Acupuncture for Hay Fever and Rhinitis: A Whole-Body Approach

More Than Just Allergies

When people talk about hay fever and rhinitis, the conversation usually centres on allergens. Pollen, dust, pet dander… the assumption is that the trigger sits outside us, and the task is to avoid it or suppress the reaction.

That explanation holds up to a point. Western medicine describes allergic rhinitis as an immune response involving histamine release, which leads to sneezing, congestion, and irritation. But it doesn’t fully explain why one person reacts strongly while another barely notices the same exposure. Nor does it account for the large group of people whose symptoms are not linked to allergens at all.

From a Chinese medicine perspective, the question is slightly different. Instead of focusing only on the trigger, we look at the condition of the system that is reacting. Why has the nose become so sensitive? Why does the response feel exaggerated or persistent? That shift in focus changes how treatment is approached.

How Acupuncture Approaches Hay Fever and Rhinitis

Conventional treatment usually involves antihistamines, steroid nasal sprays, or decongestants. These can be very effective at reducing symptoms, particularly in the short term. Some people also find they need to use them regularly to keep symptoms under control.

What tends to be less clear is why the system has become so reactive in the first place. This is where acupuncture can be used alongside conventional care, with the aim of supporting regulation over time rather than relying solely on symptom suppression.

Acupuncture treatment usually begins with the obvious. Points around the nose are used to open the nasal passages and reduce congestion.

A point such as Yíngxiāng “Welcome Fragrance” (Large Intestine 20), located beside the nostrils, is commonly used to clear blockage and improve airflow. Bitōng “Penetrating the Nose”, an extra point at the upper end of the nasolabial groove, has a similar effect. Yìntáng “Hall of Impression”, situated between the eyebrows, is often included for its influence on nasal symptoms and its calming effect on the system as a whole.

Distal points are added to support this local effect. Hégǔ “Joining Valley” (Large Intestine 4) on the hand is one of the most widely used. It has a strong influence on the face and can help regulate how the body responds more broadly.

That combination can provide relief. But in practice, treatment doesn’t stop there. The selection of supporting points shifts depending on the underlying pattern. Two people with similar symptoms may receive quite different treatments, because the reasons those symptoms have developed are not the same.

Why Lung, Spleen, and Liver?

Chinese medicine describes the body in terms of interconnected systems rather than isolated parts. When it comes to rhinitis, three of these systems tend to come up repeatedly: the Lung, the Spleen, and the Liver.

The Lung is closely linked to the nose. It governs the surface of the body and our interaction with the environment. When this system is functioning well, it helps regulate how we respond to external influences such as pollen or cold air. When it is weaker or less stable, that response can become exaggerated, leading to sneezing, itching, and sensitivity.

The Spleen plays a different role. It is responsible for transforming and transporting fluids. When this function is impaired, fluids can accumulate and form mucus. This is often reflected in congestion, a heavy or blocked sensation in the sinuses, and a tendency toward persistent symptoms rather than short-lived episodes.

The Liver is involved in the smooth movement of Qi, which in simple terms can be understood as the body’s capacity to regulate and coordinate its functions. Stress has a noticeable effect here. Many people find that their symptoms fluctuate depending on how they are feeling. Periods of tension or pressure can coincide with worsening congestion or irritation, and in these cases the Liver’s role becomes more relevant.

Kidney involvement is less obvious but can appear in long-standing cases. Over time, a general decline in resilience can make it harder for the body to recover from repeated episodes, and symptoms become more persistent.

Looking at rhinitis through this lens gives a broader picture. The nose is where the symptoms show up, but the underlying reason for the issue depends on how well several systems are working together.

Acute and Chronic Rhinitis

Acute

One of the most useful distinctions in practice is whether symptoms are recent and short-lived, or whether they have been present for months or years. In Chinese medicine, acute presentations are often described in terms of external influences. These are grouped under the idea of “wind,” which refers to something that comes on relatively quickly and affects the surface of the body.

Wind-cold tends to produce clear, watery discharge, frequent sneezing, and a feeling of chilliness. The nose runs freely, and there is little sense of heat or inflammation. The body’s response is relatively loose and uncontained.

Wind-heat looks different. The discharge becomes thicker or yellow, the nose may feel irritated or inflamed, and there can be a sore throat or thirst. The overall picture is more active, with signs of heat and irritation rather than cold and fluidity.

These acute patterns are usually short-lived, and treatment focuses on helping the body resolve the external influence and return to baseline.

Chronic

Chronic rhinitis sits in a different category. Here, the symptoms are less about a passing exposure and more about how the system is functioning over time.

Lung Qi deficiency is one of the most common patterns. People often describe being prone to colds or allergies, with symptoms that return again and again. The body reacts easily but does not regulate that reaction particularly well.

When Spleen function is also involved, there is a greater sense of heaviness. Congestion is more persistent, mucus is more noticeable, and there may be a sense of sluggish digestion or fatigue alongside the nasal symptoms. This is sometimes described as a Taiyin pattern, referring to the combined involvement of the Lung and Spleen systems.

In other cases, heat becomes more prominent. The nose may feel dry, irritated, or inflamed, and discharge can be thicker. This can develop over time, especially if there is ongoing irritation or repeated cycles of inflammation.

There is also a group of presentations where symptoms fluctuate quite noticeably. Stress, changes in temperature, or even strong smells can trigger congestion or a runny nose. This is described in modern biomedicine as vasomotor rhinitis. It does not involve allergens in the usual sense, but rather a sensitivity in how the blood vessels and nerves in the nasal passages respond. In Chinese medicine, this kind of pattern is often associated with the Liver affecting the Lung, where regulation becomes uneven and reactive.

Medication-induced rhinitis is another recognised pattern. Overuse of nasal sprays or certain medications can lead to rebound congestion, where symptoms persist or worsen despite ongoing treatment. From a Chinese medicine perspective, this is another example of the system becoming dysregulated rather than simply responding to an external trigger.

Bridging to Biomedical Understanding

The language used in Chinese medicine can feel quite different at first, but there are useful points of overlap with modern physiology. Allergic rhinitis, for example, is understood in Western medicine as an immune response involving histamine release and inflammation of the nasal lining. In Chinese medicine, a similar presentation is often described in terms of weakness or instability in the body’s defensive capacity, referred to as Wei Qi, combined with sensitivity to external influences such as wind.

Vasomotor rhinitis is usually explained in terms of the autonomic nervous system. Blood vessels in the nasal passages dilate or constrict in response to triggers like temperature, stress, or environmental stimuli. As mentioned earlier, this aligns reasonably well with the idea of Liver involvement, where the regulation of movement and responsiveness becomes less even.

Chronic congestion and mucus production are often linked to inflammation and fluid imbalance in Western terms. In Chinese medicine, this is described through the Spleen’s role in fluid transformation. When this function is impaired, fluids are not distributed efficiently and can accumulate, forming Damp which can affect the Lung system.

These are not direct equivalents, and it is better to think of them as different ways of describing the same underlying processes. One uses the language of immune cells and inflammatory mediators. The other uses patterns of function and relationship between systems.

Diagnosis in Practice

In clinic, diagnosis is based on a combination of observation, questioning, and palpation.

The nature of the nasal discharge is often one of the first clues. Clear and watery discharge suggests a different process from thick or coloured discharge. Whether symptoms are constant or fluctuate also helps narrow things down.

Triggers are equally informative. Some people notice a clear link with pollen or dust. Others find that stress, changes in weather, or even fatigue have a stronger influence on their symptoms.

The tongue provides a snapshot of how the body is functioning internally. A pale, swollen tongue can point toward deficiency and fluid accumulation. A red tongue suggests heat. The presence and thickness of coating give further information about fluid metabolism and possible dampness.

The pulse adds another layer. It can indicate whether the system is more deficient or more constrained, whether there is heat, and how smoothly things are moving. It is not taken in isolation, but it helps confirm the overall picture.

All of this is brought together to form a pattern, or combination of patterns. These patterns then guide treatment, rather than applying the same set protocol of points for every case.

What Treatment Looks Like

Treatment usually combines local points around the nose with points that reflect the underlying patterns.

Yíngxiāng and Bitōng are often used to improve airflow and reduce congestion. Yìntáng can help settle irritation in the nasal passages and has a noticeable effect on the overall sense of calm. Hégǔ supports this by influencing the face and helping regulate how the body responds.

From there, the selection becomes more individual.

If the picture suggests Lung Qi deficiency, points that support the Lung’s function are included. For example, Tàiyuān “Supreme Abyss” (Lung 9) is often used to strengthen the Lung and support its role in regulating the surface of the body.

If there is a stronger Spleen component, points such as Zúsānlǐ “Leg Three Miles” (Stomach 36) and Sānyīnjiāo “Three Yin Intersection” (Spleen 6) may be used to support digestion and fluid transformation, which in turn can reduce mucus and congestion.

Where heat is more prominent, points that help clear heat and reduce irritation are chosen. If stress is clearly influencing symptoms, points that regulate the Liver and support a more even internal state are included.

The overall approach is two-pronged. Local symptoms are addressed directly, while the broader pattern is supported so that the tendency toward those symptoms gradually reduces.

What You Can Do Outside the Clinic

Treatment works best when it is supported by a few simple changes in day-to-day habits.

• Pay attention to patterns in your symptoms. If certain environments or times of year make things worse, being aware of that can help you manage exposure more effectively.

• Consider saline nasal rinsing. This can help clear irritants and reduce congestion without relying on medication.

• Support digestion. If there is a tendency toward mucus or heaviness, reducing very rich, sugary, or overly processed foods can make a noticeable difference.

• Keep a steady routine. Regular meals, sleep, and activity all support the body’s ability to regulate itself.

• Manage stress where possible. If symptoms fluctuate with stress, even small changes such as regular walking or simple breathing exercises can help settle the system.

These are not complicated interventions, but they tend to work best when applied consistently over time.

Evidence for Acupuncture

There is a growing body of research looking at acupuncture for allergic rhinitis. Studies suggest that acupuncture can reduce symptom severity, including congestion, sneezing, and irritation. Some research also indicates a reduction in the need for antihistamine medication in people receiving regular treatment. There is also evidence pointing toward measurable changes in inflammatory markers and nasal airflow, although findings vary between studies.

The British Acupuncture Council uses a four-tier rating system of acupuncture’s efficacy for various conditions, adopted from the system used by the Acupuncture Evidence Project. Allergic rhinitis is ranked at level two, meaning there is high quality evidence of potential positive effects.

It is thought that acupuncture may help relieve pain and congestion by regulating cytokine and Immunoglobulin E levels (which mediate allergic reactivity); releasing endorphins and modulating pain processing in the brain and spinal cord; reducing inflammation; increasing local microcirculation; and modulating the number and ratio of immune cell types. You can find a fully referenced summary of the evidence here, and greater detail on acupuncture for allergic rhinitis here.

Taken together, this supports what is often seen in practice. Symptoms become more manageable, and the overall level of reactivity reduces.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Rhinitis is usually approached as a problem of exposure. Something in the environment causes a reaction, and treatment is aimed at blocking or suppressing that reaction.

Acupuncture takes a slightly wider view. It looks at how the body is regulating itself and why that regulation has become uneven or exaggerated. The nose is where the symptoms appear, but the pattern often involves the Lung, the Spleen, the Liver, and, over time, the general resilience of the system.

By working with those patterns, treatment aims to reduce the tendency toward irritation and congestion rather than simply managing each episode as it arises. For many people, this leads to a steadier, more predictable response over time.

If you’re dealing with ongoing rhinitis, whether seasonal or year-round, it can be worth exploring an approach that supports the system as a whole alongside any conventional treatment you may be using.

Visit the British Acupuncture Council's website to find a qualified, regulated acupuncturist in your area of the UK. And visit Evidence Based Acupuncture for discussions of the evidence base and biomechanisms of acupuncture.

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