Allergies (the airborne kind) and your skin

Airborne allergies can really do a number on the sinuses. But these allergens can also cause dark circles, puffiness under your eyes, and possibly eczema or another dermatitis, to say nothing about sneezing, wheezing, and generally feeling miserable. When your body is dealing with invading allergens it cannot possibly keep up with everything, and your immune system becomes compromised.

If you have allergies, you may be taking medication to suppress the symptoms. Most over-the-counter products have decongestant ingredients that can dry out your system. Because of this, allergy medications can also wreak havoc on your skin. I recommend adding hydrating elixirs to your moisturizers and exfoliating as often as possible to help keep your skin feeling hydrated and looking flake-free. 

To help your body function under the stress of allergies, be sure to get all the proper nutrients on a daily basis, and try to avoid drinking alcohol and eating sugar. Both of these can stress your immune system as well as cause inflammation, which is exactly what your sinuses don’t need. When my sinuses are under attack, I can feel an immediate difference (for the worse) after the first few sips of wine or if I eat even a small amount of sugar. Dairy products, namely milk and cheese, are mucus forming, so avoid these if possible while you are experiencing allergies.

When the pressure gets to be too much and my sinuses feel painful, I will do a little bit of acupressure on the areas. All this means is that I apply pressure to points on my sinus cavity, which really does help to temporarily relieve some of the pressure and pain.

• I start by applying pressure to my brow bones, especially where those bones meet the nose near the inner eye area
• Under the brow bone always seems to be a sensitive area, sinuses or not, so I always like to linger in that area
• Next I work just under the bones surrounding my eyes, from the nose outward
• Then around and especially under my cheek bones
• And even my middle forehead area

I usually apply an even pressure (not a light touch, but steady increasing pressure) for 10 seconds or so for each area. If you have allergies and your sinuses are congested, you will feel where you need to apply pressure, and wherever you see the colors on the above illustration would be good places to press to help relieve sinus congestion. Don’t get caught up in “doing it right,” and don’t forget to breathe!

No matter the names of the locations, doing a little bit of acupressure on your sinuses can go a long way to helping relieve pain from allergies. You can experiment and see what works for you, but using this technique can really help to relieve sinuses tension. It can work for headaches as well.

For more information, see:

• Is your face in need of extra hydration?
• Taking care of your skin when you’re sick
• “I don’t eat much sugar”—really?

...help is on the way