Sinus and hay fever have been treated for centuries using acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Many people suffer side effects when prescribed antibiotics and in 2010 and 2011 some Sudafed products were recalled because of problems. The acupuncture points that can help sinus and Chinese herbs that benefit the condition are still in use after 2000 years. In fact modern pharmacological research has found that a Chinese herb cang er zi has inhibitory effects on bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus. One acupuncture point situated near the corner of the nostrils is called “Welcome Fragrance” to exemplify its action. For best results using Chinese medicine, the treatment needs to be tailored to the individual and the specific cause of the problem addressed. There are a number of difference disease mechanisms according to traditional Chinese medical literature, some of which are listed below.
Wind-Heat of Lung: mainly caused by weather changes.
Stagnated Heat of Gallbladder: mainly caused by emotions.
Damp Heat of Spleen/Stomach: mainly caused by excess greasy and spicy foods.
Deficiency Cold of Lung Qi: mainly caused by chronic illness
Deficiency of Spleen: mainly caused by improper diet, fatigue or over-thinking.
It is not uncommon to have a number of disease patterns overlapping and the Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner needs to diagnose carefully in order to achieve satisfactory results.
In the Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand, it is well known that it has one of the highest incidences of sinus and hay fever in the country. Many people have reported that they never had sinus in their life until moving to the area.
Various researchers have postulated as to why this is the case but to date no satisfactory causative factor has been put forward. The local people though firmly believe it is from the history of using excessive insecticides in the orchards. The author is of the opinion it is due to the surrounding areas having been over saturated in pine plantations which then lead to excessive pollen being blown into the area. The pollen becomes infused so to say with the insecticides and thus play havoc with the people. The Liver must work overtime to eliminate the toxins. Hence, the author takes into consideration the above classical causes of sinus and combines treatment focused on the Liver to address the environmental stress.
