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Thursday, March 31, 2005

Chinese Medicine May Aid Allergy Sufferers

By Stacey Boyne
Mountain View Telegraph
    Seasonal allergy sufferers may get long-term relief from acupuncture and Chinese medicine, according to a local practitioner.
    "Chinese medicine aims to treat the allergy itself, not just the symptom," said Ann Morgan of Morgan Oriental Medicine in Edgewood.
    Morgan practices a form of Chinese medicine that focuses on getting to the root of the cause of allergies. Morgan gets a profile of the whole person through an in-depth interview when determining what might be causing an allergy.
    "Chinese medicine considers the organ systems that are associated with allergies, like the lungs, the kidneys, the skin and the spleen— it's also important to look at the patient's lifestyle," said Morgan.
    According to Morgan, East Mountains residents may be more likely to suffer chronic allergies due to the wind as well as spicy, fried and dairy-heavy Mexican foods. Morgan said these types of foods cause dampness and phlegm in the body and take a toll on the lung and spleen.
    "People with sinus infections may like spicy food because it temporarily clears out the sinuses, but people with a high tolerance for spicy foods might have underlying lung and spleen problems," she said.
    Chinese medicine's approach is to begin boosting the immune system the season before allergies hit.
    "To prepare for allergy season, a patient will need to start building up what is called the protective Qi (pronounced chee), or life force, before the allergy season begins," Morgan said.
    Even though the allergy season is already here, Morgan has additional remedies that can alleviate many of the discomforts associated with allergies.
    Victims with severe, acute and chronic allergic symptoms may benefit from acupuncture, explained Morgan.
    "Acupuncture is the treatment of various imbalances in the body through the insertion of a fine needle into specific points on the body that helps rejuvenate particular organs and boost Qi," Morgan said.
    Morgan also recommends specific herbal remedies to allergy patients.
    However, not every recipient of acupuncture or herbal treatment should expect the same results.
    "Every person responds differently— people with acute symptoms seem to respond most quickly, whereas a chronic sufferer may take weeks or longer," added Morgan.
    Morgan offered the following advice for allergy sufferers:
   

Examine the diet, and eliminate or moderate fried foods and foods that contain dairy and spices;
   

Try an herbal formula recommended by a licensed practitioner. Herbals contain no ephedra, they're non-drowsy and they treat the whole system;
   

Avoid excessive amounts of foods like beer, wine and dairy that are high in histamines;
   

Try fasting, while drinking plenty of fluids, for a day to clean out the system.
    Morgan received her master's degree in Oriental medicine from the International Institute of Chinese Medicine in Albuquerque.
    In addition to her education at the school, she interned at Healthsouth and St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe.
    Morgan has recently returned to her Edgewood office after being on maternity leave. She is accepting patients on an individual basis but is always available for a free consultation.
    She encourages those with questions to contact her at 281-9555.