Seasonal allergies are a very common complaint for people to have especially in an area such as fall allergies Seattle WAthe Pacific Northwest.
Year in and year out allergy patients dread this season. The symptoms of seasonal allergies can be severe and can cause suffering for a large portion of the population. The pharmaceutical companies capitalize on it. From inhalers over shots to pills, millions of dollars are spent annually to combat the runny noses, sneezing, and itchy eyes.
We can draw some interesting parallel between Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine. In the traditional medicine we treat allergies by balancing the Stomach, Spleen, Lung as well as large intestine Meridians. Each have their correlated symptoms. All the organs mentioned have meridians that run or flow through the areas where symptoms bother us most – the upper respiratory tract and face.
Western medicine explains allergies as a hypersensitive reaction to airborne particles such as pollen, dust or other environmental factors. Antibodies produced by lymphocytes react to the pollen or airborne allergens and cause the most bothersome reaction.  Overall allergies are a very complex topic. Each person etiology or reason for having allergies is different. It can be genetic, exposure, autoimmune and once one allergy is present more might develop.
The following is a list of medication classes that can be obtained. Antihistamines, Corticosteroids, Mast Cell Stabilizers, Leukotriene Inhibitors, Nasal Anticholinergics, Decongestants, Immunomodulators and Autoinjectible Epinephrine.
Many more over the counter drugs are available. All of the above have side effects that you should make yourself aware of. Most will have dependency effects. The body also adapts and builds a tolerance to most of these drugs.
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine will look not only at the symptoms you are experiencing, but more so will take in consideration your stress levels, overall health, diet and potential underlying causes for your suffering. As mentioned earlier we work on meridians and prescribe herbs to help your body to move from one extreme back to a centered balance. Acupuncture has been shown to have anti inflammatory effects which can help your breathing and watery eyes. Herbs can be utilized to help with nasal discharge, itching eyes and sneezing. Once the we have diagnosed the underlying cause we are able to treat it and your body will regain strength to fight off allergens on its own.
Furthermore we are able to review your daily diet habits and guide you away from foods that aggravate your symptoms. Together we can develop a plan and based on the improvement levels after a few treatments assess what your body needs.
Carsten Rode Seattle WACarsten Rode is an acupuncturist at Glow Natural Health Center. In his free time he enjoys cooking, backpacking, and spending time with his daughter.