Fighting Hay Fever with Acupuncture
Your friends are celebrating the warmer weather but you're feeling the sense of doom you feel every year. It’s hay fever season. Time for headaches, itchy eyes, sinus pain, sneezing, runny nose and fatigue.
Hay fever can flair up any time but reactions increase during the warmer months. And for those who suffer, symptoms range from mildly annoying to actually getting in the way of functioning day-to-day.
What is hay fever? Hay Fever (Allergic Rhinitis) is an inflammatory response to allergens in the air. The body’s immune system overreacts to a particular allergen – pollen, pet hair, dust or mould – and produces histamines to fight it. Histamine is the body chemical that triggers allergic reactions.
Treating Hay Fever with Acupuncture
Your cupboard is probably full of antihistamines and they can help. But if you’re sick of their side effects, or you’re not finding them effective, acupuncture is another alternative.
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice that realigns “Qi” or life energy “flow”. Every organ and body process has its own Qi.
Our Perth acupuncturist Dr Jasmine Vogel says hay fever signifies a disruption in the Lung Qi. A weakened Lung Qi affects our immune system, and in turn, increases our susceptibility to hay fever.
A weakened Lung Qi can be a result of past lung infections such as whooping cough, pneumonia or colds and flus, as well as experiences of chronic illness, sadness and grief.
Improving Lung Health with Acupuncture
A recent study where 61 patients diagnosed with hay fever were randomly selected to receive either acupuncture or “fake” acupuncture showed acupuncture successfully treated nasal symptoms by lowering the sensitivity of the nasal sensory nerves. It also showed an improved quality of life and reduced the need for medicine.
Another study where 151 people with moderate to severe hay fever were randomly selected, showed a decrease in nasal obstruction, nasal itch, sneezing, runny nose and eye itch, as well as unrefreshed sleep improvement. These symptoms continued to improve four weeks later.
When is it time to see Perth acupuncturist?
You can see an acupuncturist at anytime, but particularly if:
You’re taking antihistamines but they’re not working
Your hay fever symptoms are causing loss of sleep
Your symptoms are getting in the way of you living a normal life
You’ve tried other methods to no avail
Along with acupuncture, our Perth acupuncturist recommends the following to improve your Lung Qi:
Going out and getting fresh air
Regularly exercising and stretching
Consciously bringing awareness to the breath (meditation is great for this)
Breathing from the diaphragm and relaxing the chest and shoulder muscles
Clearing household clutter to energetically clear the Lung
Spring and summer are happy seasons for some, and months of fighting hay fever symptoms for others.