Acupuncture for Hay Fever

With entering summer and the pollen count at an all time high, I am seeing more and more patients present with seasonal rhinitis (hay fever).

Affecting around 10-40% of the population worldwide, we are left with niggling and often debilitating symptoms of nasal congestion, sore, itchy eyes, sneezing, tiredness, fever, headaches and sinus pain.

Acupuncture can often offer natural relief for hay fever by helping to control the histamine response, responsible for this seasonal immune disorder.

Acupuncture for Hay Fever Testimonial

“I have suffered with Hayfever quite severely all of my life and although every year I have relied on antihistamines, eye drops and nose sprays they had little impact on my actual symptoms. I had heard about Acupuncture for hay fever and decided this year it give it a go.

I’ve had a course of acupuncture with the lovely Kim and can honestly say that this years hay fever season has been turned on its head, I haven’t use antihistamines or sprays once this year.

Thanks Kim for making my summer much more enjoyable.”

Liz, Sheffield
Acupuncture Patient

The Facts

How Can Acupuncture Help to Relieve Symptoms of Hay Fever?

Evidence from systematic reviews suggests that acupuncture and moxibustion may be a safe and effective treatment for allergic rhinitis with benefits over conventional medicine (Xiao 2009), that acupuncture can help to relieve symptoms of perennial rhinitis (Lee 2009) and that ear acupressure has a similar efficacy to antihistamines (Zhang 2010).

Recent randomised controlled trials have found that acupuncture used as an adjunct to routine care for allergic rhinitis has clinically relevant and persistent benefits (Brinkhaus 2008) and is cost effective (Witt 2009). Such trials have also found that acupuncture is effective in the symptomatic treatment of perennial rhinitis (Xue 2007).

In general, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system and cause the release of neurochemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional well-being. Stimulation of certain acupuncture points has been shown to affect areas of the brain that are known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress (Hui 2010).

Acupuncture may help to relieve pain and congestion in people with allergic rhinitis by: 

• regulating levels of IgE and cytokines, mediators of the allergic reaction to extrinsic allergens (Ng 2004; Rao 2006; Roberts 2008)
•  stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, which leads to release of endorphins and other neurohumoral factors, and changes the processing of pain in the brain and spinal cord (Pomeranz, 1987; Han 2004; Zhao 2008; Cheng 2009);
• reducing inflammation, by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors (Zijlstra 2003; Kavoussi 2007);
• enhancing natural killer cell activities and modulating the number and ratio of immune cell types (Kawakita 2008);
• increasing local microcirculation (Komori 2009), which aids dispersal of  swelling.

Source: The British Acupuncture Council