper off as balance starts to manifest. This is safe to do as herbs are food and not drugs. Think of it as feeding your body's ability to heal. Remember that your emotions can drive health problems if they are not addressed. Awareness is the key to healing, because if helps us in identifying the reason and ways for change. I hope this blog helps you and your friends understand there is more than meets the eye with chronic allergies. On a side note connected to this issue is gut health. The rest of your immune system is in your gut and you can make a sure bet that digestive health absolutely plays into respiratory issues as well. Cleansing the system will always help allergy sufferers on their path to balance. There could even be an underlying yeast issue as well. For the most part though, we will do good to remember to ask this question. What is irritating me mentally or emotionally that now my immune system is irritated too? Many times this will lead you to the healing path. Here's to Allergy Relief!