Sneezing and Coughing Are Not Necessarily Bad
People with allergic rhinitis often sneeze upon waking up in the morning. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), symptoms like sneezing are not caused by allergies but rather cold or hot. From the TCM perspective, many diseases are caused by environmental forces. These are called the “six external evils,” namely wind, cold, heat, dryness, dampness, and fire. They are all contributors to allergy symptoms.For example, if you are scantily clothed when you wake up or walk barefoot on the floor, “cold” will enter the body, causing chills, sneezing, stuffy and itchy nose, watery eyes, etc. Children may also get a runny nose. In this situation, many people believe they’re getting sick.
In fact, when cold air comes in from either the air conditioner or outside, it is not a bad thing that we sneeze because that’s a proper reaction for the body to protect itself. Sneezing helps us expel the cold air.
Some people also cough when they’re in a cold environment. When you cough, toxins trapped in the phlegm are expelled from the body. You might find that your body feels warm when this happens; that is because the body uses coughing to heat itself. From a physiological perspective, both shivering and coughing help the body heat up. So coughing and sneezing are actually positive reactions.
Massage 3 Acupoints in the Morning to Prevent Allergic Rhinitis
Massaging a few acupoints can help you prevent allergic rhinitis.After waking in the morning, lie on the bed with yourself well-covered and rub your hands. When your hands become warm, put your hands on the Bamboo Gathering, and Bright Eyes acupoints around the eyes and the Welcome Fragrance acupoint next to the nose. Do this about 20 to 30 times or for two to three minutes.

People who often sneeze due to nose allergies can also massage the Welcome Fragrance acupoint whenever they feel like sneezing. The Welcome Fragrance acupoint is about half an inch from either side of the nose. Massage lightly first. Once you feel some resistance in inhaling, you'll know you’ve found the correct acupoints. Massaging these acupoints regularly will not only improve allergies but may also prevent colds.

Moreover, when you are about to sneeze, just rub your palms against the top of your head, and the sneezing feeling will disappear quickly. When my child was a newborn, whenever my mother-in-law heard the child sneezing, she would blow some hot air on the child’s head, and the sneezing symptoms would disappear.