Fall season is the hinge between Summer and Winter. From September to November there is rapid give and take – one day it’ sunny and hot, the next day it’s raining and cold. This weather push and pull is a dangerous time for your body. Your body must continually adapt to change, from opening the pores to allow sweating to closing them to protect from cold.
The Fall climate change is dryness. This dryness impacts our Lungs, thus the “change of season cough”. Protecting the Lungs from external dryness is a first line of defense against the change of season cough and catching colds. The Lungs are like giant tissue paper of fine mucosa and small balloon-like structures called alveoli. The lungs, like the nasal musosa, need to stay moist but not damp, and cool but not cold. During illness the lungs often become hot, which in turn dries them out. That is why people recovering from bronchitis often end up with a lingering dry cough. Adequate moisture in the mucosa makes them slippery. When the nasal mucosa is dry, it is much easier for the Rhino viruses that cause colds to attach and get into the blood stream.
Not only do our bodies need to adapt to the Fall season change, our emotions need to adapt too. The changes in seasons always require some adjustment, but when they are abrupt – 90ties and sunny one day, 70ties and raining the next day, it’s no surprise that some people are left feeling a little “blah”. There is a natural sadness that many people experience with the loss of sunlight, as the days becomes shorter and the night time lengthens. We now even have a proper name for a psychological illness caused by this: seasonal affective disorder.
When I asked each patient, “How are you doing with the season change?” This may appear a polite question asked in a social situation, but the patient’s response aids in helping assess how they are adjusting to the season change both -physically and emotionally. How you respond through the transition from Summer to Fall lets me know what is best acupuncture treatment for you to transition from the Summer hot, humid, long days to the Fall cool, crisp, shorter days.
Last, but not least, make sure to spend at least a few extra minutes outside each day. Inhaling the crisp fall air is an excellent way to invigorate not only your Lung, but your entire body and mind. And call today schedule your acupuncture fall season tune up or schedule appointment online.
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