Can Acupuncture Help Seasonal Allergies? What Clinical Research Shows

By Balance Art Acupuncture | Published October 25, 2026

Clinical research supports acupuncture for helping some people with seasonal allergies improve symptoms and allergy-related quality of life. A secondary analysis of a large trial also found fewer days of antihistamine use among patients receiving acupuncture. For people seeking a non-drug option, acupuncture is worth discussing as part of individualized allergy care. [1–3]

U.S. otolaryngology guidance and a 2023 international allergy and rhinology consensus include acupuncture as a treatment option for allergic rhinitis. The practical questions are which symptoms may improve, what researchers have observed, and how these findings can inform care. [4–5]

What Are Seasonal Allergies and Hay Fever?

Seasonal allergic rhinitis, commonly called hay fever, describes nasal allergic reactions associated with exposure to allergens such as tree, grass, or weed pollen.

Common symptoms include:

• Repeated sneezing

• A runny nose with clear discharge

• Nasal congestion and itching

• Itchy, watery eyes

• Itching of the palate or ears

• Symptoms that interfere with sleep, concentration, and everyday activities

For many patients, the challenge is more than occasional sneezing. Recurrent discomfort during pollen season can affect work, sleep, and time outdoors.

Indoor allergens such as dust mites can also cause persistent or perennial allergic rhinitis. Symptoms may overlap, but triggers and patterns differ. This article focuses on seasonal allergy trials, with related allergic rhinitis studies providing additional context. [1–2,7–8]

Key Takeaways

• Acupuncture has been evaluated in randomized seasonal allergy trials measuring symptoms, quality of life, and medication use.

• A 422-patient trial found improvements in allergy-related quality of life and rescue-medication scores.

• A 175-patient trial found improvements in sneezing, itching of the ears or palate, and quality of life.

• A secondary analysis found fewer days of antihistamine use in the acupuncture group.

• The 2023 international consensus includes acupuncture as an optional adjunctive treatment.

Together, these findings support considering acupuncture as a non-drug option with clinical research behind it, while setting goals around symptoms and daily life that matter to each patient. [1–5]

What Did the 422-Patient Seasonal Allergy Trial Find?

In 2013, Annals of Internal Medicine published Acupuncture in Patients With Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized Trial.

This German multicenter trial enrolled 422 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis and sensitization to birch and grass pollen. It compared real acupuncture plus rescue medication, sham acupuncture plus rescue medication, and rescue medication alone. Treatment involved 12 acupuncture sessions over eight weeks.

At eight weeks, real acupuncture produced better allergy-related quality-of-life and rescue-medication scores than either comparison group.

This 422-patient randomized trial supports acupuncture for improving allergy-related quality of life and rescue-antihistamine use measures. [1]

Can Acupuncture Help Reduce Allergy Medication Use?

A 2018 paper in Acupuncture in Medicine examined the same trial in greater detail: Impact of Acupuncture on Antihistamine Use in Patients Suffering Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis: Secondary Analysis of Results From a Randomised Controlled Trial.

The analysis used data from 414 patients. During eight weeks, the acupuncture group used antihistamines on an average of:

• 4.49 fewer days than the sham-acupuncture group

• 9.15 fewer days than the rescue-medication-only group

This offers a practical, patient-friendly finding: acupuncture may help some people manage allergy symptoms while reducing their need for as-needed antihistamines. [3]

What Did the Australian Seasonal Allergy Trial Show?

In 2015, Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology published Acupuncture for Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The study enrolled 175 patients with confirmed ryegrass pollen allergy during Melbourne pollen seasons. Participants received real or sham acupuncture, with 12 treatments over four weeks.

Real acupuncture showed better results for sneezing and itching of the ears and palate. Quality of life also improved at the end of treatment and during follow-up.

This study is particularly relevant because it evaluated patients during pollen season and supports benefits for selected seasonal allergy symptoms, beyond laboratory measures alone. [2]

What Does Broader Allergic Rhinitis Research Add?

A Multicenter Trial Found Improvements in Overall Nasal Symptoms

A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial Testing the Effects of Acupuncture on Allergic Rhinitis, published in Allergy in 2013, enrolled 238 patients assigned to real acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or a waitlist.

After treatment three times weekly for four weeks, real acupuncture improved total nasal symptom scores more than sham acupuncture or waiting for treatment.

This trial primarily concerned perennial allergic rhinitis and provides additional support for improvements in nasal symptoms. [7]

A Routine-Care Trial Found Additional Quality-of-Life Benefits

Acupuncture in Patients With Allergic Rhinitis: A Pragmatic Randomized Trial, published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in 2008, included 981 randomly assigned patients comparing usual care plus acupuncture with usual care alone.

At three months, patients receiving additional acupuncture experienced greater improvements in allergy-related quality of life. This supports its value in everyday care, particularly for patients asking what else they can add to their existing allergy management. [9]

How Do Systematic Reviews Summarize the Evidence?

The 2015 Acupuncture for the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis included 13 reports and 2,365 participants. It reported improvements in nasal symptoms, medication use, and quality of life. [10]

A newer review, Acupuncture for Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, was published in European Journal of Medical Research in 2022.

It included 30 trials involving 4,413 participants. Results generally supported improvements in nasal symptoms and quality of life for adults with allergic rhinitis, including some comparisons with sham acupuncture. [6]

These reviews broaden the evidence base across different allergic rhinitis populations and treatment protocols, providing an overall research perspective on clinical use.

What Do Professional Guidelines and International Consensus Statements Say?

The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation published its Clinical Practice Guideline: Allergic Rhinitis in 2015.

It states that clinicians may offer acupuncture, or refer patients for acupuncture, when patients with allergic rhinitis are interested in non-drug treatment. [4]

The International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Allergic Rhinitis – 2023 states that evidence is generally supportive of acupuncture. It recognizes acupuncture as an adjunctive or alternative option for selected patients and a possible adjunct for people interested in avoiding medications. [5]

The World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies also initiated the Clinical Practice Guideline for Acupuncture and Moxibustion: Allergic Rhinitis, published in 2024. Using GRADE methodology, it addresses specific questions about acupuncture and moxibustion to help inform clinical implementation. [11]

These professional guidelines and consensus statements support including acupuncture among individualized treatment options for allergic rhinitis, offering a clinical framework for patients seeking non-drug care.

How Might Acupuncture Help Allergy Symptoms?

Allergic rhinitis involves immune responses, inflammatory signaling, and sensory nerve activity. Researchers are investigating how acupuncture may interact with these processes.

Effect of Acupuncture on House Dust Mite Specific IgE, Substance P, and Symptoms in Persistent Allergic Rhinitis, published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in 2016, enrolled 151 participants.

The real-acupuncture group showed improvements in selected nasal and eye symptoms and sleep-related discomfort. Researchers also observed changes in dust-mite-specific IgE and the neuropeptide substance P. [8]

These findings suggest possible involvement of neural and immune signaling and offer clues about symptom improvement.

For patients, the most important outcomes remain practical: less nasal discomfort, more comfortable sleep, less disruption of daily activities, and changes in medication needs.

How Long Might the Benefits Last?

Studies have observed improvement during treatment and at some follow-up assessments, but duration varies between studies and patients. Some benefits remain during follow-up, while some differences between groups become smaller over time.

Follow-up care is best guided by a person's allergy season, symptom pattern, and initial treatment response, rather than a promise that one course will prevent future episodes. [1–2,9]

Evaluation can consider symptom frequency over time, nighttime sleep, comfort outdoors, and as-needed medication use, rather than relying only on how the nose feels on a single day.

Our Clinical Perspective

At Balance Art Acupuncture in Vienna, Virginia, our providers bring together professional training in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and an understanding of modern Western medical principles to provide individualized, evidence-informed acupuncture care.

Our assessment combines TCM pattern differentiation and meridian assessment with a modern understanding of allergic rhinitis symptoms, triggers, and existing treatments. We focus on the problems that matter most to each patient, including repeated sneezing, nasal discomfort, itchy eyes or nose, and disrupted sleep.

Clinical research provides a basis for acupuncture's role in allergy management. Our goals are to reduce symptom burden, improve comfort, and adjust care according to response.

At the first visit, we discuss the timing and seasonal pattern of symptoms, each patient's specific allergy symptoms, previous allergy testing, current medications, and personal goals. We then track changes in symptoms, quality of life, and medication use.

For information about how these principles apply to care, explore our acupuncture treatment for seasonal allergies. You can also browse our Research & Insights library.

Considering Acupuncture for Seasonal Allergies?

If repeated sneezing, a runny nose, nasal itching, or other allergy-related discomfort affects your life, acupuncture may be a worthwhile non-drug treatment option.

Balance Art Acupuncture is located in Vienna, Virginia, and welcomes patients from Reston, Tysons Corner, McLean, Fairfax, Falls Church, Arlington, Great Falls and Chantilly in Northern Virginia, as well as Potomac and Bethesda in Maryland, Washington, DC, and surrounding communities.

We tailor care to your symptoms, health history, existing treatment, and personal goals, with a focus on symptom management and everyday quality of life.

Learn More About Acupuncture for Seasonal Allergies