This picture already makes your nose twitch? Then the time for action has come!
If a runny nose, itchy, swollen and red eyes and constant sneezing drive you to distraction every year, you might want to try out acupuncture.
According to Health Direct (1), hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis, affects up to 1 in 5 Australians and is triggered by certain allergens, such as pollen, animal fur, fungal spores, and many more.
Some people’s immune system reacts strongly to these allergens, releasing several chemicals, including histamine, which causes swelling and inflammation among other things.
In Chinese medicine, hay fever is caused by a deficiency of the Qi (Energy) that is responsible for the body's protection and certain constitutional factors.
Typically, the lung and the kidney channel will be the focus of the treatment of this Qi deficiency. Ideally, the lung deficiency (acute stage) should be addressed during hay fever season, while the kidney deficiency (chronic stage) should be treated outside the season.
Acupuncture has been used in classical Chinese medicine literature for millennia to treat inflammatory conditions. A study (2) from 2013 shows that acupuncture treatment can mediate the inflammation linked to hay fever.
Have fun reading the study !! :-)
Call or email for more information
1- Health Direct (2019). Hay fever (allergic rhinitis). Retrieved from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/hay-fever
2- McDonald, J.L. et al (2013). The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Acupuncture and Their Relevance to Allergic Rhinitis: A Narrative Review and Proposed Model. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Article ID 591796, 12 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/591796
Picture courtesy of Immo Wegmann