Can yoga alleviate allergy symptoms?

Can yoga alleviate seasonal allergies?

A study published on iHealthBlogs.com entitled “Yoga and Seasonal allergies” talks of recent research (May 2009) where people with allergies practised Hatha yoga three times a week for ten weeks and saw marked improvements in their breathing and asthma symptoms.

Another study in the Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol, showed similar results:

The randomised study took 27 allergic patients, put them into 2 groups: a control group (CON; n = 14) and a yoga group (YOG; n = 13). The CON group continued with normal activities and the YOG group was required to complete a protocol of Hatha yoga training for 60 minutes per session, 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Physiological characteristics, allergic rhinitis symptoms, and cytokine secretions were comparatively analysed before and after yoga training.

Study finds yoga has beneficial effect on allergic rhinitis

Effect of Hatha yoga training on rhinitis symptoms and cytokines in allergic rhinitis patients

The findings demonstrated that 8 weeks of Hatha yoga training had beneficial effects in allergic rhinitis by improved clinical allergic rhinitis and cytokine profiles.

From my own experience, I know there is a difference, both in physical symptoms and mental health. This is fascinating evidence if it really does work and definitely proves my own theory. Some yoga postures such in inward hip rotations often promote nasal clearance for me, I’ve no idea why.

How does yoga help reduce allergy symptoms?

The study doesn’t explain why this happened for the yoga group in the study, but here a few potential reasons:

• Reduces stress – yoga helps to calm us, reduces anxiety and stress. Stress causes inflammation so this could help to reduce allergy symptoms of living with an inflamed immune system.
• Relaxation – calming the body, the nervous system and the heart rate reduces anxiety
• Opening of airways – strengthening your immune system by concentrating on right breathing, deep into your belly, through the nose can really help. Rhinitis patients have a tendency to mouth breath as their noses are blocked. This helps the lungs, cleans the air or allergens and reduces allergy symptoms.
• Positive mindset – Addressing negative emotions can also add to allergic reactions. I certainly notice that I often get more unexplained flare ups when I’m under a lot of pressure or going through a tough time; yoga is definitely going to help here with the emphasis on clearing out all the negative thoughts and experiences of the day in order to get the most out of your practise.

If you have allergies and asthma and think you have the time to take up yoga or Pilates, why not give it a go. It certainly can’t do any harm. I always leave my class feeling calm, relaxed, limber and most importantly, with a smile on my face.

Can yoga help eczema and itching?

These studies would suggest that it could. Living with severe eczema makes doing yoga a challenge if you’re always itching and can’t relax, however when I’ve tried to do yoga it ALWAYS helped. It isn’t ever going to be a cure, but for me it gives me rare moments of reduce itching or a calmness where during that practise I won’t itch at all. You have to end the class and get on with life, and the itching returns. But for that session the relief and relaxation is powerful.

Yoga won’t cure allergies and eczema, but it could help

I don’t think yoga can cure allergies, but it should certainly help people to combat stress, encourage relaxation, and stay in control. The body can then cope better, and the person can manage and hopefully lessen their allergic reactions.

I would love to hear from anyone who thinks there is some truth in this study.

Om Shanti

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

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