If your allergies feel worse than they ever have before, you might not be imagining things. Experts have suggested that the pollen count this season is particularly high, leaving allergy sufferers feeling particularly low.

Whether you suffer from allergies seasonally or perennially, life can become very miserable. Itching of the eyes, roof of the mouth, or throat, runny nose, headache, sneezing, cough, wheezing…the list goes on.

It is up to our immune systems to defend us against foreign substances such as pollen, dust, pets, etc., however, our immune system can overreact to certain antigens (allergens) which are harmless to most people. The result is an allergic reaction. In other words, it isn’t the allergy itself that is the problem, but the person’s reaction to the allergen.

Acupuncture has been proven to help alleviate the symptoms of allergies when they are active and more importantly, can help to correct the immune system imbalance that causes the allergic response in the first place.

Acupuncture treats allergies in 4 main ways:

1. Stabilizes the immune system to moderate its response to allergens;

2. decreases swelling and inflammation of local tissues to stop itching;

3. decreases secretions of mucus membranes to reduce nasal discharge and watery eyes; and

4. strengthens your natural resistance to antigens.

Acupuncture not only helps with the active symptoms, but also in the prevention of them. Acupuncture can enhance the immune system’s performance in the off-season to prevent the on-set of your allergy symptoms. In other words, acupuncture strengthens the immune system so that your body will not create an overreaction or allergic reaction to elements in nature.