A German pilot study suggests that acupuncture may have a comparable effect to anti-histamine drugs in patients allergic to house dust mites. Twenty-four patients suffering from persistent allergic rhinitis induced by house dust mites were treated either with acupuncture (using a combination of facial ear and body points) or with the drug loratadine. Both treatments were effective in terms of the patients’ subjective assessments, but the beneficial effect of the acupuncture was more persistent after the end of treatment. In addition, there was an increase in levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in the acupuncture group.

The effectiveness of acupuncture compared to loratadine in patients allergic to house dust mites.J Allergy. 2014;2014:654632).