Hay fever and asthma - how acupuncture and Chinese medicine might be your winning ticket
What is are these conditions?
Hayfever, or allergic rhinitis is essentially a hypersensitivity reaction to soluble allergens often derived from the pollen grains of trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers (Holgate & Howarth, 1985). These substances can stimulate both the systemic and mucosal synthesis of specific reaginic antibodies. In other words, we have a reaction to the stimulus which can include
sneezing
itchy eyes
red eyes
irritability
throat discomfort
postnasal drip down the back of the throat
headaches
skin irritation
sleep disturbances
secondary reaction with breathing eg asthma
Asthma sufferers tend to present with symptoms more in the throat and chest, such as
cough—often dry and can have harsh bursts
wheezing—sometimes a “whistling” sound mainly when you breathe out through narrowed airways (when you are having a “asthma attack”)
some chest tightness, and this can be general in nature
shortness of breath which may occur at rest, or with when active (Sockrider & Fussner, 2020).
Asthma sufferers, like those with hay fever, can have sudden attacks, and one can be different to the next. The irritation in the airways can be from having a more sensitive airway than others, and exposure to “triggers”-just like with hay fever. Especially for hay fever, there is often a genetic component according to research.
Common allergens for both hay fever and asthma can include
pollen from weeds, trees, grasses
molds
cat or dog fur, or saliva
dust mites and cockroaches
generalised dust in the house or environment, and dust particles
environmental factors such as smoke, fumes, paint vapours etc
smoking or vaping
cleaning products
some perfumes or synthetic fragrances
some additives in foods like preservatives, colourings etc
and even changes in the weather
Controlling your immune response to these triggers helps to manage both hay fever and asthma (Sockrider & Fussner, 2020). Building your immune system can help, and from a Chinese medicine perspective this includes building your “wei qi” or defensive qi. This supports guarding from external pathogens, such as those listed above, and provides support for timely defensive responses to triggers.
During my consults I assess your overall health also, dealing with any deficiencies that may be present and working from a western and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) perspective with respect to any supplementation. I like to include dietetics advice from a TCM viewpoint also, to support the acupuncture treatment we do in clinic.
How common is it?
Hay fever is very common and 1 in 5 Australians suffer from this condition each year. Asthma, hay fever and eczema are three common chronic conditions and are often all associated with similar triggers (Mortimer et. al, 2022). Sadly there is a strong prevalence of all three in clinic, from my experience.
Asthma in Australia has a prevalence of around 2.5million sufferers. In 2015 the estimated cost to the healthcare system was around $28billion which is HUGE considering there is no cure, and only very specific treatment options available.
I often see patients who have been suffering for many years. This means their immune system is already struggling, and they tend to dread each “hay fever season” approaching.
The best approaches are preventative ones. So let’s start your journey to better health, and improved ability to reduce the episodes of hay fever and asthma in daily life.
What sort of tests can be done?
Sometimes allergen skin testing will be recommended to see what exactly is bringing on your attacks of either asthma or hay fever. This is common in specialised settings, but less available in primary care (like at the GP clinic). Blood tests for total and sIgE are accessible and yield quantifiable results for tested allergens, useful for detecting sensitisation (Demoly et. al., 2022). This is something your GP should be able to organise. These results are often used when assessing food allergies also.
As for testing within Chinese medicine, I look for signs of irritation, where on the body irritation occurs (eg if there is any skin concerns coinciding with the above conditions), how often it happens - basically I ask ALOT of questions and we determine triggers, ways of avoiding them, any supplements that will help and also the best options for treating yourself BEFORE the next hay fever season begins!
What I assess as a Dr. of Chinese Medicine…
As in the above paragraph, I look for a number of things during your consultation, and as the sessions pass, your health unfolds infront of us. This creates ample space over 4-6 treatments to get a full picture of your
lifestyle
triggers and how to alleviate them
full health history, including family history
predisposing factors
risk factors
prior tests
prior treatments
ongoing health management
complex medical issues
or other factors influencing how your body tackles pathogenic attacks
tongue analysis (a TCM tool for assessment)
pulse analysis (again, a TCM gem!)
visual inspection and palpation
My advice…
Allow yourself 4-6 treatments, and give acupuncture/chinese medicine a good chance for successful outcomes. Nothing happens overnight. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
And your body took 9-10 months to even be created in the first place!
Allow time for healing and replenishment to occur.
Health is not to be rushed, but more so finding a balance between doing what you want/like and maintaining a healthy balance.
Bookings can be made on the Home page for either Hove or Seaford Heights locations.
References
Demoly, P., Liu, A. H., Rodriguez del Rio, P., Pedersen, S., Casale, T. B., & Price, D. (2022). A pragmatic primary practice approach to using specific IgE in allergy testing in asthma diagnosis, management, and referral. Journal of Asthma and Allergy, 1069-1080.
Holgate, S. T., & Howarth, P. H. (1985). What's new about hay fever?. British Medical Journal (Clinical research ed.), 291(6487), 1.
Mortimer, K., Lesosky, M., García-Marcos, L., Asher, M. I., Pearce, N., Ellwood, E., ... & Chiang, C. Y. (2022). The burden of asthma, hay fever and eczema in adults in 17 countries: GAN Phase I study. European Respiratory Journal, 60(3).
Richards, S. O. N. Y. A., Thornhill, D. A. V. I. D., Roberts, H. E. A. T. H. E. R., & Harries, U. R. S. U. L. A. (1992). How many people think they have hay fever, and what they do about it. British journal of general practice, 42(360), 284-286.
Sockrider, M., & Fussner, L. (2020). What is asthma?. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 202(9), P25-P26.