A recent study has found hay fever sufferers may have an alternative safe and effective treatment in acupuncture.
The study conducted by RMIT University researchers was published in the latest Medical Journal of Australia, found acupuncture was effective in relieving the symptoms of inflammatory nasal allergies.
Professor Charlie Xue of RMIT's World Health Organisation Centre for Traditional Medicine, who headed the study, said that persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR) affected 16 per cent of Australians.
The condition involved an inflammatory response to allergens, such as house dust mite and pet dander, and the symptoms included sneezing, blocked nose, nasal itch and a runny nose, he said.
After eight weeks of treatment, they found a greater relief from symptoms for those patients treated with real acupuncture. These patients also experienced a lasting reduction in symptoms 12 weeks after treatment, said Professor Xue.
