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Case Study - Hay fever*

The following is an example of one case and its treatment by TCM. It is given here as a example of the way that TCM sees a condition as it presents in each individual, and to provide a guide as to how treatment is then fitted to the case at hand.

*The case study is an illustration of how TCM treatment helped one individual, individual results may vary.

Presentation A 36 yr old female clerk. Presented with sneezing, a blocked and runny nose, discomfort itch and tearing from the eyes. Her discomfort

interfered with her sleeping and she was therefore very tired. She revealed that she has had these symptoms in the late-spring and early-summer each year for at least twenty years. She had a history of antihistamines and nasal corticosteroids prescribed by her family doctor.

Examination On examination it was revealed that she had tearing and mild swelling around the eyes and a clear runny discharge from the nose. Occasional headaches and frequent sneezing. Her bowel motions and urination were normal. The tongue indicated Phlegm/Damp accumulation and Qi deficiency. The pulse indicated Phlegm/Damp accumulation, an exterior condition and some Heat signs.

Diagnosis The TCM diagnosis is Exterior Wind, Cold & Damp obstructing the Lungs Qi dispersing action.

Signs and symptoms analysis. The eye irritation indicates an External Wind invasion blocking the surface Jing Luo (Meridians). The sneezing and runny nose indicate an obstruction of Lung Qi by Wind and causing it to move in the wrong direction. The clear mucus from the nose indicates that cold is involved. Headaches further indicate blockage of the Qi and Blood circulation in the meridians on the head. The swelling around the eyes indicates that the obstruction of Qi is causing the accumulation of Damp. The signs on the tongue indicated a prior Qi deficiency and the accumulation of Damp and Phlegm. Bowels and Urine were normal which indicates that the condition is not severe and not effecting the internal Zang-Fu very much. The pulse confirmed the presence of Phlegm and Damp and confirmed that the condition was external. It also indicated that some heat was beginning to accumulate most likely due to the friction of obstructed Qi and the battle with the pathogenic factor.

Treatment The treatment principle in this case was to expel Wind Cold from the surface, regulate the Lung Qi, eliminate Damp and tonify normal Qi.

Acupuncture was given to points on the body and also the ear. The points were chosen to be consistent with the above principle. Points were given to expel Wind, others to regulate and strengthen the Lungs, some to clear the obstruction locally to the nose and eyes, and one to strengthen the Spleens ability to clear damp and absorb Qi from the food. Herbs were prescribed also according to the treatment principle but some were also added to clear Heat and Toxins to prevent them building up due to the stagnation caused by the pathogen.

Results She returned one week later with reduced symptoms. The same treatment was repeated for three more weeks with a complete reduction of symptoms. Follow up for the next four years revealed no recurrence of the hay fever symptoms!

In our upcoming installments we will look at how TCM deals with the Common Cold, Menopause symptoms, Low back pain and Period Pain.