Your allergies are acting up again. Your eyes are red and itchy, you sneeze, and as you reach once more for an antihistamine you think maybe it's time to see an allergist. Wait, what about an acupuncturist?

Acupuncture for allergies? It's true. As the ancient Eastern healing practice gains respect in the Western world, some allergy sufferers are opting for the thin needles of an acupuncturist over allergy shots.

Why the switch? "A lot of people have been unsuccessful with drugs. The drugs may have given them side effects or reacted with other medications," says Marshall Sager, MD, vice president of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA). "Or some people don't want to initiate medication if they don't have to. They're willing to try other things and use medication as a last resort." The AAMA is the sole physician-only professional acupuncture society in North America.

Treatment with acupuncture can either dramatically lessen someone's allergic reactions, or in some cases, it can actually help the person tolerate what previously caused the sneezing and wheezing.

Not just treating symptoms

Whether you're allergic to peanuts or shellfish, ragweed or dog dander doesn't matter. An acupuncturist, Sager explains, takes a rather holistic approach and treats the individual, rather than the symptoms. "Your allergy symptoms, your itchy, watery eyes, your stuffiness, are a way of expressing a deeper down imbalance in your system," Sager says.

The way acupuncture works to control allergies isn't exactly known. However, instead of introducing chemicals - such as an antihistamine - to control an allergic reaction, acupuncture works with the person's internal pharmacy.

Experts have data that suggests acupuncture alters the secretion of neurotransmitters and neurohormones, and the regulation of blood flow, both centrally and peripherally.

There is also evidence that acupuncture can stimulate immune function changes. A National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference reported in 1997 that an allergy attack is an immune response. The body's immune system becomes sensitive and reacts to substances called allergens (pollen, dust, animal dander, molds, food, and medications).

"The bottom line is, it isn't the allergy itself that's the problem, but the patient's reaction (to the allergen)," Sager affirms.

Sager points out that the needles used in acupuncture are almost like switches in the energy circuits of the body. Imagine the body as the computer, and the energy system as the software program. "When there is a glitch in the system, you use the needles to re-program," he says. In other words, the body can be "re-programmed" so it does not react to pollen or dog dander or peanuts as if they were harmful substances.

The placement of the needles, the direction and depth of insertion, and the manipulation of the needle in the patient's body all depend on that person's system or makeup. "People are treated differently," Sager says.

How long someone receives treatment for allergies depends, again, on the individual. Sager says typically, allergy sufferers go weekly for the first four to six treatments. Some patients may need more, some less. Then the acupuncturist may try to extend the time between treatments.

"Some people need tune-ups, depending on seasonal changes or their own situations," Sager says. "It's hard to tell how someone will react."

Combination approach to treatment

Sager, who used to be a family practitioner, says it's not necessary to throw Western medicine out the window when treating someone with acupuncture. For example, acupuncturists recommend environmental controls, just as allergists do. Environmental controls - such as avoiding certain foods, not going outside when pollen counts are high, or vacuuming with a special HEPA filter - can minimize a person's exposure to an allergen.

"The more your system is challenged, the greater the chance of you having a problem," Sager says. Conversely, "if you minimize the attacks by outside influences that cause these things, then the chances of you not having symptoms is greater."

Sager realizes some patients may choose the full-assault approach, and continue to take medication while receiving acupuncture. Acupuncture can be used alone, he says, or in combination with conventional drugs.

"I'm not going to tell them to stop," he insists. If patients start feeling better, he suggests they tell their doctor, who might modify the amount or type of medication they are on. Ultimately, patients may be able to stop medication completely.

If you are considering acupuncture for your allergies, be sure to check first with your insurance company to see if it is covered. Acupuncture.com (www.acupuncture.com) has a list of insurance companies that cover acupuncture treatment.

To find an acupuncturist in your area to treat allergies, check the AAMA Web site at www.medicalacupuncture.org. Or call the patient referral number at: 1-800-521-2262.