Acupuncture treats rhinitis with quick and effective results

Recently, I successfully treated three patients with severe chronic rhinitis accompanied with headaches. One of them had obvious breathing difficulty in the first visit, and had been treated by another acupuncturist for one month with no effect before came. After two sessions of acupuncture treatments, all three patients showed significant improvement (80%).

Rhinitis can be divided into allergic and non-allergic types.

Allergic rhinitis is caused by allergens, which mainly refer to specific protein-containing particles in the air, such as pollen, animal dander, and dust mite debris. Allergic rhinitis can occur seasonally or year-round. Seasonal allergic rhinitis often occurs during the winter-spring transition and the summer-autumn transition.

There are many causes of non-allergic rhinitis:

1) environmental or occupational stimuli, such as dust, smoke, secondhand smoke, or strong odors such as perfume;

2) weather changes;

3) virus infections such as colds or influenza;

4) certain foods and beverages, especially hot or spicy foods. Drinking alcohol-containing beverages may also cause nasal mucosal swelling and cause nasal congestion;

5) certain drugs including aspirin, ibuprofen, and beta-blockers for hypertension treatment;

6) hormone changes, nasal congestion tends to worsen during menstruation and pregnancy.

7) Non-allergic rhinitis may also be related to nasal polyps and sinusitis.

The main symptoms of both allergic and non-allergic rhinitis are sneezing or nasal congestion, runny nose, and some may have coughs. Severe cases may be accompanied by headache. Non-allergic rhinitis usually does not have itching in the nose, eyes, or throat related to allergies. An allergy test can determine if it is allergic rhinitis.

The symptoms of rhinitis are mainly caused by the dilation of the blood vessels in the nose, and the nasal mucosa being filled with blood and fluid. Rinsing the noses with saline solution daily can help to reduce the symptoms.

The most commonly used Western medical treatment for rhinitis is nasal corticosteroid spray, Antihistamines or desensitization immunotherapy are used for allergic rhinitis. However, most treatments can only control symptoms. Antibiotics are used for acute rhinitis.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have good effects on treating rhinitis. About 90% of my patients experienced improvement after one acupuncture treatment, and most of them improved by more than 80% after 2-3 treatments. For many patients with allergic rhiniti, the efficacy of acupuncture treatment can be maintained for a year or even no recurrence.

Whether treated by acupuncture or traditional Chinese medicine, the efficacy may vary between acupuncturists because they may use different acupuncture points or formulas of Chinese herbal medicine. Even for the same acupuncture points, the efficacy may differ due to the different technique used and depth of the needle insertion. Therefore, if the efficacy of acupuncture treatment is not obvious after several treatments, it is recommended to try another acupuncturist.