the season. During the spring, tree pollen predominates, in the summer grass pollens predominate, and in the fall weed pollens (like ragweed and various thistles) predominate. Others have allergies to fungus spores, dust containing insect feces and pro- teins or animal dander and may therefore have allergies that are independent of the season. There are a wide range of symptoms that an individual with allergic rhinitis may have, including itch- ing of the nose, roof of the mouth, pharynx and eyes. There may also be sneezing, clear nasal discharge, and tearing of the eyes, accompanied by frontal headache, irritability, decreased food intake, depression, and even insomnia. In severe cases, there may be coughing and wheezing, or the allergen itself may trigger an asthma attack.


In addition, from the vantage point of traditional Chinese medicine, there are a number of other factors that can weaken the organ and body functioning, making a person more suscep- tible to allergic rhinitis. One such factor is repeated treatment with antibiotics of children. Other factors include a diet high in sugars and sweets, dairy products, fruit juices, and yeasted grain products, as well as stress. The reason is that the repeated use of antibiotics and the aforementioned diet both weaken the spleen. The spleen is the organ responsible for digestion in the Chinese system, as well as plays an important role in how we assimilate nutrients to ensure a strong immune system. From the perspective of Chinese Medicine, digestion is not limited to food alone, but also to our ability to process and assimilate information and life experiences, which means that continual exposure to experi- ences that cause stress (ie experiences that are difficult to digest) can aggravate such conditions as allergic rhinitis. In Chinese medicine, the spleen is also responsible for the transportation


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and transformation of fluids and is thus essential in transforming phlegm and mucus that can accumulate in the nasal passages, sinuses, and lungs in people with allergic rhinitis. Herbs can help the body transform that phlegm, as well as strengthen the spleen so that it can function more optimally. Chinese herbs and acupuncture work by applying the ap- propriate herbs and acupuncture points to the appropriate pattern. What that means is that, according to traditional Chinese medi- cine, you can detect the root cause by looking at how all of the symptoms of an individual fit together to form a pattern. That pattern can be different for each person, which means that dif- ferent herbs and herbal formulas will be appropriate depending on the individual presentation. An old Chinese adage states: “same disease, many treatments” or conversely “different disease, same treatment.” That means that knowing the correct pattern is the key to knowing which herbal formula or set of acupuncture points to use, regardless of the disease label the person may have. To treat allergic rhinitis, Western medicine relies on antihis- tamines and bronchodilators such as ephedrine and pseudo- ephedrine. The problem is that both of these types of drugs have side effects that many find unacceptable. Antihistamines can help prevent and relieve sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, and runny nose, but they do not necessarily alleviate the underlying nasal congestion and can cause side effects such as drowsiness, diz- ziness, nausea, and vomiting. Antihistamines would need to be used in combination with a second medication to strengthen the ability to relieve nasal congestion, a decongestant; however, these medicines can cause nervousness, insomnia, and elevated blood pressure. Nasal corticosteroids (nasal sprays) may be used to alleviate nasal symptoms such as nasal congestion if antihis-


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