Chronic allergies with resulting irritated eyes and nasal congestion are commonly encountered here in the state of Texas due to frequent levels of elevated cedar pollen and mold. Managing allergies, both seasonal and chronic, is not typically a simple issue, as patients frequently present with complex underlying patterns with seasonal influences phasing in and out of expression.
I rarely see allergies effectively solved with treatment of potential wind cold or wind heat patterns alone. Underlying issues rooted in patterns such as liver / spleen disharmony, phlegm, and yin deficiency, as well as blood stasis, are common significant contributing factors in presentations of allergies with accompanying nasal congestion.
Acupuncture can be highly effective in cases of nasal congestion so common in allergy presentations; so much so that I often treat such issues using acupuncture protocols alone. In cases of seasonal allergies with highly predictable causes such as obvious elevations of environmental allergens, I use a skeleton acupuncture prescription that can easily be fleshed out to target potential underlying patterns and effectively customized to the unique presentations of patients suffering from allergies with nasal congestion and eye irritation. The basic skeletal structure is as follows:
GB 14 + GB 15 + Du 23 + Du 24 + LI 20 + LI 11
Gallbladder 14 is the meeting point of the Gallbladder channel with the Yang linking channel and the San Jiao, Stomach, and Large Intestine channels, and has the actions of eliminating wind, benefiting the head, alleviating pain, and benefiting the eyes. Gallbladder 15 is the meeting point of the Gallbladder and Bladder channels with the Yang linking vessel, and has the actions of eliminating wind, benefiting the head, alleviating pain, and benefiting the eyes / nose.
Du 23, a Sun Si-Miao ghost point, has the actions of benefiting the eyes / nose, eliminating wind from the head / face, dispelling swelling, and calming the spirit. Du 24 is the meeting point with the Bladder and Stomach channels, and has the actions of benefiting the head, calming the spirit, eliminating wind, and benefiting the eyes / nose.
Large Intestine 20, the meeting point of the Large Intestine and Stomach channels, has the actions of opening the nasal passages, expelling wind and clearing heat. Large Intestine 11 is the He-Sea and Earth point of the channel, and a Sun Si-Miao ghost point / Ma Dan-Yang Heavenly Star point. It has the actions of clearing heat, cooling the blood, eliminating wind, draining damp, regulating qi / blood, activating the channel, and alleviating pain.
When using this basic skeletal structure of points in cases of allergies with nasal congestion and eye irritation, clinicians can add or subtract points as needed, customized to the unique patterns each patient may present with after examining tongue, pulse and subjective symptoms. Some specific needle techniques I use with this point prescription include:
- Threading Du 24 to Du 23 using one needle for both points
- Strongly stimulating LI 20 until qi sensation radiates into the eyes and the eyes water
- Needling GB 14 toward GB 15
- Strongly stimulating GB 15 bilaterally
- Strongly draining LI 11 with draining technique every five minutes for 20 minutes total
I frequently add ST 44 if the patient shows significant heat signs such as red tongue, yellow tongue coating, fast, wiry pulse, bloodshot eyes, or subjective sensations of heat. ST 44 is the Ying-Spring point of the Stomach channel / Ma Dan-Yang Heavenly Star point, and has the actions of clearing heat from the Stomach channel, alleviating pain, harmonizing the intestines, clearing damp heat, and calming the spirit.
The Stomach channel ascends to both the nose and the eyes, and the Yang Ming channel is “full of qi and blood,” and therefore has a wide clinical application along the channel and in cases of excess – particularly excess heat and pain, which can manifest in the eyes and nasal orifices. I also frequently add ST 40 in cases of nasal allergies with excess signs of phlegm. In such cases, I strongly drain both LI 11 and ST 40.
As a clinical pearl, I have often found that the simple two-point combination of LI 11 and ST 40 can dramatically reduce signs of heat and phlegm in acute allergy attacks. In such cases, I strongly drain LI 11 for 1-2 minutes, then strongly drain ST 40 for 1-2 minutes, and then let the needles retain for 20 minutes.
