Hay fever and allergic rhinitis are both common allergen-induced inflammatory diseases that are characterized by sneezing, postnasal drips, rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal congestion, and sneezing. Exposure to allergens like mold, dust mites, and plant pollen has the biggest impact on patients' quality of life. Around 40% of young adults in Australia are said to be affected by allergic rhinitis, which has a documented prevalence of around 16.0%. The standard of care for treating this condition entails avoiding triggers and taking oral or intravenous medications like decongestants, cromolyn, antihistamines, leukotriene receptor antagonists, corticosteroids, and antihistamines. However, due to their temporary effects and side effects, patients are now looking for alternative treatments.
Numerous respiratory ailments, including allergic rhinitis and hay fever, have long been treated with acupuncture. According to a clinical trial, acupuncture treatment (three times per week for four weeks) significantly decreased the severity of both nasal and non-nasal allergic rhinitis symptoms. Another randomized, sham-controlled trial of acupuncture for the management of persistent allergic rhinitis in children found that real acupuncture significantly reduced nasal symptom scores and increased the number of symptom-free days compared to sham acupuncture.
According to Chinese herbal medicine, allergic rhinitis and hay fever are typically seen as signs of a Yang and Qi deficiency. As a result, a treatment plan using a variety of herbs, each with a unique action and occasionally a synergistic one, is developed to correct the deficiency. For instance, a single supplement called Yu Ping Feng San has been linked to a significant reduction in the four cardinal symptoms of runny, blocked, itchy, and sneezing noses. When treated with Xiao Qing Long Tang, a different Chinese herbal remedy with a noticeably low recurrence rate, hay fever, another herbal remedy, was significantly reduced.
Reference：
Brinkhaus, B, J Hummelsberger, R Kohnen, J Seufert, CH Hempen, H Leonhardy, R Nögel, et al. "Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine in the Treatment of Patients with Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trial." Allergy 59, no. 9 (2004): 953-60.
Li, H, JM Kreiner, AR Wong, M Li, Y Sun, L Lu, J Liu, and AWH Yang. "Oral Application of Chinese Herbal Medicine for Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials." Phytotherapy research : PTR 35, no. 6 (2021): 3113-29.
