Hayfever season. We have been nose-deep in it and unfortunately, there is not very much your GP can do for your hayfever.
And this has been compounded by a shortage of medication for hayfever that you access via your pharmacy.
I have had more requests for acupuncture appointments for allergies, hayfever or sinusitis than any other condition.
Because this is not something you need to dread each year, the evidence is pretty compelling for acupuncture for hayfever.
In today's blog I am going to look at:
specifically, look at hayfever in this post
allopathic medicine: hay fever treatment
the evidence for acupuncture for hay fever
how acupuncture treats hay fever
acupressure and food, based on acupuncture diagnosis, on how to help yourself and your hay fever symptoms
let's chat!
Lots of love
Andrea
What is allergic rhinitis?
Allergic rhinitis is a disorder where the nose is irritated by allergens.
Seasonal: symptoms happen at the same time each year. If it is caused by grass and tree pollen allergens, it is also known as hayfever
Perennial: symptoms happen throughout the year, typically due to allergens from house dust mites and animal dander.
Symptoms can include:
sneezing
itchy eyes
itchy nose
blocked or runny nose
cough
However, their impact can be profound. Causing absenteeism from work and reduced quality of life during periods of allergies.
Hay fever
Hayfever is related explicitly to grass and tree pollen allergens. In the UK this typically occurs from March, with the arrival of tree pollen; right through to autumn with weed pollen. That is a lot of months where you could be enduring hay fever symptoms!
Hay fever symptoms include:
sneezing
runny nose
itchy eyes
itchy throat
loss of smell
headache
earache
But your symptoms are individual to you. I want to hear about what is troubling you?
Hayfever cure
Unfortunately, there is no cure for hayfever. There is no cure only an alleviation.
And an unhelpful suggestion that you avoid exposure!
Medicines like Piriteze which are a form of antihistamine are available in pharmacies. There are also Kenalog injections, which are an immunotherapy option.
Acupuncture for hayfever
In a series of studies, acupuncture has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment for hayfever.
acupuncture may be more cost-effective
Symptoms showing the greatest improvement included sneezing, itchy nose, itchy eyes, runny nose, blocked nose and interrupted sleep.
number of treatments ranged from 12 and 30 treatments at a frequency between two and five treatments per week
Symptoms continued to improve after treatment for up to 3 months
How does acupuncture treat hay fever?
In an acupuncture treatment, during the pollen season, I will be treating the manifestation of your hay fever. We are trying to alleviate and ultimately stop your signs and symptoms.
Towards the end of summer, the beginning of autumn we would treat the root cause.
Hay fever home remedies
Below I have added acupressure and food suggestions which you can try at home for your hay fever symptoms.
The suggestions below are from Paul Pitchford's book Healing with Whole Foods.
Let's chat
Would you like to have a call to discuss whether acupuncture could help your hay fever symptoms?
Just drop me a message here and we can set something up.
I am Andrea and I practice acupuncture across Hertfordshire and Central Bedfordshire, bringing the acupuncture to your home.
