The patients were divided into two groups; the first group received standardised, Western acupuncture and the other group were used as controls and given ‘sham’ acupuncture. All of the patients were asked to keep a diary recording the amount of medication they required, a daily symptom score and their assessment of the effect of the acupuncture treatment on their hay fever symptoms.

Four weeks after the commencement of the study, 39 percent of the treatment group and 45.2 percent of the ‘sham’ acupuncture group reported remission of symptoms. 16 of the 43 patients in the treatment group, and 14 of the 43 patients in the control group felt that their treatment had had an ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ effect on their hay fever.

The researchers acknowledged that the results of their study are not conclusive as the benefits could have been attributed to the placebo effect as well as the acupuncture treatment or simply to a natural or seasonal variation in what is obviously a fluctuating condition. More research will therefore be needed in this field to confirm any therapeutic benefits of acupuncture treatment for hay fever sufferers.

L. Williamson, P Yudkin, R Livingstone, K Prasad, A Fuller, M Lawrence. Hay fever treatments in general practice: A randomised controlled trial comparing standardised western acupuncture with sham acupuncture. Acupuncture in Medicine. May 1996; 14:1, 6-10.

In another study to determine whether single point, Liver 3 (Taichong), acupuncture is effective for hayfever prophylaxis in a dedicated general practice clinic setting, 30 patients suffering from long-standing, moderate to severe hayfever were randomised to acupuncture or conventional therapy. Three, ten minute acupuncture treatments were given at weekly intervals during April 1993. Four of the fifteen acupuncture patients had complete remission of symptoms compared with none from the control group. The rest of the acupuncture group had a variable response, but a small, significant improvement in overall symptom score was demonstrated, as was a shortening of duration of hayfever symptoms. The start of the hayfever season for some patients was later than expected, which may have resulted in reduced effectiveness of the acupuncture, thus treatment may be better starting at the beginning of May to cover the peak of symptoms in early June. The results of this pilot study have shown that single point (Liver 3) acupuncture given for hayfever prophylaxis in a clinic setting was effective, safe, easily reproducible, acceptable and inexpensive (the material cost of the treatment was less than 5Op per patient). The study merits repeating on a larger scale.

Williamson L. Hayfever prophylaxis using single point acupuncture: a pilot study. Acupuncture in Medicine 1994:12:84-87.

The following quote on Allergies and acupuncture, which applies to acupressure also, from "Acupuncture in Medical Praqctice" by Louise Wensel M.D. gives some medical protocals that may apply for this category of self treatments. The points listed below can be used when those in the main category have not been successful. As you will find after studying different authors many different points have been benificial. If you want to use the points below let us know and we will make a printout for you. Most of these points have been incorporated into our recommended points.

Allergies

Allergies are excessively adverse reactions to certain substances a person is exposed to by skin contact, inhalation, ingestion, or injection. Hay fever, bronchial asthma, angioneurotic edema, anaphylactic shock, many skin rashes, and some cases of nausea and vomiting are allergic reactions. Even some cases of arthritis, colitis, and hyperactivity are thought to have an allergic component.
The substance to which the person is allergic is called the antigen, and the blood components produced in response to antigens are called antibodies. Much research is being done on antigen-antibody reactions in relation to the body's immune mechanisms. The Washington Acupuncture Center has engaged in such research with the Microbiology Department of George Washington University Medical School to evaluate the regulatory effect of acupuncture on this body process.

Most people with allergy problems are allergic to so many different substances that it is impossible to avoid contact with all of them. Such common allergens as dust and pollen cannot be completely avoided, but allergic reactions to these are usually much less severe than allergic reactions to drugs. Any drug is a potential allergen which may produce a life-threatening allergic reaction. Even antihistamines produce severe allergic reactions for some people. For this reason, it is important for people with allergies to take as few drugs as possible and to keep an accurate account of past allergic reactions to drugs.

Nobody is allergic to acupuncture because no chemical is injected into the body. Acupuncture can reduce a person's allergic responses to most common allergens enough to relieve and prevent hay fever, asthma, some cases of dermatitis, indigestion, and diarrhea. It can also be used as an alternative to potentially allergenic drugs for relieving pain and treating many diseases. Acupuncture, however, should not be depended on as the only treatment for severe allergic reactions to drugs and anaphylactic shock. A person should not take a drug he knows he's allergic to expecting that acupuncture will prevent allergic reaction.

People with allergic tendencies should avoid contact with known allergens as much as possible and supplement their diets with large amounts of Vitamins A, C, and Pantothenate. Nobody is allergic to vitamins, but some people are allergic to the fillers used to make vitamin tablets and capsules. Changing the brand of vitamins can usually relieve this problem.

Although allergies may be classified as respiratory, food, drug, or dermatologic, people with severe allergic diatheses may show allergic symptoms in many different parts of the body. Instead of treating specific allergic symptoms, acupuncture can be used to reduce a person's general tendency to react allergically.

The treatments of specific allergic symptoms, such as asthma, chronic siunusitis, colitis, and contact dermatitis are discussed under those headings.

The points to use for reducing a person's general tendency to react allergically are as follows:
Meridian points: Br 10 and 14 UB 10, 11, 13, 14, 25, 26, 38, 54, and 57 Sx 6, 12, 14, 17, and 22 Lu 1 and 7 St 25, 36, 40 . Co 4 and 11 GB 20 and 30 SI14 - Li 10 . Va6 Me 1 (13. Sp6
Auricular points: Lung . Internal Nose Maxillary Sinus. Stomach● Small IntestineS Liver

Not all of these points should be used for each treatment. The points selected should be bilateral in most cases, and the needles left in them for about 20 minutes. Electric and infrared potentiation may be beneficial.

Although nasal congestion is usually relieved during the first treatment, other symptoms may require more treatments, usually at least six for lasting relief. Some patients may need to have another series of four to six treatments each year at the beginning of their allergy seasons.

A person who has been taking desensitizing injections can usually discontinue them after a course of acupuncture treatments. Many people have had severe adverse reactions to some of their desensitizing injections because of contamination or overdose and have found such injections inadequate for preventing their allergic reactions.

If a patient has been taking cortisone or its derivatives over a long period of time as treatment for allergy, however, he should be advised to reduce this medication very slowly no matter how effective the acupuncture treatments are. The physiological dependence on such drugs is so serious that a life-threatening adrenal crisis could result from abrupt withdrawal. Vitamin C (3 gm.) and Pantothenate (300 mg.) daily should be prescribed to help restore function of the patient's adrenal glands after suppression by corticoid therapy.

ASTHMA

Asthma is a disease process involving widespread narrowing of the bronchi and is associated with wheezing and often dyspnea at rest. The bronchial narrowing is a response to inhaled, ingested, or parenterally administered antigens. Asthma may also be induced by bacterial or viral infections and is apparently a manifestation of an allergic response to some allergen produced by the infecting organism.
Although asthma may be a life threatening disease, many physicians consider emotional factors significant in precipitating acute exacerbations. We might say that they cause an imbalance of Yin-Yang energy in the respiratory system making the patient more sensitive to allergens.

Evaluation of asthma patients prior to acupuncture treatment should exclude an infective or parenteral basis for the disease. A chest X-ray will help to exclude causes of wheezing, such as airway obstruction by a foreign body or neoplasm. Consideration should also be given to more rare causes of wheezing, such as serotonin-producing tumors. Most patients seeking acupuncture treatment for asthma, however, have had the disease for several years and adequate diagnostic studies to rule out etiology requiring surgical or antibiotic treatment.

The first acupuncture treatment will often relieve an acute exacerbation, but a course of six to ten treatments should be given for lasting relief. It is not necessary that the patient have asthma symptoms at the time he takes acupuncture treatments for it.

If a person has been taking cortisone or one of its derivatives for a long time, the drug may have suppressed his adrenal glands to the point that he will develop an adrenal crisis if he stops taking the drug abruptly. These drugs should only be discontinued gradually over a period of months under the supervision of a physician, even if the asthma has been completely relieved by acupuncture. Unfortunately, too few physicians who prescribe cortisone and its derivatives explain that these drugs may create a dependence more serious than heroin- dependence.

The classical acupuncture points used for treating asthma include the following:
For an acute attack
Meridian points: St 3, 4, 5, 6, and 40 Me 3, 4, 5, and 6 UB 12 and 13 Lu 5 Sx 17
Auricular points: Lung . Shenmen Sympathy
For chronic asthma
Meridian points: UB 12, 23, and 38 Sx 6, 12, 14, and 22 Lu 7 Br 14 - Co4 GB 20 S114
Auricular points: Lung. Internal Nose Maxillary Sinus

HAY FEVER

Hay fever is an allergic reaction to inhaled pollens and is characterized by sneezing, itching, and watery discharge from the nose and eyes. It is most prevalent in early spring when tree pollen is spread, early summer when grass pollen is spread, and in early fall when weed pollen is spread. In the fall, molds and decaying vegetation produce allergenic spores. Animal dander, dust, broken insect parts, and various chemical air pollutants can cause allergic reactions like hay fever any time of the year.

It is possible to test for specific allergies with skin tests and then give injections in an attempt to decrease sensitivity. Such treatment, however, is prolonged, painful, sometimes dangerous, and often ineffective. The desensitizing liquids may contain contaminants or too much of the allergen to be well tolerated by the patient.

Exposure to allergens can be reduced by avoiding contact with animals, house plants, and feather pillows, by staying inside with air conditioning during allergy seasons, and by removing dust-collecting household items, such as rugs and draperies.

Emotional problems aggravate hay fever and other allergic reactions. When a person feels happy and relaxed, he will be less allergic than when he is anxious or depressed. Tranquilizers, however, have dangerous side effects and are usually not effective for treating allergic reactions.

Antihistamine drugs are temporarily effective for relieving hay fever symptoms, but they tend to dry out the mucous membranes and thereby increase the patient's sensitivity to allergens with prolonged use. Patients usually develop resistance to antihistamines after taking them for more than a month or so and find them less and less effective as time goes on. Most antihistamines can have serious side effects and should not be used except for temporary relief of severe symptoms.

There is considerable evidence that acupuncture regulates the body's antigen-antibody reactions and can relieve hay fever and other allergic reactions.

Nasal congestion, discharge, and itching are usually relieved during the first acupuncture treatment, but at least six treatments should be taken to give lasting relief of hay fever symptoms. Some patients return for a series of six treatments each year just before what used to be their hay fever season, but others remain free from hay fever for years after one course of acupuncture treatments.

Electric potentiation or twirling is usually not used with acupuncture at facial points but can be used on needles inserted elsewhere for treatment of hay fever.

The most frequently used points for hay fever treatment are:
Meridian points: Co 4, 19, and 20 Lu 1 and 9 GB 20 SI 36
St 18 Br 16, 20, and 23
Auricular points: Lung. Internal Nose Maxillary Sinus

It is important that people with hay fever have large amounts of Vitamins A, C, and Pantothenate as well as a diet including all the other vitamins and essential minerals. The precise dosage should be determined by physicians.

CHRONIC RHINITIS

Rhinitis is a reaction of the nasal mucosa manifested by edema, sneezing, itching, and increased mucus secretion. It may be caused by allergy, usually to a specific antigen, by bacterial infection, or by psychosomatic factors. Treatment involves determination of the specific causative factors. The allergic form of rhinitis may be treated by avoidance of the causative agent or by desensitization with injections of the specific antigen. Desensitizing injections, however, may cause serious adverse reactions or be ineffective. Infections should be treated with antibiotics.

Drug treatment of rhinitis includes the use of vasoconstricting nose drops such as ephedrine, Privine, and Neo-Synephrine. These drugs may give temporary relief but may further irritate the mucous membrane, prolong the symptoms of rhinitis, and may increase susceptibility to nasal and sinus infection.

The acupuncture points for treating chronic rhinitis are:
Meridian points: Co 4, 19, and 20 GB 20 Br 16, 20 and 23 The following points should be added for treating atrophic rhinitis: Meridian points: Co 11. Sp 6 SI 36
Auricular points: Internal Nose Maxillary Sinus

Nasal congestion will usually be relieved and free breathing restored during the first treatment by the time the needles have been in place for 15 minutes. The needles should be left in place for at least 20 minutes, however, and acupuncture repeated at least six times to give lasting relief of symptoms. Electric and heat potentiation are usually unnecessary.

CHRONIC SINUSITIS

The symptoms of chronic sinusitis include headache of a constant or recurrent type, postnasal discharge, sinus pain, vertigo, photophobia, tenderness, and sometimes swelling over the involved sinus. Pain may be localized to the supraorbital region in frontal sinusitis and the upper teeth or cheek in maxillary sinusitis. Sphenoid or ethmoid involvement commonly causes pain in the occipital and parietal regions of the head, behind the nose and eyes, or in the neck. Serous, mucoid, or purulent discharges may be noted on the turbinates or near the ostia of the involved sinuses. Chronic sinusitis is often caused or aggravated by allergies. Acupuncture can relieve these along with the symptoms of sinusitis.

Treatment with nose drops may promote drainage but should be avoided because it may damage the mucosa and extend the infection. Lavage of the involved sinus also may offer temporary relief but extend the infection. Antihistamine drugs remove normal moisture from the mucous membranes and thereby increase the chance of infection. Most antihistamines cause drowsiness and make driving dangerous. Those containing ephedrine cause nervousness, insomnia, and palpitation of the heart.
Acupuncture can usually relieve nasal congestion during the first treatment, but at least four treatments should be given for lasting relief.

Acupuncture points for treating chronic sinusitis are as follows:
Meridian points: Lu 9 Co 4, 19, and 20 SI 2 and 36 GB 20 Me 22 UB 10 St 36 ● Br 14, 16, 20, and 23
Auricular points: Internal Nose . Maxillary Sinus

No needles should be inserted near an inflamed sinus. The needles on the face should be inserted very superficially over areas which are completely free from signs of inflammation or tenderness.

Acupuncture needles should never penetrate the sinuses or the orbit. Points for treating allergies, depression, and insomnia should be added if these problems seem to be complicating the sinusitis. Electro-potentiation and heat may be helpful and reduce the number of treatments needed for lasting relief. Even if the symptoms are relieved after the first or second treatment, at least four treatments should be given. Some cases of long-standing sinusitis involving headaches and allergies may require ten or more treatments.

Acute sinusitis should be treated with antibiotics rather than with acupuncture, but acupuncture may be used to give almost immediate relief from nasal congestion.