Allergies Specialist

Is it allergies or a cold?

Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between allergies and a cold. In general, allergies will produce a clear mucous instead of a colored mucous, your symptoms will last longer than a week, and symptoms will appear most acutely in the spring and fall. Allergies also tend to come with itchy eyes, which is rare with a cold.

How does acupuncture treat allergies?

Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective remedy against seasonal allergies. Many patients even experience immediate relief in the first session.

By stimulating specific points on the body, especially those that correspond to meridians that run through the large intestine, spleen, stomach, and bladder, the body can regulate the histamine response — which is what causes allergies in the first place. Respiratory and nasal symptoms often subside, allowing you to breathe more easily.

What happens at my appointment?

After lying down on a comfortable exam table, Donghwan Lee inserts tiny, sanitary needles into specific points on your body. He may stimulate different points in each session, depending on your symptoms.

You are left to rest for about 25 minutes, during which you can drift off to sleep, listen to music, or simply relax. Dr. Donghwan Lee then removes and discards the needles. The treatment will end with a relaxable acupressure session. 

As part of your treatment, he may also customize an herbal treatment plan that includes supplements to support allergy symptom relief. These nature-based remedies work in tandem with your acupuncture sessions to support the body’s healing.

What can I expect after my appointment?

Acupuncture treats allergies by stimulating the body’s healing response, which may happen slowly or quickly, depending on the patient. You may need a series of treatments to get the best results. Alternately, some people only need a single acupuncture session when they have an intense bout of symptoms.

If you’re advised to take an herbal protocol, Donghwan Lee will most likely want to monitor your progress and make sure you’re finding the relief you desire.

With clinical training at some of the world’s top TCM institutions, Donghwan Lee’s knowledge and expertise ensure you get the results you’re looking for, no matter how long you’ve suffered from allergies.

To book an appointment today, use the easy online scheduler.

From our patients: 

I visited Dr. Lee's Clinic towards the end of this spring with a rather severe reaction to the seasonal allergy.I'd been suffering from seasonal allergy ever since I moved to the city in 2010. The usual symptoms of constant sneezing, watery/itchy eyes, nasal congestion; I had it all. Every spring and fall.It was more or less bearable and treatable with over-the-counter allergy medicine, but for some reason, it really kicked up a notch this year.I had to do something drastic about it and acupuncture was something I was willing to try.Even though I am from Asia, I'd never been a big fan of alternative medicine and, not to mention, any procedure involving sharp needles.So... i walked in with a bit of skepticism and fear, but i was pretty desperate at that stage.My procedure started with a consultation followed by some acupuncture around my face and legs.According to Dr. Lee, the goal of acupuncture was to bring down the heat accumulated around the upper half of the body and hence reducing the sensitivity towards the allergens.Anyways... the acupuncture portion of the treatment was not painless, but at the same time bearable. It took about 30-40 min total.Dr. Lee also noted before the treatment that I may suffer from a light flu-like symptoms and i did for 1-2 days almost immediately following the treatment. Cold sweats and chills.I was also prescribed with a month-long, twice a day herbal medicine regimen and I bear through it all. Herbal medicine came in a liquid form in a small pouch sized sealed pack and it's a bit of an acquired taste kinda thing. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the taste but again I wanted to get better.As for the results, my typical allergy symptoms, especially the severe congestion, went away rather quickly within a few days of the treatment.I want to believe that it was entirely due to the treatment, but at the same time, we were approaching the end of spring... so I will leave that up to whoever is reading this to decide. What i can say for sure is that I certainly felt better soon after the initial treatment.Here's what really surprised me though and what prompted me to write this review. I am also allergic to dog and cat dander and i just came back from a 3 day trip with a family who brought their cats with no knowledge of my condition. After a long weekend with 2 cats, I can honestly report that i almost had no reaction throughout the trip and I wonder if Dr.Lee's treatment had some parallel effects on my other allergies. I am now genuinely excited to see how my body reacts to allergens this coming fall. i am quite optimistic.Dr.Lee and his staff (masseuse) were very professional and they made me feel at ease throughout the treatment.It takes extra commitment to try something different, but I would highly recommend any allergy patient to try acupuncture treatment at Dr.Lee's clinic.

-S.L. (from Google)

Highly recommend! Dr.Lee is personable and excellent in what he does. I saw him for eczema and after seeing him my condition has been improving since. Grace, who is the assistant, is very pleasant to talk to as well. They care about your need and take a very personable approach in their diagnosis. Very satisfied with their superb service, and the price is generous.

-J.Q. (from Google)

I had a severe psoriasis and one of my friends recommended Dr. Lee. After taking the herb medicine for 2 weeks, my condition got much better, and I just got another batch so I can continue to take it for the next 3 weeks. I went to so many different dermatologists (including so called psoriasis experts) to get treatment, but all they focused on was superficial treatment of skin using steroids.My overall health got much better in addition to psoriasis, and I highly recommend Dr.Lee for wholistic improvement of health.

-C.L.H. (from Google)