Acupuncture for Hay Fever
Hay fever is triggered by grass, tree and plant weed pollens.
In the UK, tree pollen occurs first (March to mid-May), with grass pollen coming in two peaks (mid-May until July) and weed pollen (end of June to September). Weed Pollen’s season lasts longest.
If you suffer with hay fever, you may be allergic to just one of these pollens, or a combination of them. You may have hay fever which reacts to just one type of pollen during the season and then feels better later in the year, or you are someone experiencing symptoms of more than one airborne allergen and are allergic to weed and grass pollen. In this case, you may suffer with hay fever symptoms for several months at a time, due to the pollen seasons overlapping.
In traditional Chinese medicine, we see the surface of the body as having a “defensive layer,” protecting us from external pathogens. As well as viruses and bacteria, these pathogens will include the typical hay fever pollen allergens. The strength of the defensive layer is dependent upon the strength of the internal body, so any internal weakness will also affect the strength of this defensive layer; Usually, pathogens are expelled from the body quickly. However a weakness here may cause pollen allergens to remain trapped in the exterior surface of the body, leading to the typical hay fever symptoms such as runny nose, itchy eyes and nasal congestion.
When treating with either acupuncture or herbal medicine, we will need to address both areas. We are trying to get rid of the problem itself, rather than just suppress the symptoms. This is different to the western medical approach, which usually involves symptom suppressants such as antihistamines.
We have a variety of methods to do this. If we consider someone as having a weak defensive system and there is a trapped pathogen, then we will be trying to get rid of the pathogen itself. We can use acupuncture points to help do this or Chinese herbal medicine. We may include herbs such as cinnamon and ginger to help the body expel the pathogen from the defensive layer. Alongside this, we also need to address any internal deficiency, using tonic herbs such as white Peony root, liquorice and Astragalus to help strengthen any internal weakness.
At the Jade Centre we see many patients each year to help them to manage their seasonal allergies. Contact us now and book an appointment to get the support you need,
