Sneezes?  No!  Why?

As autumn beauty transformed the Pacific Northwest, I was hit with multiple rounds of the dreaded sniffles.  While some of my friends and colleagues developed colds, I remained unsure. 

Allergies or a Cold?

After consulting my favorite weather website and it's faithful allergy tracker - I discovered my culprit: ragweed pollen.  Some allergy sufferers have the sniffles (and sneezes, and runny nose) only in the spring with the tree pollen season.  Yours truly?  Year-round.  If it's not trees, it's weeds or dust. 

But maybe it's a cold?  It is possible that I keep catching and fighting off the same cold, but I am not worried about an incorrect diagnosis right now because Bi Yan Pian can be taken for allergies or a cold.

When I have a few weeks of going through half a tissue box a day, I turn to Chinese herbs.  This year I have been taking an antihistamine, but still had breakthrough symptoms (or it just stopped working).  My savior?  Bi Yan Pian.

Options and How They Work

Bi Yan Pian works by transforming the mucus in your nasal passages and sinuses, so it doesn't matter a whole lot what the cause is.  As a licensed Chinese medicine provider I know that it's important to release the exterior just in case of illness, and Bi Yan Pian has an herb in it that does that (fang feng).  

I have in the past also given Magnolia Flower Formula a go, and it did work, but I like to mix it up.  One dose of Bi Yan Pian keeps me sniffle-free for most of the day.  It can be taken 3 times per day, but I actually forget to take a second or third dose most days because it works so well.  

Wait... transform mucus?  Herbs have the ability to change moisture and phlegm into regular body fluid that is more easy to release like urine or sweat.  But don't worry, it's unlikely you'd notice the change - just ahhhhh the ability to breathe again!

What's Right for Me?

Both Bi Yan Pian and Magnolia Flower Formula are both fairly safe to take even if you're not sure.  The properties of the herbs are balanced, and everything is pretty mild.  If you notice changes in your body (like increased urination) that you don't like, you can stop and restart these formulas anytime.

If you're still not sure, email us at consult@epsilonacupuncture.com for advice on what to take.

What I love:

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