Well-being Q & A: Allergies

My husband suffers from bouts of sneezing every morning, some of which last for about three hours. He has tried several conventional medicines but nothing seems to work. Please help.
M.M, Dubai

Sneezing in the morning is often a daily occurrence for many allergy sufferers and involves bouts of non-stop sneezing for a few minutes after waking. Less commonly, the sneezing persists throughout the morning or even the day. Sneezing is our body's way of removing an irritant from the nostrils.

Some common causes include the common cold, upper respiratory infection and allergies (hay fever, pets, pollen and mould). A major percentage of people, called photic sneezers, sneeze when exposed to bright light. Some other triggers are change in air temperature, fumes, local irritation, fine dust or powders, irritant gases, dust and cold air.

It's not possible to completely avoid allergens, but reducing your exposure to them can help to control the condition. To reduce exposure to pollen or moulds remove pets from the home to eliminate animal dander, and clean a/c filters. Carpets are a major source of suffering for allergy patients because they breed dust mites, so keep them very clean or consider removing them from the home.

Minimise intake of chilled foods and high-fat dishes (such as cheese, yogurt, and meat) and replace with warm, freshly cooked foods, including plenty of asparagus and broccoli. Include spices such as turmeric and tulsi (or holy basil) into your diet. Sprinkling a mixture of ground turmeric, cumin, coriander, bay leaf, and cinnamon in your husband's food could help.

Ayurveda considers allergic reactions as an imbalance of Kapha, which governs the immune functions. Therefore the treatment approach is balancing Kapha. Interestingly, the time between six and ten o'clock in the morning is considered Kapha time, which could be the cause for his bouts of sneezing.

Your husband may take a teaspoon of Haridrakhantam* and a tablespoon of Agasthya rasayanam* daily on a long term. He could drink ginger tea or green tea daily as a preventative.

I also advise consulting an Ayurveda doctor in person.

*Available at shops selling herbal products