Newspaper suggests acupuncture for hay fever

Having #acupuncture before the symptoms of hay fever start can help prevent the onset of itchy eyes and the stuffy, blocked nose that will be all too familiar to sufferers, so says the Western Mail. The popular term hay fever dates back to 1828 when a British physician noticed his allergy symptoms worsened during the hay making season. Allergic rhinitis, to give the condition its proper name, is caused by the immune system’s super-sensitivity to allergy triggers called allergens. Common airborne allergens include pollen from trees, grasses, weeds and moulds. Typical symptoms of allergic rhinitis include sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, itchy throat and headaches.

Acupuncture has been used in China and other eastern cultures to restore vitality and alleviate the symptoms of allergic reactions for more than 2,500 years. Acupuncture is great for the symptoms of hay fever and all kinds of allergic conditions due to the significant effect it has on modulating the immune system. In the case of hay fever, it is often aggravated by a pathogen, which causes problems in the respiratory system, and acupuncture uses needles to restore the normal functioning of this system. Because of the way acupuncture can calm a hyper-sensitive immune system, the time to go for treatment is shortly before the start of the hay fever season thus alleviating the problem (source: Western Mail, Wales Online).