After a long, hard winter, that seemed never-ending, we finally seem to getting some finer, and dare I say it, sunny days. While the majority of us look forward to this time of year, for those suffering with hay fever it is the start of a pretty miserable few months. It is now estimated that almost 25% of the Irish population suffer with hay fever. For those allergic to grass pollen then the season usually lasts throughout the summer months but for those that are also allergic to tree pollens the season can start as early as March.

So, how does hay fever occur? Hay fever is an over-reaction of the body’s immune system to an irritant (allergen), in this case, pollen. When the body is presented with an allergen the immune system’s protective white blood cells create antibodies that attach both to the foreign substance and to other bodily cells in a way that signals them to release inflammatory chemicals like histamine and serotonin, part of its defence strategy against infections. That makes the muscles of internal organs constrict and causes other visible symptoms of allergic reactions. Symptoms of hay fever can be summarised as follows:

• Sneezing
• Blocked and runny nose
• Sinus congestion with headaches, especially along the forehead
• Itchy, red and watery eyes
• Puffy eyes and lower eyelids
• Cough and occasional wheeze
• Ears popping with occasional hearing impairment
• Diminished senses of taste and smell (severe hay-fever sufferers)
• Itch along roof of mouth and back of throat when eating certain foods
• Feeling of intense lethargy

When hay fever occurs most people turn to antihistamines to relieve their symptoms. Antihistamines work, not by treating the cause, but by preventing the histamine released in the body from binding to receptors which initiate the symptoms that you feel. What most people don’t think about is the fact that antihistamines affect your entire central nervous system, which is less than ideal, and also why the list of possible side effects of this medication is so long and broad! Much better then to look for a treatment that can rebalance the out-of-control immune system and allow it to function optimally. This is where acupuncture comes in!

Acupuncture effectively treats hay fever with no negative side effects, and many positive ones, by modulating the body’s immune response so that it recognises pollen as an irritant but responds to it appropriately and not excessively. The number of treatments needed usually depends on how entrenched the condition is, meaning that if you’ve developed hay fever in more recent years then it is easier to rebalance your immune system and therefore less treatment is required. This is also true of children as it is easier to manipulate their bodily systems because they’re so energetically accessible. I have had many cases where a short course of treatment (4 sessions or less) can protect the individual for the whole season and longer.

In short, by helping the body’s immune system to function better, acupuncture helps to regulate it’s response to the environmental challenges it faces. This means that it not only helps with hay fever but all sorts of allergies and any other challenges, such as viruses and bacteria, that our immune system deals with on a day to day basis.