What causes Hay Fever?

People who have a hot body constitution easily suffer from hay fever when the warm and hot summer weather arrives.  Oriental medicine believes from experience that external heat combines with the internal heat inside the body to create hay fever symptoms.

1 Modern Lifestyles

The British diet is often high in fat and also foods with inflammatory properties. We eat large quantities of food such as curry, chocolate, dairy products and chilli. Also, people may drink and smoke a lot. These things all result in high blood heat.

For people who work hard, there may be a lot of stress involved. This also causes excess heat in the body. Also, a high standard of living can also paradoxically be a problem by making people restless and feverish in their pursuit of purchases and experiences.

2 The Modern Environment

Most homes and places of work are warmed by central heating and people tend not to get much fresh air.

The British weather is warm, but people do not usually perspire, which prevents the expulsion of internal heat. In hotter countries, people sweat easily to relieve internal heat.

Another possible explanation of why Britain has high rates of hay fever is that British people tend to keep their doors and windows closed, even in summer, which deprives them of fresh air. In contrast, in some countries like China, doors and windows are often kept open even in cold weather. It is no coincidence that hay fever is relatively rare in China.

Preventative Steps

1  Eat more fresh vegetables and fruit in spring and summer. It is thought best to avoid hot and spicy food such as chilli and curry, chocolate, cheese, milk, lamb as well as alcohol and smoking.

2 Take lots of fresh air and exercise to ward off the negative effects of the warm weather.