MINDING YOUR BODY 2004
ments, and helping to oversee those
improvements, Stih believes that a healthy
home with good air quality should be
maintained with the use of a high-quality
air filter. At about $700 for the air filter,
it’s seems a spendy solution. But given the
cost to treat allergy symptoms these days,
this could be a practical solution for some.
For a more hands-on treatment,
Eugene’s complimentary medicine field
can provide relief. Jade Screen Clinic’s
Marilyn Sjaastad, licensed acupuncturist
and practitioner of Oriental Medicine, has
had success in treating hay fever and other
more severe respiratory complications
using acupuncture and an Oriental
Medicine approach. This approach, as
Sjaastad explains in her literature, “refers to
an ancient system of healing using
acupuncture, moxabustion [the process of
burning mugwort either directly on the skin
or just above the skin, over specific
acupuncture points relative to a condition]
and herbal formulas, and other Chinese
modalities as needed …” This approach
promotes healthy flow of qi, which in turn
promotes overall good health.
For people with seasonal allergies,
Sjaastad says she may use acupuncture
needles in the obvious places such as “in
the top of the head, in the nose, at the back
of the head [and] at the lung points,” but
that there may also be qi blocked in other
places such as the kidneys. Sjaastad also
employs a cupping method, where, using a
lighted cotton ball soaked in rubbing alco-
hol, she creates a vacuum in a small glass
cup and quickly applies it to affected
areas. Not only does this method promote
the flow of qi, but it can also draw prob-
lems to the body’s surface. But before any
Rebecca Scarola
treatment begins, Sjaastad conducts a
comprehensive evaluation of each patient
to determine health concerns and a treat-
ment plan.
Another complimentary therapy used in
the treatment of allergies is Nambudripad’s
Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET —
www.naet.com). Developed by Dr. Devi S.
Nambudripad, this is “a synthesis of vari-
ous medical disciplines such as allopathy,
acupuncture, chiropractic, kinesiology, and
nutrition.” Local NAET practitioner Dr.
Anthony DeSiena of Washington Street
Chiropractic Center, discovered NAET in
response to his own son’s severe allergic
reaction to bee stings. “It works on every-
thing,” he says matter-of-factly, and he has
used it on patients contending with a wide
range of allergies (especially food allergies)
and ailments. NAET resembles acupressure
in many ways: After consultation and eval-
uation, an NAET practitioner uses a device
that applies a quick but gentle bit of pres-
sure to either side of
the spine. The idea
is that because
allergens can cause
blockages in the
body’s energy flow,
this accupressure
technique should
release the block-
ages,
eventually
clearing up the
allergy and its
symptoms.
Aside from spe-
cific complimenta-
ry therapies, don’t
forget that your
naturopathic
or
medical doctor can be a good resource for
treating hay fever and allergies. Dr.
Miriam Mazure-Mitchell, N.D., explains
that treatment begins by “taking a close
look at lifestyle — are there pets in the
home? Is the patient a smoker? What kinds
of things are happening with diet?” While
naturopathic doctors are trained in a range
of modalities and treatment methods, Dr.
Mazure-Mitchell focuses a good deal on
diet, nutrition and supplements.
Dr. Virginia Buck, M.D., of the Buck
Allergy and Asthma Clinic, says that
mainstream medicine deals with allergies
in three general ways: avoidance of aller-
Dr. Virginia Buck, M.D.
‘It’s really kind of a bummer.
It’s the time of year when you want to be outside gardening or
riding your bike.’
- REBECCA SCAROLA
Marilyn Sjaastad uses
acupuncture and cupping
treatment for allergies and
other respiratory ailments.
gens (which for hay fever sufferers means
staying inside or getting out of the valley),
various prescription and over-the-counter
medicines, and immunotherapy, or allergy
shots. Prescription antihistamines, con-
trary to the flashy ads, provide no greater
relief than the over-the-counter varieties.
The main difference is that side effects
such as drowsiness are less with the new
prescription medicines. (On a side note,
Dr. Buck mentions that for those with
especially irritated eyes, should you
decide to go with an eye drop treatment,
look for eye drops containing antihista-
mines for greater relief.)
Buck explains that these medicines
only treat the symptoms and that really,
avoidance and immunotherapy are more
effective in treating the root of the prob-
lem. Immunotherapy is a carefully pre-
scribed plan where a patient is injected
with low doses of specific allergens. Over
a course of time, the low-dose exposure
allows the patient to build resistance. She
says, “Immunotherapy can be really help-
ful with childhood asthma” because it
allows children to build stronger tolerance
against allergens, thus preventing the
chances down the line of serious asthma
attacks. (Incidentally, anyone can suffer an
asthma attack, given some serious cause
for airway constriction).
FEBRUARY 5, 2004 13