Autumn is a beautiful shift in the seasons from warm to cold, but little do we account for the nature of our bodies that precipitate seasonal allergies. (unless you're a Chinese Medicine practitioner!)
Autumn pertains to the METAL ELEMENT and the organs of the LUNG & LARGE INTESTINE.
A BIT ABOUT THE METAL ELEMENT ...
It's dominant in autumn
It's susceptible to dryness
Metal represents the immune system's innate defences such as the nose, throat, lungs, vocal chords, sinuses, in which it displays it's health
It nourishes the skin. The skin being an extension of the lungs (an innate immune defence) but also supported by the large intestine (micro-biome)
Lung: is the yin organ, located in the thoracic cavity.
Large intestine: is the yang and filter organ, located in the lower digestive tract
THE LUNGS
The lungs are a lobular organ that expands and shrinks with the throat as it's door and nose as it's outlet. It takes charge of the voice, skin, hair and is part of the innate defences of immunity.
It's in charge of respiration and energy of air. The lungs plays a role in distribution of true energy for disbursement around the body (lower diaphragm > oxygen transfer into blood stream > oxygen / nutrients are transported to the cells)
The Lungs are in charge of regulating & opening water metabolism - this is a team effort with a few others organs but the lungs is one of them. It send fluids down to the kidneys for excretion via urine.
The lungs and heart work together for energy /blood flow in the thoracic cavity
The lungs and spleen work together for energy production
THE LARGE INTESTINE
According to the Huang di Neijing medical text written in 2,700 BCE, it states that it’s function is to “Transport all turbidity". All waste products go through it for excretion via faeces and this is true from scientific perspective.
Lungs and Large intestine are both important detox organs. They absorbs liquid and release anything that is no longer needed in the way of food, toxins, emotions, thereby cleansing the body. This is relevant to the physical extensions of the organs as listed above (e.g: nose, throat, skin etc)
If they do not work optimally, they tend to 'hold on' to pathogens or 'pathogenic factors' that can create internal illnesses and weaken the body's defences.
Those with underlying imbalances in these organs struggle to adapt to the seasonal changes (hot to cold), as it brings to the surface unresolved 'immune strength' which can allude allergies and or susceptibility to developing dysfunction in immune responses.
I will hear commonly: 'my skin is dryer in the cooler weather' or 'my allergies are worse when it starts to get cold' Here's why:
Dryness easily injuries bodily fluids, the tissues and organs lack nourishment such as
throat, mouth & skin
may affect urination & cause constipation
easily attacks the lungs
There are two causation types
EXTERNAL DRYNESS (acute)
Cold- dryness
aversion to cold fever, headache, absence of sweating, dry nose or mouth, dry cough with no sputum
Warm- dryness
Dryness of nose and throat, slight fever and sweating, small amounts of sputum, thirst, aversion to wind-cold
INTERNAL DRYNESS (chronic)
Is often from excessive heat drying out bodily fluids exhibiting signs of chronic constipation, diarrhoea, excessive sweating or bleeding. This can be prevalent in chronic immune diseases.
Foods that can cause internal heat & dryness: coffee, green tea, chilli, cayenne, hot paprika & alcohol
Hope you learnt a little bit about the nature of dryness, the importance of immune health and seasonal change :)