Every winter and spring is the peak period of rhinitis, allergic rhinitis. Various pollutants in the air pose a huge threat to the respiratory tract. In TCM, Summer and Fall is the best season to treat Rhinitis before it is getting serious in winter and spring.
Acupuncture TCM for Rhiniti
Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis refers to a nasal disease characterized by sudden and recurrent nasal itching, sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion. , Recurrent sinusitis, otitis media, epistaxis, etc. Some patients may be accompanied by nasal polyps, asthma, snoring and other symptoms. Mainly divided into perennial onset and seasonal onset.
Traditional Chinese medicine calls Rhinitis as "Biqiu"(“鼻鼽”), which was first recorded in the "Huangdi Neijing". In traditional Chinese medicine, allergic rhinitis was closely related to the evil of cold wind, and the main internal cause of the disease was the deficiency of the spleen and lung.
So both internal therapy and external therapy should be considered, and the treatment of both manifestation and root cause is necessary to address it.
The usual Western medicine treatment is antihistamines, nasal sprays and other drug treatments, but topical steroids, mast cell stabilizers and anticholinergic drugs often contain hormone components. The repeated use of these drugs may cause the significant drug resistance.
The World Health Organization (WHO) held a meeting in Milan, Italy in 1996, which proposed 64 indications for acupuncture and moxibustion. Allergic rhinitis is one of the main dominant diseases of acupuncture. Since 2015, the American Academy of Otolaryngology has also recommended acupuncture for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Modern studies have shown that acupuncture can indirectly desensitize and improve nasal ventilation, which has a good effect on allergic rhinitis.
Acupuncture treatment for Rhinitis
Acupuncture treatment is divided into two parts: acupuncture and moxibustion. For allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, acupuncture and moxibustion are used on the Yintang(EX-HN3) and Yingxiang(LI20) points on the side of the nose. These points have a certain effect of clearing the orifice and stopping nasal discharge. Combined with some neck points, it can achieve the effect of regulating Yang Qi. Moxibustion treatment can also be carried out while retaining the needles, and moxibustion at specific acupoints can achieve better curative effect.
For patients with recurrent rhinitis, it is wrong to think that the relief of symptoms means that they are cured. The deficiency of Yang Qi cannot be filled by short-term moxibustion. Continuous treatment is required for the effect to last. Generally, for stable curative effect, choose two treatments a week, ten sessions as a course of treatment. Treatment can then be adjusted according to the symptoms.
Daily acupressure for Rhinitis
2 Acupressure Points for Rhinitis
1. Press LI20 (Yingxiang) point: LI20 is located in the small depression on the side of the root of the nose. After finding the point, press the point with your index finger or middle finger. The intensity should be slightly sore. Press for about 3 minutes each time. If the symptoms are severe, you can press repeatedly and increase the frequency of pressing.
2. Rub the wings of the nose: After the thenars(LU10) of both hands are rubbed together until they become hot, stick them on both sides of the nose, and rub back and forth along the root of the nose to Yingxiang(LI20) acupoint. The speed should be fast, preferably more than 100 times. Relieve the stuffy nose.