HOW TO TACKLE YOUR SPRING ALLERGIES

Winter is gone, spring is here! The temperature is warmer, trees, flowers, and grass are growing. How beautiful is the spring!? Who would want to suffer an allergy attack during this beautiful time? If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you probably have a love/hate relationship with spring. It’s tough to go outside and smell the roses when you are sneezy, and all stuffed up.

Seasonal allergies are nothing to sneeze at!

             Seasonal allergies affect many people every day and may impact their lives profoundly. They can be incredibly uncomfortable, and even put you at a higher risk of getting sick. When hay fever is particularly severe, it can knock you out for the whole day. Allergies happen when your body’s immune system sees a normally harmless substance (allergen) as a threat and overreacts to it by making antibodies. These allergens can be things such as tree pollens, grass, weeds, molds, dust mites, and pet dander. When this happens, inflammatory substances such as histamine, prostaglandins, cytokines, tryptase, and leukotrienes are released, causing allergic symptoms such as a runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing and itchy nose, itchy and watery eyes, and even swelling of the face and throat in extreme cases.

            A recent study in Germany and Switzerland(1) in 2019 showed possible associations between seasonal allergies and increased anxiety due to released cytokines which can have a negative effect on brain function, triggering sadness and depression. Another study(2) in 2018 found that if you have asthma, allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis (eczema), this can increase your risk of developing a mental disorder.

            Asthma prevalence and severity are greater in women than in men(3). According to a study conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, women have an increased risk of developing more severe and more frequent allergic reactions versus their male counterparts. Scientists believe that the female sex hormone estrogen may be responsible for a women’s greater sensitivity to allergies and severe allergic reactions. Boys are at higher risk of developing asthma and allergies until 10 years old. But, increases in a girl’s estrogen levels as they reach puberty begin making them more vulnerable.

Why are 2021 seasonal allergies particularly bad?

            After a harsh cold winter, spring came warm and dry. Because of this, there is a dramatic spike in pollen production this year. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, after one year of isolation, people are eager to come out and enjoy the spring. This harsh allergy season will converge with complications from COVID-19. While the vaccine is being widely distributed, there are many reports of adverse reactions to the vaccine in patients with a history of allergic reactions. Many miserable Americans are asking themselves: is it allergies, COVID, or a bad reaction to the vaccine?

What do people do to help their allergy symptoms?

            Most people take allergy medications, such as antihistamines to block or reduce histamines, helping to prevent allergy symptoms. These medicines work well to relieve symptoms, but they cannot relieve every symptom. It is reported(4,5) that the popular antihistamine drug Benadryl, with increased use, is associated with an up to a 54% risk of dementia. Even with short-term use, the side effects can include confusion, blurred vision, difficult urination, constipation, low blood pressure, decreased motivation, and impaired cognitive function.

If you are like many allergy sufferers,

You might be looking for a better way to get relief!

Acupuncture for Allergies

            Acupuncture has been used to successfully treat an amazing array of health conditions for approximately 3000 years beginning in ancient China. It is only more recently that modern scientists have begun to understand exactly how it works.

            Given that we know acupuncture helps reduce inflammation(6) in the body and that symptoms of allergic conditions like hay fever, asthma, and eczema are all related to inflammation, it makes sense that acupuncture helps with allergies.

            A recent study(7) in Germany concluded that acupuncture is an effective therapy for the treatment of seasonal allergies and is likely to decrease the use of allergy medications. In fact, a previous study(8) in 2014 found acupuncture to be superior to Claritin.

Herbal Medicine for Allergies

            Herbal Medicine is often used in conjunction with acupuncture in the treatment of allergies.  From a Chinese Medicine perspective, allergies are often considered to be a form of “external wind invasion”.  Herbal medicine is used to “release the exterior” and expel this invasion from the body.  From a Western perspective, many of these herbs contain compounds that are similar to antihistamines. Herbal preparations are carefully selected based on the patient’s constitution and particular presentation of symptoms.

Moxibustion for Allergies

            Another technique that can be effective in the treatment of allergies is moxibustion. Moxibustion is a technique that consists of burning dried mugwort leaves on or above the surface of the skin. Moxibustion has both thermal and non-thermal effects, but its capacity to help allergy suffers is most notably due to its ability to modulate the immune system.  Moxibustion can help to down-regulate an overactive immune system or up-regulate a sluggish immune system.  A recent study(9) in 2020 indicated that moxibustion may be able to improve pulmonary function as well as decrease histamine levels in allergy suffers.

Auriculotherapy for Allergies

          Auriculotherapy is a system of acupuncture that uses the ear as a micro-system to represent the entire body. This technique can even be performed using a needleless application for patients who are needle sensitive. Auriculotherapy has many of the same effects as acupuncture and can also be successfully used in the treatment of allergies.  In fact, a 2018 study(10) demonstrated that auriculotherapy appears to be safer and more effective than antihistamines in the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria.

AAT for Allergies

            Advanced Allergy Therapeutics (AAT) offers a unique and highly effective approach in treating the many symptoms associated with allergies and food/environmental sensitivities. AAT is a precision-based therapy that treats the organ systems involved in an overreaction. AAT does not treat the immune system; instead, the therapy focuses on inappropriate responses to harmless substances to produce rapid, long-lasting results. AAT merges 21st-century science with 3,000-year-old traditional Chinese Medicine principles in offering an effective alternative in the treatment of symptoms associated with allergies and sensitivities. The treatment is safe, painless, and available to patients of all ages, including infants.

Which treatment is right for me?

            With Chinese Medicine, there is no “one size fits all”.  Treatment plans are designed based on each patient’s individual needs.  If you are interested in one of the above treatments, one of our doctors will perform a full assessment and determine which treatment, or combination of treatments, is right for you.  To schedule an appointment or speak with one of our doctors, please give us a call at 609-921-8980.

 References

1.     Harter K., Hammel G., Krabiell, L., Linkohr, B., Peters, A., Schwettmann, L. et al. (2019). Different Psychosocial Factors Are Associated with Seasonal and Perennial Allergies in Adults: Cross-Sectional Results of the KORA FF4 Study. International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 179:262-272.

2.     Tseng, N., Chang, H., Chung, C., Kao, Y., Chang, C., Yeh, H. et al. (2018). Increased risk of Psychiatric Disorders in Allergic Diseases: A Nationwide, Population-Based, Cohort Study. Frontiers in Psychiatry. April 24.

3.     Bonds, R.S. and Midoro-Horiuti, T. (2013). Estrogen effects in allergy and asthma. Curr Opin Alergy Clin Immunol. February; 13(1): 92-99.

4.     Gray SL, Anderson ML, Dublin S et al (2015). Cumulative use of strong anticholinergics and incident dementia: a prospective cohort study. JAMA Intern Med. 175, 401-407.

5.     Adam, D., Grabenhenrich, L., Ortiz, M., Binting, S., Reinhold, T., and Brinkhaus, B. (2018). Impact of acupuncture on antihistamine use in patient suffering seasonal allergic rhinitis: secondary analysis of results from a randomized controlled trial. Open Access Acupunct Med. 0:1-8.

6.     McDonald, J., Cripps, A., Smith, P., Smith, C., Xue, C., and Golianu, B. (2013). The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Acupuncture and Their Relevance to Allergic Rhinitis: A Narrative Review and Proposed Model. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Volume 2013. Article ID 591796, 12 pages.

7.     Zhang, J., Zhang, Y., Huang, X., Lan, K., Hu, L. Chen, Y. and Yu, H. (2020). Different Acupuncture Therapies for Allergic Rhinitis: Overview of Systemic Reviews and Network Meta-Analysis. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Volume 2020, Article ID 8363027. 18 pages.

8.     Hauswald, B., Dill, C., Boxberger, J., Kuhlisc, E., Zahnert, T., and Yarin, Y. (2014). Effectiveness of Acupuncture Compared to Loratadine in Patients Allergic to House Dust Mites. Hindawi Journal of Allergy. Volume 2014, Article ID 654632.

9.     Zhang GS, Qiu RR, Pan J, Zhang J, Zhang C, Wang CX, Yang RD. (2020). Effect of moxibustion on respiratory function and cutaneous histamine and neuropeptide contents of "Feishu" (BL13) in asthmatic rats. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 25;45(2):117-21.

10.   Zhu L, Kim Y, Yang Z. (2018). The Application of Auriculotherapy to the Treatment of Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies. 11(6):343-354