Sniffle, sniffle, blink, wipe, and cough…where are the tissues
Does this sound familiar? If so, you just might have seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis. It really can be common at any time during the year, but springtime seems to be s huge instigator of allergy symptoms.
Airborne allergens are the primary cause of allergic rhinitis. Tree and grass pollen in the spring, and summer and weed pollen in the fall trigger allergies. Other causes can be due to pollution, pet dander, and dust mites.
The main symptoms of seasonal allergies are Itchy nose and eyes, sneezing, nasal discharge, and watery eyes. Secondary signs may include cough and headache.
It might seem that just about anything can set off your allergies, and perhaps they could seem to be getting more frequent. If this is the case, you may want to consider acupuncture treatments, which can help alleviate the symptoms of seasonal allergies, as well as strengthen your body’s immune resistance. This is especially important because abnormal immune response is a major factor why you experience allergic rhinitis in the first place.
Pathways to Pathology
Chinese Medicine, teaches us that when our immunity is decreased due to poor health or fatigue we have low Wei Qi (first line of defense in Chinese Medicine). A weakened “Spleen” function/energy is always seen as the starting point for a Wei Qi imbalance. The Spleen/Stomach organ/energy in Chinese medicine relates to the process of digestion. This goes back to the thought that all health begins in the gut.
Many people do not realize that 80 percent of our immune system is located in the digestive tract. This correlates exactly with what Chinese medicine has known for thousands of years by the phrase “Wei Qi issues forth from the Middle Jiao” better known as the Spleen and Stomach. The bacteria in our gastro-intestinal tract play a very important role in the mucosal immune system and help in the production of anti-bodies.
Acupuncture for Allergy Prevention
The aim of acupuncture treatments for allergic rhinitis is to restore normal immune function by decreasing the reactivity of the body to allergens thereby reversing the inflammatory process. During the change of seasons when allergy symptoms can be severe, an acupuncturist will focus first on these issues. Once there is a lessening of these conditions, we will focus on strengthening and regulating the immune function of the body.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine truly shine in the area of preventative medicine because they view patient and pathology as interdependent and know that effective long-term benefits require investigation into many facets of a patient’s health history.
