A runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing, and sinus pressure. Sound familiar? Most often these symptoms are not caused by a virus, but by hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis. This condition is caused by an allergic response to outdoor or indoor allergens, such as pollen, dust mites, or tiny flecks of skin and saliva shed by cats, dogs, and other animals with fur or feathers (pet dander). In addition to making you miserable, hay fever can affect your performance at work or school and generally interfere with your life. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, hay fever affects 40 to 60 million Americans. Some suffer from seasonal allergies and others suffer perennial ones. Some suffer from both.
Western Medicine argues that, when you have hay fever, your immune system identifies a harmless airborne substance as harmful. Your immune system then produces antibodies to this harmless substance. The next time you encounter the substance, these antibodies signal your immune system to release chemicals such as histamine into your bloodstream. This causes a reaction that leads to the signs and symptoms of hay fever.
How do Western Medical practitioners treat hay fever? They prescribe medications or nasal sprays to alleviate symptoms and modify immune-system chemicals. If these don’t work, allergy shots or under-the-tongue allergy tablets are prescribed. Rinsing the sinuses is also recommended.
In the past ten years, many patients have come to see me after they have tried at least one of the therapies mentioned above and experienced limited results and/or side effects. With the help of the acupuncture treatments I have administered, most of them got very good results. Research published in journals such as The European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, The Medical Journal of Australia, The Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The American Journal of Epidemiology, and The American Journal of Chinese Medicine has proved that acupuncture is an effective and safe treatment for hay fever.
China as a country has existed for somewhere between four and five thousand years. Traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, is the oldest and most time-tested therapeutic in the world. Hay fever is not a recent development. The Inner Canon of Huang Di, written more than 2000 years ago, is one of the most important Chinese medical classics and mentions the symptoms of allergic rhinitis even then. Since that time, numerous Chinese medical authorities have written extensively about the treatment of this aggravating condition.
Let me talk more about acupuncture and hay fever.
First, I would like to introduce the term “Defensive Qi.” Defensive Qi keeps our bodies in good shape and fights pathogenic factors including the allergens mentioned above. This Qi stands ready before disease-causing agents invade our bodies, and this Qi works to get rid of these pathogenic agents once they have invaded.
This Defensive Qi depends on “Congenital Qi” and “Acquired Qi.” Congenital Qi comes from our parents (like hereditary traits in the Western medical perspective), and our Kidneys control this. Acquired Qi comes from what we eat and drink—like nutrients in Western medicine—and is produced principally by the spleen and stomach. After Defensive Qi is produced, it is governed by the Lungs, and it moves and spreads constantly, in a well-organized fashion. It is primarily the Liver that makes sure this Qi moves freely. Among the organs—Kidneys, Lungs, Spleen, Stomach, and Liver—the Spleen and Stomach are the most important: Acquired Qi and the nourishment of the other organs require the normal functioning of these last two mentioned.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, if a person doesn’t have strong Defensive Qi, pathogenic factors can make that person ill. Similarly, if a person has strong Defensive Qi, allergens will not allow that person to have allergic reactions. So the primary aim of the treatments for hay fever sufferers is to strengthen their Defensive Qi.
How do I treat allergies? I use the acupuncture-points in the legs to give tone to the body or parts of it. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can increase Qi available to an organ or a system of the body. The Spleen and Stomach can make Defensive Qi stronger, and—at the same time—the acupuncture-points around the nose, eyes, and hands alleviate the symptoms. The acupuncture needles I use are solid, sterile metal, and as fine as a hair. These needles are never used again. When the needle is inserted, the patient may feel less discomfort than a mosquito bite—or nothing at all. When the needle is gently manipulated, she or he may experience a slight soreness, numbness, or even a tiny electric shock. This will not last long. Occasionally, after the needle is removed, slight bleeding or a bruise may appear.
To make the treatments more effective, I also perform cupping. Cupping is a therapy in which a jar is anchored to the skin by a warm vacuum. The skin is gently pulled upward as the air inside the cup cools. In all the years I have been using this technique I have rarely heard that cupping is unpleasant or painful. I may also recommend Chinese herbs.
Acupuncture sessions should be repeated so the effectiveness accumulates. The number of sessions for each patient depends on the length of the allergy history and its severity. Based on my experience, most patients need a course of ten sessions. The effectiveness of these treatments can last quite a while, even years. It’s important to know that there is considerable variation between patients: some will need to begin treatment before the allergy season starts; others may need monthly treatment.
About diet: most food should be cooked and served warm, as cold and raw food can damage the spleen and stomach. Dairy products, chocolate, alcohol, and diet sodas should be limited.
Finally, regular exercise helps to make Defensive Qi stronger.
I wish you a wonderful life without the aggravation of hay fever. Helping you avoid hay fever, and getting your health back in a natural way, is what I do.