Do you experience asthma and allergy attacks? If you do, then you know how disruptive and, in the case of asthma, frightening it can be. Asthma is a common condition that affects millions of people around the world. It can cause shortness of breath, wheezing, and tightness in the chest. If you suffer from asthma or allergies and are looking for relief with a more natural approach, acupuncture might be the effective solution you’ve been searching for.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways in your lungs and causes them to become inflamed and swollen. This makes it difficult for you to breathe. In addition to exertion or stressors, the inflammation can be triggered by an allergen such as pollen or dust mites. When this happens, it causes an immediate response from your immune system which results in swelling of the airways as well as constriction (narrowing) of them. This makes breathing difficult because the muscles in your chest wall tighten up when they contract during an asthma attack.
The relationship between histamine and allergic reactions
When you have an asthma or allergy attack, your body is producing more histamine than normal. This causes your airways to swell and makes it difficult for air to reach your lungs—making it harder for you to breathe.
Histamine is a natural chemical that your body produces in response to an allergic reaction. It causes blood vessels near the surface of the skin to dilate (open up wider) so that white blood cells can move through the body more easily and attack foreign invaders. Histamine also causes inflammation in the lungs, which can make breathing more difficult during an asthma attack or allergy flare-up.
While we often think of histamine as a “problem” because of its connection to allergies, it’s an important messenger molecule in the body. It signals the production of stomach acid for digestion, helps us stay awake, and defends against parasites and other invaders. The problem is that sometimes it is signalled when it is not needed, as is the case for the body mistaking allergens as enemies.
Acupuncture works by helping to regulate these histamine levels so that they aren’t produced inappropriately, preventing allergy symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.
Acupuncture is recognized as an effective treatment for asthma and allergies.
Research has shown that, for those who have not responded well to conventional treatments, acupuncture can be an effective treatment option for people with asthma or allergies Acupuncture may be particularly useful for asthma sufferers because it doesn’t involve medications with potential side effects or long-term risks.
Acupuncture is a safe, effective treatment for both acute and chronic asthma and allergies. Research has found that acupuncture reduces histamine release in the body during an allergic reaction. In other words, acupuncture helps to relieve symptoms associated with allergies by reducing inflammation and swelling.
Studies have looked at how acupuncture affects the immune system in people with asthma. They showed that acupuncture improved lung function, decreased inflammation in the airways, and reduced asthma symptoms. Further evidence showed that people who received acupuncture had less need for medication and fewer days of missed work due to their asthma symptoms than those who did not receive acupuncture.
Acupuncture boosts your immune system
Acupuncture supports a healthy immune response so you’re able to fight off invaders like bacteria and viruses while also not overreacting to substances that are not in need of an immune response, like allergens. This is why it helps people with allergies and asthma—when you have less inflammation in your body, it means less swelling in your airways which makes it easier for you to breathe again when an attack occurs.
If you’re ready to take control of your health—and get some relief from those pesky sneezes—it’s never too early to schedule an acupuncture appointment at My Rest!