Spring time is a lovely time of year for many, but for others it brings with it the return of seasonal allergies, although, allergies can happen year-round. Standard medical treatment usually relies on decongestants and antihistamines to provide temporary relief, but neglect the underlying or root cause for the seasonal allergies. Acupuncture for allergy relief has a great success rate, and many patients will say that they feel better than they ever have with conventional medications and/or treatments.
Acupuncture treatment can not only help with seasonal allergies, but also for skin, food, medication, etc. allergies, but many people will often turn to medications for relief simply because they don’t know there is another option. Pharmaceutical options may be the right option for some, but many people who deal with allergies either don’t find relief from them or are looking for long-term relief in building a better defense against their allergies as opposed to masking symptoms. This is where acupuncture could make all the difference for you. On top of successfully treating allergies, acupuncture can also provide treatment for any underlying conditions that you may have.
Seasonal Allergies: What You Need to Know
Seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever, in its simplest explanation, is the overreaction of the immune system to airborne allergens. In other words, the immune system sees these harmless allergens as harmful causing the various allergy symptoms. The symptoms for allergies usually come on very suddenly, and how long they last or when they show up are dependent on the type of allergen the person is affected by. For example, there are various types of pollen throughout the year such as flower pollen found in spring, grass pollen in summer, and weed or mold pollen which are found in the fall.
Possible Seasonal Allergy Symptoms:
- Runny/stuffy nose
- Itchy/watery/Bloodshot eyes
- Wheezing
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Shortness of breath
- Body aches
- Itchy throat or nose
- Postnasal drip
- Fatigue
Most Common Seasonal Allergens:
- Tree or flower pollen – show up in March and April
- Grass pollen – show up in June and July
- Mold – can show up year-round, but more common in the fall
- Ragweed – shows up in the fall
- Dust – can show up year-round
- Pet dander – can show up year-round
In standard medicine, the cause of your allergies can be determined through skin or blood tests, and are usually treated with over the counter medications or prescription antihistamines to suppress the body’s immune response.
In recent years, those who suffer from seasonal allergies have noticed a shift in that their allergies have seemed more severe than in years past. Scientists have found that due to environmental factors seasonal allergies such as mold or pollen have become more intense as they are reproducing at a more excessive rate, and have lasted longer over the last several decades. Although there are many types of allergies, medication, food, skin, and seasonal being the most common, acupuncture can help with all of them.
Acupuncture for Seasonal Allergies
Acupuncture works for seasonal allergies by enhancing and strengthening the immune system, decreasing the body’s sensitivity to allergens, and relieving common seasonal allergy symptoms. In addition to treating seasonal allergies, acupuncture works for to prevent the onset of allergies alleviating the intensity, duration, and development of allergic reactions.
Acupuncture Works for Seasonal Allergies By:
- Boosts the Immune System – develop better immune system functionality, and decrease inflammation.
- Brings Balance to the Body – acupuncture treatment stimulates the nervous system in order to encourage the body to return to a balanced state.
- Alleviate Pain – acupuncture innately relaxes the mind and body removing pressure in the chest, neck, head, and sinuses. Removing this pressure reinstates balance in the body and relieves pain.
- Aids in Breathing – being that acupuncture decreases inflammation, the inflammation in your nasal passageways from seasonal allergies is also decreased.
- Soothe the Mind & Spirit – as cliché as it sounds, acupuncture visits are, often times, the only time many patients have to truly unplug and unwind from the stresses of daily life. Not to mention that acupuncture has been proven to decrease the stress hormones within the body. Stress is shown to cause a wide variety of issues including aggravating allergy symptoms.
When treating hay fever, acupuncture can relieve congestion, lower the intensity and frequency of allergy borne headaches, decrease eye irritation, and decrease overall allergic response.
What a Seasonal Allergies Acupuncture Appointment Looks Like:
- A licensed acupuncturist will put in hair-thin needles into various areas of the body known as acupuncture points. The body has thousands of acupuncture points that are all connected in pathways called meridians.
- The acupuncture points that are utilized for allergies will be different than the ones for other conditions, and your licensed acupuncturist will go through a detailed consultation to determine your individual issues as well as health history to determine as appropriate individualized treatment plan.
- After your in-person consultation, your licensed acupuncturist will be able to tell you if acupuncture is the right option for you and your condition or if acupuncture should be utilized in conjunction along with standard treatments like nasal sprays or over the counter medicines.
Acupuncture can relieve seasonal allergy symptoms, and has the added benefit of being able to treat any other ailments you may have. Acupuncture treats multiple conditions at once!
Try Acupuncture for Seasonal Allergies
If you are like any of the more than 80 million people in the United States afflicted with seasonal allergies, you are looking for any way to mitigate these horrible seasonal allergy symptoms. Especially in recent years with the higher intensity of symptoms, it is not surprising that many are turning to alternate treatment options like acupuncture not only because standard medicine hasn’t worked, but more importantly, because acupuncture works.
Recent research has shown positive results in treating seasonal allergies with acupuncture. In fact, in a study from 2023, Acupuncture for Prevention of Moderate to Severe Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis, it was shown that acupuncture decreased the “incidence of moderate to severe seasonal allergic rhinitis, relieve the symptoms, improve quality of life, and reduce the use of emergency drugs.”
If you continue to suffer from seasonal allergies, acupuncture could be the answer with the goal of pinpointing the root cause of your allergy flare-ups and get you back to enjoying the great aspects of allergy season again.