TCM Allergies

By: Dr. LuAnn Roy, NMD

It’s that time of year again, the sun is showing its glorious face, and the trees and flowers are coming out of hibernation. With all the beauty of this time of year, there is an ugly side…. allergies.

Spring isn’t just the time of year to clean out our closets: it is also a good time of year to think about cleaning out bad habits by learning how to rebalance our bodies. The changes of seasons leave our bodies weaker and more susceptible to diseases such as cold, flu and allergies also known as allergic rhinitis or hay fever. Traditional Chinese medicine studies have suggested that using acupuncture as a preventative approach to cold, flu and allergies can reduce the incidence of upper respiratory infections, shorten the duration of illness, reduce histamine levels and reduce inflammation in the body.

Allergies or allergic rhinitis can create inflammation of the mucus membrane that lines the sinus cavities. This inflammation can either be acute or chronic and can be seasonal or perennial. Symptoms can include sneezing, itching of the nose, mouth, ears and eyes, nasal congestion, a feeling of fullness or heaviness in the head and face, itchy eyes, runny nose, postnasal drip, couch, sore throat, along with a feeling of malaise. Sometimes there can be nasal mucus that is clear, white, yellow or green. Acute sinusitis is usually due to a secondary bacterial infection, usually due to an upper respiratory infection or allergic rhinitis.

Seasonal allergies also known as hay fever are divided into three categories. Spring type, summer type and fall type. In spring allergies are usually tree pollen. In the summer allergens are usually grass pollen. And, in the fall allergens are usually weed pollen. Allergic rhinitis may occur in some patients without regard to seasons and this may be referred to as perennial allergic rhinitis.

Data suggest that 1 in 5 Americans are diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. Often there is a history of repeated treatment with antibiotics as a child. Also, people with diets high in sugar, sweets, dairy and yeast grain products are more susceptible to allergies. Stress may also play a role in this condition.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine our goal is to build up the Wei Qi or defensive qi and restore balance to the internal organ system such as the lungs, spleen, stomach, colon and kidneys. Unlike western medicine with antihistamines, TCM aims to restore energy
to stop the reaction from happening. Typically, this change occurs with acupuncture, herbal medicine and dietary changes.

Why diet? TCM correlates the relationship between diet and spleen qi function. When the body is not balanced, we are overeating, overindulging in alcohol, eating too much dairy, spicy or hot foods, and this can damage the spleen qi which can weaken the immune system and turn to dampness and phlegm. Symptoms of this can be a runny nose, with thick white or yellow phlegm, nasal congestion, a feeling of thickness in the head, dizziness, fatigue, swelling or distension in the abdomen especially after eating.

Even though the lungs tend to be the first organ system that you may feel with allergies it is said in TCM that all people with allergies have an underlying spleen qi deficiency. In TCM we diagnose our patient in what we call patterns of disease. Speen Qi deficiency or spleen qi dampness patterns are just two of many different patterns of disease that are associated with allergies. We also use other diagnostic tools such as in-depth health history, tongue and pulse and other features as TCM practitioners to determine your individual treatment needs along with the appropriate herbal formula or supplement.

What can you expect after allergy acupuncture treatments? Patients can expect to feel relief from sinus pressure, improved breathing and deep relaxation after an acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture is safe and effective for people with allergies. It helps to decrease symptoms, lower allergy medication and blood markers of inflammation. Frequency of acupuncture treatments depends on the severity of your symptoms and how well you respond to treatments. In general, it is recommended to have one to two treatments a week for several weeks.

If you are looking for a natural solution for your allergy symptoms, acupuncture may be a good solution for you.