Treating Allergies with Herbs and Acupuncture
Why people develop allergies remains a mystery in the medical community. Until we know more about allergies, the best line of defense is to eliminate the offending agents. Sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, sinus congestion, hives, swelling are all symptoms of allergies.
Treating Allergies Naturally
Allergies can affect almost any area of the body. Substances that irritate the skin, allergic reactions to drugs, detergents, and other chemicals are all culprits. Also, grass, cow products, house dust, pets, wheat, colorants, additives, and preservatives are all possibilities.
Dust Mites. The dust mite is an almost-microscopic relative of ticks and spiders. But the living mite is not the problem. It’s the fecal material they expel in their wanderings about our carpets and furniture their primary residences and the bodies of dead mites that cause reactions.
Mold. Mold grows wherever it’s dark and humid under your carpet, in the basement. It just doesn’t matter which one you encounter. Inhale any one of them, and if you are allergic, you’ll start sneezing.
Hay fever is an allergic condition triggered by inhalant substances (frequently pollens), which leads to sneezing and inflammation of the nose and conjunctiva of the eyes.
Any skin inflammation may be considered Dermatitis. Redness, scaling, and thickening of the skin may occur with dermatitis. Pinpointing the cause of the problem is the first step toward alleviating the symptoms.
Eczema is a type of dermatitis that is allergy related. It appears as dry, cracking, crusting and red patches on the skin. Often there are swelling, weeping blisters. The skin can become inflamed and itchy. Many factors can contribute to eczema. Stress is a significant factor. Exposure to cleaning compounds, perfumes, detergents, household chemicals, soaps, food allergies, as well as nutrient deficiencies.
Hives are lumps or weal that are very itchy. They can appear suddenly. They can be related to a particular food or as another complication from allergies; stress.
Anaphylactic shock. This is the most serious of allergic reactions. It can kill by suffocation, the result of swelling of the larynx and obstruction of the airway. Anaphylactic shock can occur in response to insect stings, ingestion of allergenic foods in sensitive individuals, and injected or swallowed doses of medication. It is a medical emergency, but it can be treated effectively. An injection of adrenalin (administered under medical supervision) will usually end the reaction promptly.
It is known that white blood cells (also known as lymphocytes) are a fundamental component of the immune system that protects our bodies from invaders. When they make a mistake, an allergic response can occur. When a lymphocyte encounters a particle or cell and identifies it as a foreign invader, it produces antibodies specifically engineered to fight that particular threat. There are five basic types of antibodies, called immunoglobulins, or Igs. Each is classified by type with a letter suffix: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM. The Ig known to be responsible for most allergic reactions to food is IgE, although IgG is also commonly mentioned.
IgE allergies occur when the immune system, to reject a certain food or other substance, creates an antibody to that food, immunoglobulin E. In other words, the blood cells of an allergic person are “misinformed’ at the genetic level and cause the production of large quantities of IgE antibodies. The antibody becomes attached on one side to the food/substance molecule and on the other side to a mast cell (mast cells are a type of cell containing histamine and other allergy mediators instrumental in the allergic response). When this happens, histamines and other chemicals are released from the mast cells, causing such immediate responses as runny nose, itchy eyes, skin rashes, and indigestion. IgE can cause anaphylaxis, an extreme, sometimes even life-threatening response in which the airways swell, sometimes to the point where the person cannot breathe.
The most common tests for food allergies are IgE skin tests, where the skin is scratched or pricked, and allergens such as wheat, eggs, and milk are applied. Within 15 to 30 minutes, a local reaction may occur. Other types of tests include blood tests and patch skin tests. However, there are reports that blood testing for food allergies provides more reliable results than skin testing. The latter is problematic because of their tendency to yield false positives. This means that people may show a positive result but are still able to eat a certain food. To summarize this difficult and confusing field, it appears that the efficacy of all allergy testing is under suspicion.
Managing Your Allergies
Tree and Plant Pollen are one of the biggest culprits. When you come in from the outdoors, take off your clothes, and threw them in the washer. Take a shower, wash your hair, and change your clothes. We trek pollen into the house from the outdoors, and this is one of the biggest, yet unseen problems with people who suffer from allergies.
Antihistamines interfere with brain activity, causing drowsiness and depression. Never use antihistamines if you have a tendency to depression or mental dullness. Even when these drugs do not depress mental activity, they merely suppress allergy rather than cure it. As a result, the pattern of immune over responsiveness is strengthened rather than weakened, meaning that more treatment will be required in the future.
This is even more so with steroid drugs (cortisone and related compounds). Never use cortisone, prednisone, or other steroid drugs to treat allergic reactions unless they are very severe or life-threatening. If you must take these powerful hormones, limit your use of them to two weeks. Steroids perpetuate allergy through their suppression action. They also lower immunity.
Air-conditioning your house is probably the single most important thing you can do to alleviate pollen problems, and it can help with two other chief inhalants molds and dust mites.
Vitamin C has antihistamine activity. Vitamin C supplementation has been reported to help people with hay fever in preliminary research. Consider 3,000 – 6,000 mg of Vitamin C in divided doses, per day.
Bioflavonoids such as Quercetin might act synergistically with Vitamin C as both have antihistaminic activity. Although some doctors of natural medicine advise people with hay fever to take 400 mg of Quercetin two to three times per day, only limited preliminary clinical research has yet suggested that Quercetin benefits people with this condition.
Proteins in food can cross-react with pollen we bring in from the outdoors. Wash all fruits and vegetables before eating them, and don’t forget to wash if you just came in from the outside when picking these fruits and vegetables.
Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the oldest, continually practiced, and professionally administered health care system in the world. It is a documented medical system spanning over 2,500 years based on comprehensive philosophies, rational theories, clinically tested, and empirically verified by over 100 generations of highly educated practitioners. Chinese Medicine is a total system of internal medicine which is comprised of a diagnostic procedure based on signs, symptoms, and treatment styles, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, exercise, diet, and meditation. Its foundation is based on the principles of balance; the interdependent relationship of Yin and Yang. Through this balance, health is achieved and maintained.
Traditional Chinese medicine often views allergic rhinitis as related to Wind, noting that symptoms come and go rapidly, cause congestion, and make the person want to avoid windy situations. This Wind often coexists with a deficiency of the Protective or Wei Qi. The nearest we associate with Wei Qi in the West is resistance to colds and other respiratory infections. People with Wei Qi deficiency catch colds easily, and allergy symptoms may be particularly bad in the spring or fall seasons which are generally windy.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine are effective therapies for the treatment of allergies (especially if done BEFORE the season starts for you). Acupuncture redirects your Qi into a more balanced flow. It provides support to the underlying energetic spheres affected by your allergies, helping to resolve the cause or effects of allergies and allergic reactions. During pollen season, the intention of treatment is towards acute symptoms. After pollen season has passed, or once symptoms have cleared, the focus is on treating the underlying (root) problem by strengthening the immune system.
DIY Acupressure for Allergies
Consider applying some acupressure on these areas for self-relief:
Bitong: Located on each side of the nose, at the bottom edge of the nasal bones.
Yingxiang (LI 20): Located in the groove on each side of the nostrils, at the widest point of the nostrils.
Hegu (LI-4): Located at the highest spot of the muscle between the thumb and index finger on the back of the hand when the thumb and index finger are close together.
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