The American Academy for Allergies, Asthma and Immunology reports that allergic rhinitis affects between 10% and 30% of all adults, and as many as four in ten children in the U.S. Approximately 12% of Americans under the age of 45 suffer from chronic sinusitis.

Common signs and symptoms of allergic rhinitis include: Stuffy, runny nose, sneezing, post-nasal drip, red, itchy, and watery eyes, swollen eyelids, itchy mouth, throat, ears, and face, sore throat, dry cough, headaches, facial pain or pressure, partial loss of hearing, smell, and taste, fatigue, and dark circles under the eyes.

Our immune system is designed to protect us from external pathogens (bacteria, viruses, etc.) to ensure our survival. However, with allergic rhinitis, our immune system mounts a defense against a harmless substance such as pollen, dust or pet dander resulting in a histamine reaction, triggering the symptoms listed above.

Why would our immune system be so reactive to pollen? Is it that the Metropolitan D.C. area has pollen on steroids? No. It’s because the general population is extremely stressed out. Cortisol, a stress hormone produced by your adrenal glands, will make your immune system hypervigilant.

A common allopathic (Western medical) approach to manage allergies is to recommend an antihistamine to block your body’s histamine reaction to the offending agent such as ragweed. Unfortunately, taking an antihistamine is addressing the symptom rather than the cause. Once your blood concentration of the drug drops within a 24-hour period of the initial dosage, the symptoms return. Acupuncture, one of the oldest healing traditions used worldwide for a variety of conditions ranging from musculoskeletal pain to infertility, works exceptionally well for allergies and allergic rhinitis.

Acupuncture

Is there scientific proof that acupuncture works for allergies? A German study published in 2008, “Acupuncture in Patients with allergic rhinitis: a pragmatic randomized trial,” concluded that acupuncture treatment resulted in “clinically relevant and persistent benefits to those patients suffering from allergic rhinitis.”

The study explains that immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgE, etc.) are antibodies designed to protect our bodies from foreign substances and disease. IgE specifically responds to pollen, fungus spores and animal dander, and IgE levels are often high in people with allergies.

Scientific studies demonstrate that acupuncture stimulates the body to reduce the immunoglobulins associated with allergies, thus reducing the symptoms such as itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and inflamed sinuses. The beauty of acupuncture is that after a number of treatments, the IgE levels drop and the allergic response vanishes, with no observed side effects.

The “side effects” of acupuncture I’ve seen in my practice include better quality sleep, improved sense of well-being and less anxiety. This is in stark contrast to both over the counter allergy medications and those prescribed by your physician.

The World Health Organization also recommends acupuncture for a number of respiratory and immune system conditions. The needles are four times the diameter of a human hair, made of stainless steel, and used once and discarded. There’s no chance of infection/disease transmission and acupuncture has been long been recognized as the safest and least invasive healing modalities on the planet, when performed by a licensed healthcare professional. You should breathe easy and have more energy. Why take a drug to treat the symptom when you can do acupuncture and solve the underlying problem? To find a properly trained practitioner in your area, visit the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at www.NCCAOM.org, and click on “Find a Practitioner.”

Bill Reddy is a nationally board-certified Licensed acupuncturist who studied under graduates and professors from Beijing and Shanghai medical schools. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium. He is the former President of the Acupuncture Society of Virginia and professor at the Virginia University of Oriental Medicine. He is the author of over 60 publications, lecturer, an avid practitioner of Qi Gong and Tai Chi, and practices at the Pinecrest Wellness Center in Annandale, Virginia.