Acupuncture for Hay Fever
Source: Herald Sun
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/acupuncture-may-reduce-sneezing-runny-noses-and-itchiness-of-hay-fever-victorian-trial-finds/story-fnpp4dl6-1227419125552
ACUPUNCTURE as a treatment for hay fever is nothing to be sniffed at, with a new study revealing it can reduce sneezing, runny noses and itchiness.
The results of a Victorian trial of the ancient Chinese treatment found that it could help relieve symptoms for up to four weeks.
Up to 15 per cent of Australians suffer from hay fever.
Not only does it affect how sufferers function in their daily life, the sneezing, itchy nose and throat and nasal dripping can also affect sleep and decrease work productivity.
Researchers from RMIT and Monash universities conducted a trial to assess the effectiveness and safety of four weeks of acupuncture.
Patients were given 12 sessions of either a sham acupuncture treatment or the real version in the height of the hay fever season every year for a three-year period.
At the end of the four-week treatment they found symptoms of sneezing and itchiness of the ears were “significantly less severe” in the patients who received the real acupuncture.
It was also more effective in treating runny and itchy noses, but not beneficial for nasal obstruction.
Patients who received acupuncture reported a boost in their quality of life.
The positive effects appeared to last for another four weeks after the acupuncture treatment stopped.
The 175 patients were given permission to take a specified amount of short-acting antihistamines during the trial to relieve their symptoms, but acupuncture did not make a significant impact on medication.
One of the paper’s authors, Professor Frank Thien, head of the Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Clinical Research Unit at Monash University, said it was thought that acupuncture induced an anti-inflammatory response in the body.
“Acupuncture is an option for patients to use and we have shown it is safe and effective,” he said.
The study, published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, suggests that the long-lasting effects could prove useful if acupuncture was used a few weeks before the onset of the peak hay fever season to prevent unbearable symptoms.
However, it noted that further trials, including one that involved a placebo control and assessed cost effectiveness, should be conducted.
