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ACUPUNCTURE
10
May 2016 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
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CLASSICAL ACUPUNCTURE
www.ArtemesiaWeb.com
Tara Bissell, 859.402.2430
M.Ac., L.Ac. | artemesiaweb.com
Licensed in Kentucky
296 Southland Drive, Lexington KY 40513
296 Southland Drive
Lexington, KY 40503
[email protected]
ph: 859.402.2430
fx: 859.402.0585
Seasonal Allergies:
Something to Sneeze About
Chinese Medicine takes an integrative approach
By Kathleen Fluhart, RN, M.Ac., L.Ac., Artemesia
Symptoms
of sneezing, a
scratchy throat,
a runny nose,
puffy, watery
and itchy eyes, asthma and sinus
congestion and infections can occur
any time of year, but they are often
connected with the spring season,
when trees are pollinating, and
summer and fall, when grass and
weed pollens are abundant. Living
in the lush Ohio River Valley,
Kentuckians are exposed to more
types of pollen than most other
areas of the country. Kentucky is
also known for its damp environment and its abundant varieties
of vegetation. Of course, there are
other year-round natural environmental allergens. These include
dust, animal dander, dust mites and
mold spores.
Western medicine views seasonal
allergies as the body’s hypersensitivity to pollen, which causes it to
produce an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). This antibody
binds with the pollen allergen and
a mast cell receptor and creates a
histamine response, which is what
we experience as allergy symptoms.
Mast cells are found predominantly
in the body’s boundaries between
the inside and outside world, such
as the skin and the mucosa of the
nose, lungs and digestive tract.
In Chinese medicine, an allergic
response is primarily associated
with the spleen meridian, but it may
also be associated with the lung,
stomach and intestinal meridians.
Involvement of the liver meridian,
which is effected by wind-driven
allergens, and the kidney meridian,
which reflects depletion and inflammation, are also possible.
Taking this a little further, the
spleen and stomach meridians are
associated with excess dampness
in the body. Besides the environment, dampness is also associated
with too many sweets and too much
dairy in the diet. Thus it is in the
best interest of allergy sufferers
to reduce their intake of simple
carbohydrates (sweeteners, white
flour and rice) and dairy products.
In Chinese medicine, spleen meridian imbalances are also associated
with excess thinking and especially
worry. In this high-tech, globally
connected, high-pressure modern
age, overthinking and worrying
have become the norm. I often recommend meditation or meditative
exercises such as tai chi, qi gong or
yoga for anxious clients.
When diagnosing allergies, both
Western and Eastern medicine
pay attention to the presenting
symptoms, such as those mentioned above. Western medicine
has developed sophisticated
methods for testing either the skin
(using skin prick or patch tests)
or the blood for the presence of
allergen-specific IgE antibodies. In
a Chinese medicine diagnosis, we
assess presenting symptoms, the
qualities of the 12 pulses located in
the wrists (each pulse is related to a
different meridian) and the tongue
to detect underlying imbalances.
Using an integrative approach, both
systems of medicine have a lot to
offer allergy sufferers in terms of
diagnostics and treatment. I always
ask my patients who suffer from
allergy if they’ve had allergy testing
and what the test results were so I
can integrate this information into
the lifestyle aspect of their Chinese
medicine treatment plan.
The main difference between
the Western and Eastern systems
in allergy treatment is the methods
used. While Western medicine’s
focus is on treating the allergic
symptoms with prescriptions (ste-
Use a Neti
pot with warm,
sterile, distilled water
and a pinch of salt once
a day to clear nasal passages.