It’s that time of year again, the flowers are blooming and the bees are buzzing…and chances are your nose is running or congested and you’re spending most of your mornings with a box of Kleenex and stocking up on overt-the-counter antihistamines.

Yep, it’s allergy season! And did you know that acupuncture is an effective treatment that addresses both the symptoms and the root of your allergies?

What Are Allergies?

Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis (SAR), or Hay Fever, is a frustrating chronic condition and a common spring complaint for many Lexington residents. Some of the familiar symptoms are sneezing, itching, runny nose, congestion, headaches, cough, and wheezing. Allergies are usually facilitated from exposure to a variety of environmental allergens such as tree pollen, grasses, and weeds.  A perennial form is seen in people sensitive to pet dander, dust, smoke, and various chemicals. Chronic sinus infections, nasal polyps, and asthma can develop with chronic exposure.

An allergic reaction begins after inhaling an allergen (such as pollen), which causes the release of histamine from mast cells that live in your nasal mucosa. This inflammatory reaction is mostly mediated by an antibody called IgE. Essentially, your body recognizes the allergen as harmful, and your symptoms are your body’s way of combating the allergen.  Your watery eyes and runny nose are your body’s attempts at discharging the allergen; congestion and inflammation are designed to prevent the allergen from traveling into your lungs.  However, what the body doesn’t understand is that it doesn’t need to launch a full-blown defense every time you inhale a tiny pollen particle.

Allergy Relief:

In western medicine, allergies are treated with medications to block the release of histamine, open nasal passages, and calm the inflammatory response.  While effective, they often come with unwanted side effects; antihistamines can cause drowsiness and digestive disruptions, decongestants can worsen symptoms with prolonged use, and corticosteroids can weaken the adrenal glands and lead to immune suppression.  A newer form of therapy is a series of allergy injections over a period of time to build up stronger antibodies and decrease sensitivity to allergens.

If you’re looking for natural allergy treatment free from undesirable side effects, consider Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the form acupuncture treatment for allergy relief.  Acupuncture and herbs are effective for treating the symptoms of allergies as well as training your immune system to respond more appropriately to allergens.

Rather than looking strictly at the physiological processes involved in allergies, TCM views allergies as a two-fold result of an outside pathogen (an allergen) and a deficiency of the person’s life force energy called Qi, specifically the defensive “Wei Qi”.  The condition itself is then differentiated into how the allergies are manifesting (symptoms) and where the deficiency or disharmony is within the body that is allowing the symptoms to manifest (root cause). Therefore, to treat allergies effectively, steps need to be taken to remove the symptoms as well as strengthening and harmonizing the body’s Qi to prevent further attacks. Many studies have been conducted that demonstrate acupuncture supporting decreased IgE levels and a reduction of histamine production.  Acupuncture also appears to desensitize hyperactive nerves that react adversely to the IgE response.  Herbal formulas are often combined with acupuncture, and have been shown to help calm the inflammatory response and alleviate congestion.

If you’re coming in for allergy acupuncture treatment during allergy season, your treatment will focus upon symptom relief.  Once controlled, your treatment will shift to focus more on strengthening your Qi. Once strengthened to its natural state, the sensitivity to allergens decreases and substantial lasting relief is experienced. In effect, while treating allergies takes time, it’s designed to provide lasting results that allow your body to fend of allergens naturally.

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