In modern society where air pollution is becoming increasingly serious, allergic patients seem to be increasing year by year, especially allergic rhinitis, which is rated by the European Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology as "affecting the quality of life and causing direct and indirect "One of the important diseases with increased medical care benefits".
In fact, allergies are not a patent of modern people. There are many related records in ancient China, such as "Book of Rites·Yue Ling": "When the summer season is implemented in autumn, the country will be flooded and the winter storage will be ruined." , many people sneeze", and "The Origin of Miscellaneous Diseases·Rhinal Diseases": "In patients with sneezing, the nose is runny and clear, and it is caused by cold exposure to the lung meridian."
Allergic rhinitis is called "nasal rhinitis (pronounced the same as "ball")" in Chinese medicine. The main symptoms are nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, nose and throat, etc. It is the body's response to allergens. (such as dust mites, temperature, dust, mold, etc.) is an allergic disease that increases sensitivity and causes nasal mucosal lesions. According to statistics, about 1 in every 3 to 4 people in Taiwan may suffer from allergic rhinitis; most patients with this disease are children and teenagers, but it can actually occur in any age group, and is often combined with asthma or dystopia. Dermatitis often alternates with sinusitis clinically. What is allergic rhinitis?
The main symptoms are sudden nasal congestion, itchy eyes and nose, followed by frequent sneezing and a large amount of clear nasal discharge. During the attack, there may also be temporary loss of smell, or it may be accompanied by coughing, nasal discharge, and noise. Symptoms include hoarseness, nervousness and irritability; if prolonged, it may also lead to sinusitis, which may lead to runny nose, yellowish mucus, and forehead pain. Symptoms of allergic rhinitis often appear after getting up in the morning or before going to bed at night, and are aggravated when the patient is exposed to allergens. In addition, due to the dilation of subcutaneous veins caused by poor local blood circulation, clinically, we also commonly see dark circles and lower eyelid edema in allergic patients.
According to modern medical point of view, nasal allergy is the first type of allergic reaction. Depending on whether it occurs at a specific time of the year or occurs frequently, it can usually be classified into seasonal allergic rhinitis and perennial allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis. The former's allergens are mainly trees, grass, and pollen; while the latter's common allergens include dust mites, cockroaches, mold, etc. Taiwan has a humid island climate, so perennial allergic rhinitis is the most common among allergy patients.
Traditional Chinese medicine classifies the causes of rhinorrhea into two levels: internal and external factors. Internal causes are mostly due to organ dysfunction (deficiency of the lungs, spleen, and kidneys). It is related to family inheritance or personal innate constitution; external factors are mostly caused by wind, cold, and foreign pathogens (such as bacteria, viruses, molds, seasonal changes, changes in temperature and humidity, etc.) that invade the nasal orifices. This is why Chinese medicine pays special attention to regulating organ function and keeping warm (in addition to wearing warm clothes, drinking less cold drinks) when dealing with allergic rhinitis. How does Chinese medicine treat allergies?
According to the theory of Chinese medicine, the lungs are in charge of the respiratory system, the spleen is in charge of the digestive system, and the kidneys are in charge of our innate constitution in addition to the reproductive and urinary systems. These three seemingly independent systems have a close and complex interactive relationship in the view of traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, when traditional Chinese medicine regulates allergic constitution, almost all of them will sort out and adjust these three systems to restore harmony to the relationship between them. Allergy symptoms naturally subside gradually and are less likely to recur.
Lung Qi deficiency
Patients with this type of constitution often sneeze repeatedly when exposed to the slightest wind, have dripping noses when they get up early in the morning, and are often prone to colds. This type of patient needs to pay special attention to keeping warm, especially when they first get up, they should put on more clothes as soon as possible, and it is best to wear a mask when going to public places. Clinically, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) strategies for treating this type of patients mainly focus on replenishing qi, strengthening the surface, and dispelling wind and cold. Prescriptions such as Yupingfeng Powder, Xanthium Seed Powder, Xinyi Powder, and Xiaoqinglong Decoction are all frequently used.
Spleen Deficiency
This type of patient usually has poor physical strength and poor appetite. During an allergy attack, the nose is blocked and distended, and the nasal mucus is thin and abundant. In addition, they are often prone to diarrhea and headache. Fainting, if the patient is a child, it may also be accompanied by problems such as delayed growth and development (lack of height and weight). When treating this type of patients, Chinese medicine practitioners often use prescriptions such as Buzhong Yiqi Decoction, Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction, and Shenling Baizhu Powder to nourish qi, strengthen the spleen, dry dampness and resolve phlegm.
Kidney qi deficiency
Patients with this type of disease are usually older or have allergic symptoms since birth. They are characterized by cold hands and feet, morning and evening or when exposed to cold air. Nasal allergy symptoms (especially nasal itching and runny nose) are particularly severe. Clinically, Chinese medicine often uses Zuogui Pills, Jisheng Shenqi Pills and other prescriptions when treating patients with this type of constitution.
Many patients with allergic rhinitis have a weak and cold constitution according to traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, they should avoid eating cold and raw foods, and their diet should mainly contain neutral ingredients. In particular, watermelons, pineapples, kiwis, oranges, pears, shrimps, crabs, white radish, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, bamboo shoots, tea, etc. are all cold foods, and allergy patients with a weak and cold constitution should try to avoid eating them to avoid Causes recurring allergic symptoms. Is there any way Chinese medicine can help allergy patients who “don’t want to take medicine”?
Traditional Chinese medicine has a great therapy called "Sanfu Tie".
Whenever summer comes and the temperature is hot, according to the traditional principle of "treating winter diseases in summer", Chinese medicine will treat asthma, allergic rhinitis and other diseases that are more likely to occur in winter, and treat the hottest diseases in summer. For three days (i.e. Dog Days), perform "Dog Day Acupoint Application Therapy" (commonly known as Dog Days) to adjust the body's physical condition. In winter, the probability and severity of allergic rhinitis attacks can be significantly reduced.
The so-called "Sanfu Tie" is based on the principle of spring and summer of traditional Chinese medicine to replenish yang. During the year, the human body's yang energy is at its strongest, and the skin's skin is fully opened, which has the best effect on the absorption of medicinal properties. Select Chinese medicinal materials with pungent temperature and warming yang, expel phlegm and cold, reduce allergies and asthma, resolve phlegm and relieve cough to make medicinal cakes, and apply the medicinal cakes to acupuncture points on the patient's back every 7 to 10 days (clinical research According to statistics, the most commonly used acupoints for Sanfu Patch are Dazhui, Dingchuan, and Feishu) 3 times. It not only achieves the local therapeutic effect on specific acupoints, but also allows the medicinal properties to penetrate into the acupoints and meridians through the skin, and through the meridians, Qi and blood It operates directly to the diseased parts of the internal organs to achieve the effect of strengthening the body and eliminating evil.
This therapy is especially suitable for children who have difficulty cooperating with taking medications and elderly patients who already take a lot of medications. For Dog Day acupoint application therapy, it is generally recommended that each application time is 3 to 4 hours (the actual implementation time should be personally evaluated by a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner and determined based on the patient’s physical condition). The skin may be slightly irritated during application. Itching or burning sensation. In rare cases, if the pain is too strong, the medicine cake can be removed in advance.
According to research, more than 60% of patients who received Sanfu Patch treatment had significant improvement in symptoms of allergic rhinitis, among which symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, and runny nose were most significantly improved. TCM conditioning to prevent allergy recurrence
In view of the high prevalence of allergic rhinitis in my country and the limitations of current Western medicine, in recent years more and more people have learned how to treat allergic rhinitis in addition to conventional Western medicine treatments. Come and seek help from Chinese medicine practitioners. With the help of traditional Chinese medicine, Sanfu patch, acupuncture and other treatment methods, not only can allergy symptoms be gradually relieved, but if patients can strictly cooperate with the dietary and rest guidance provided by traditional Chinese medicine doctors, they will have a better chance of getting rid of this annoying and difficult allergic rhinitis. , I will no longer sneeze again and again as soon as I get up.
The above Chinese medicine prescriptions and Sanfu patch therapy are only for reference for patients’ self-care. If you have medical needs, it is recommended to seek diagnosis and treatment from a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner to ensure your health!