While it's easy to fight spring allergies with over-the-counter drugs like Sudafed and Claritin, medication is not the only way to calm pollen-charged sneezes and sniffles.

Alla Milikovsky, a licensed acupuncturist in Chicago, recommends Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as an alternative to drugs. "Whether an allergy is caused by pollen, environmental contaminants, certain foods, food additives, animal fur, mold or a combination of these, the energy balance in the body is always what is affected," she explained on ABC News last week. "The symptoms vary from person to person, even when both individuals suffer from the same pollen - that is why TCM always treats the individual and why the alternative to drug store medication works."

To treat the symptoms of current allergies and to prevent new ones from starting, Milikovsky shared the following TCM tips:

• Visit an acupuncturist: acupuncture eases allergy symptoms and restores the flow of energy to promote balance.
• Change your diet: Reducing or eliminating dairy products can help to decrease any imbalance in the body. Vitamins A and C are also helpful as is drinking lots of distilled water throughout the day.
• Exercise: Regular activity helps to maintain balance in the body.
• Try a nasal septum flush: Make a saline solution from distilled water and salt and inhale through the nose into the back of the throat - it's a spring-cleaning for the nose.

[via ABC News]

Image: carenow.com