At least one in five Americans suffer from some form of allergy. Causes of allergies include food (peanut, dairy, wheat), environment (grass, weed, tree pollen, mold), and animal dander. Common allergic symptoms are itchy eyes, sneezing, nasal and sinus congestion, wheezing, rash, and itchy skin.
According to Western science your genes and your environment may be the cause of most allergies. Western medical treatments include decongestants, antihistamines (Chlor-trimetron, Benadryl, etc.), cortico-steroids (prednisone), and drugs which act on the nervous system (Albuterol, epinephrine). Unfortunately, these therapies only address the symptoms of allergies and not the cause. In addition, they can create unwanted side-effects such as dizziness, fatigue, insomnia, nervousness, dryness, and gastro-intestinal disturbance.
Chinese Medicine offers a way to alleviate the symptoms while addressing the underlying cause. Western Medicine says that it is the outside environment that creates your allergies whereas in Chinese Medicine it is believed that your body is out of balance. Allergies can begin in early childhood, due to a constitutional weakness, or develop later in life, from a progressive decline of your vital force known as Chi. In order to address allergies, practitioners of Chinese Medicine treat the whole person not just the symptoms. With acupuncture, herbal therapies and dietary modification, it is possible to strengthen the body and its internal Chi, to alleviate allergic symptoms and prevent them from reoccurring in the future.