Acupuncture and Hay Fever
Flora Dowling
My patient came into the clinic complaining of sneezing, runny nose, eyes that
are red, itchy and watery, headache, blocked sinuses, unable to sleep.
There can be no mistaking these miseries. They are known all too well to hay
fever sufferers. The side effects of chronic or untreated hay fever can make a
person feel constantly ill. Adults and children can become irritable and moody.
They may have difficulty falling asleep at night owing to the nasal congestion.
I treated her with acupuncture and in a short period of time, she was very much
helped. Acupuncture offers an effective treatment for hay fever. It can
achieve fairly fast and lasting results. Nasal congestion, discharge, and
itching are usually relieved during the first acupuncture treatment.
Six treatments may be needed to give lasting relief of hay fever symptoms.
Some patients return for a series of six treatments each year just before what
used to be their hay fever season. Others remain free from hay fever for years
after one course of acupuncture treatments.
WHAT IS HAY FEVER
Hay fever or allergic rhinitis, is a chronic inflammation of the nose, throat,
and sinuses. It is induced by external irritants, usually pollens carried in
the air. Spring hay fever is related to tree pollen, summer to grass pollen and
autumn to weed pollen. Non seasonal allergies are usually due to household
irritants such as dust, animal hair, droppings of the house dust mite, mould,
mildew, insect stings and bites. People with pollen sensitivities have a hard
time as it is difficult to avoid pollen because it is in the air that we
breathe. For many people with hay fever, spring and summer represent a real
nightmare. A small number of hay fever sufferers experience symptoms that
significantly interfere with everyday life and are difficult to control with
medication.
HOW COMMON IS THE PROBLEM?
On average about 1 person in 90 suffers badly enough to consult a doctor, and
many other people have the disorder in a milder form. No one knows why certain
people are hypersensitive to an otherwise harmless pollen grain or other
airborne particles. People who have another allergic condition such as asthma or
eczema or if any such conditions run in the family are particularly susceptible.
The general increase in conditions such as hay fever and asthma may be related
to the increased amount of environmental toxins and pollutants to which we are
all becoming more regularly exposed. A combination of pollution in the
environment and exposure to household chemicals may weaken the body’s
resistance. If this occurs, it lessens the body’s ability to control its
response towards allergies.
THE GOOD NEWS -- ACUPUNCTURE CAN HELP
Acupuncture is a very old medical art. It is often associated with pain control
but in the hands of a well-trained practitioner it has much broader application.
The modern scientific explanation is that acupuncture stimulates the nervous
system to release chemicals in the body that influence the body’s own internal
regulating system. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by
acupuncture results in stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities. It can
help to strengthen the body’s resistance and can regulate the body’s
antigen-antibody’s reactions. This is important in helping to relieve hay fever
and other allergic reactions such as asthma.
WHAT IS THE CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT?
There are many preparations that can be bought over the counter or with a
doctor’s prescription. However, possible side-effects and inconvenience of
treatment may be more troublesome than the condition itself. Antihistamine drugs
are temporarily effective for relieving hay fever symptoms. However, they should
be used sparingly as they tend to dry out the mucous membranes and thereby
increase sensitivity to antihistamine. After taking them for more than a month
or so, they become less and less effective. The side effects of drowsiness and
dryness of the nose and throat may be more troublesome than the hay fever
itself. However, they don’t affect the underlying sensitivity. Nose sprays are
usually of limited value and their prolonged use may actually cause symptoms or
make them worse All drug treatments merely suppress symptoms and do not alter
the basic allergic reaction. Some sufferers of hay fever have ‘desensitisation’
injections. If a skin test has succeeded in identifying the offending substance
or substances then the sensitive individual is injected with increasing
concentration of the allergen. This, usually, needs to be done over a period of
two years. This treatment sometimes works well, but sometimes does not.
Thankfully, acupuncture provides another avenue of relief for hay fever suffers.
Acupuncture
[ Acupuncture Helps Stress
| Acupuncture and Women’s Health
]