Allergic diseases have risen steadily in the U.S. for more than 50 years.
Keeping pace with this, there’s no shortage of ads for products about prescription and over-the-counter drugs to treat allergies.
But anyone who suffers from seasonal and food allergies knows that these treatments are often ineffective, expensive, and come with undesirable side effects.
That’s why more allergy sufferers are turning to acupuncture for fast, effective relief from allergy symptoms.
Acupuncture for allergic rhinitis
Close to 8 percent of adults in the U.S. suffer from allergic rhinitis, AKA hay fever. In addition, roughly 13 percent of adults have sinusitis.
Every year, millions more children and adults are diagnosed with hay fever. While these conditions generally aren’t life threatening, hay fever and sinusitis can derail your normal daily activities and cause plenty of pain and discomfort.
The good news? People who suffer from allergies can think beyond prescription and OTC drugs and turn to natural alternatives like acupuncture.
Recent research has shown that acupuncture can be an effective treatment of seasonal allergies. For example, in one clinical trial, patients who received acupuncture treatments for allergic rhinitis required fewer medications and experienced milder seasonal hay fever symptoms as compared with control groups.
If you can’t stop sneezing around ragweed, tree or grass pollen, you may suffer from seasonal allergies. With allergic rhinitis, your nasal passages are triggered by pesky outdoor allergens that rise and fall with the changing seasons, causing nasal inflammation, sneezing, sinus infections and headaches, itchy and watery eyes, eczema, hives, fatigue, and more.
No longer a secret of Chinese medicine, acupuncture is proving to be effective in alleviating the symptoms of seasonal allergies as well as sinus congestion.
Acupuncture for food allergies
Nearly one in 25 Americans suffers from food allergies, with one in six of allergy sufferers having such severe allergies that exposure to proteins in milk or peanuts can trigger anaphylaxis, a dangerous and even life-threatening swelling of the airways.
Most dietary allergies are triggered when common allergens like cow’s milk, peanuts and tree nuts, eggs, fish and shellfish, wheat and soy are incorrectly identified by your immune system as harmful invaders. This misfiring of the immune system can wreak havoc on your body and lead to symptoms ranging from hives and itching to wheezing, swelling and shortness of breath.
Most people opt for avoidance as their primary method for dealing with food allergies. In other words, they simply try not to eat the foods they know trigger an immune response. The problem is that sometimes avoidance is impossible, since many of the trigger foods can be hidden in the store-bought products as well as in cooked meals from restaurants or at parties.
That’s why more people are turning to acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs as a preventative measure in dealing with food allergies.
“Food allergies are addressed very well by acupuncture,” said experienced acupuncturist Amadea Brayden, a licensed provider associated with Pure Acupuncture and Wellness. “We have seen great results in our clients who have used acupuncture treatments and a carefully planned regimen of herbal supplements to prevent allergic reactions to food and pollen.”
How acupuncture helps
Acupuncture works by stimulating critical junctures in the body called “neurohormonal pathways.” The goal is for traffic in the form of hormones, beneficial microbes, immune cells and to flow smoothly along your nerves. Unfortunately, sometimes allergens, toxins, and misfiring immune cells can disrupt the flow, causing autoimmune diseases and allergic reactions.
Research indicates that acupuncture works by inserting needles at strategic points on the body, restoring proper flow along your neurohormonal pathways and relieving common health conditions like seasonal allergies, sinusitis and food allergies.
In addition to treating allergic reactions, acupuncture combined with the right herbal remedies can prevent allergies from striking in the first place.
Get help for your allergies today.
Pure Acupuncture and Wellness offers clients in Woodstock, Illinois and surrounding communities across Chicago’s northwest suburbs quick relief for a range of allergy types. Our expert acupuncturist can help treat and prevent common conditions through the effective and ancient art of acupuncture.
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