Allergies, seasonal or otherwise, is one of the biggest health issues that people deal with in the United States. And the numbers are rising every year. Part of this is because our agricultural practices have changed drastically in the past 40 years and our bodies are not accustomed to dealing with genetically modified foods or the excessive amounts of pesticides now being put in and on our food. We are also being over-medicated with antibiotics that are used in livestock that we eat and that we are prescribed by our own doctors. This has created superbugs like MRSA that are no longer responding to antibiotics. Our immune systems just can’t keep up. So every year, the number of people experiencing allergies is increasing.
But what if there were a way to combat seasonal allergies without the harsh side effects of medications and to actually get to the root of the problem instead of just masking the symptoms? There is a way to do this and it’s called acupuncture.
Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine offer a permanent solution to seasonal allergies and relief from everyday allergies with an all-natural approach that will ultimately save you money. Since East Asian Medicine (EAM) attacks allergies in a much different method than Western medicine, there is a good chance that your allergies will cease to be a problem. Western medicine knows how allergies work and what happens to the body, but there is still no explanation as to why. EAM doesn’t need to know why because EAM looks at the body as a whole and uses an elemental system to determine where there are excesses and deficiencies in each person. So the EAM treatments are completely customized to each patient, thus making them much more effective than one-size-fits-all, over-the-counter medications.
When using EAM to treat allergies, practitioners focus heavily on something called wei qi. Wei qi is similar to the immune system in Western medicine. Wei qi protects the body against foreign materials that can lead to inflammation and eventually allergies. People with lower immunity / wei qi are more susceptible to allergies and frequent colds. Acupuncture helps to boost the wei qi making it more difficult for allergens to attack the body. This is one of the best reasons to get regular acupuncture treatments if you suffer from allergies of any kind.
When energy becomes blocked due to inflammation caused by allergies, then symptoms flare up. Acupuncture helps re-establish the flow of energy throughout the body. This will help to alleviate allergy symptoms. Many people who receive acupuncture treatments report that they notice changes immediately. And over time, this will help to bring the body back into balance permanently.
Acupuncture has been shown to decrease heat associated with allergies. This can manifest as a sore throat, swollen sinuses and red eyes. There are specific acupressure points on the body that can almost instantaneously relieve these symptoms.
Many allergy sufferers also report pain in various areas of the body, especially the eyes and head. Relieving pain is what acupuncture is most frequently used for and it is also what most scientific studies focus on. The pain associated with allergies can prevent people from enjoying life. But regular acupuncture treatments can help resolve that and allow people to be more active and happy.
Probably the biggest reason to seek out acupuncture for the treatment of allergies is the amount of money a person will save. People spend over $18 billion per year on over-the-counter allergy medications, most of which only give minimal relief and have side effects like drowsiness and immune system suppression. EAM can provide relief without adverse side effects and for a lot less money overall.
If you or somebody you know suffers from allergies, please consider adding acupuncture treatments into your armory. You will be grateful for the relief East Asian Medicine provides when it comes to treating allergies.