Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Allergic Diseases

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis paper purports to review recent relevant publications on the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine in treating allergic diseases, to illustrate the  pertinent mechanisms of action of TCM, and to explore the possible role of TCM in the management of allergic diseases in the foreseeable future. As TCM embodies multiple treatment modalities, only the most popular two, namely CHM (Chinese herbal medicine) and acupuncture, were discussed. Publicat ions, especially reviews involving randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the use of TCM on allergic diseases, published up to June 2019 were reviewed and analyzed. Papers reporting the mechanisms of action of TCM in allergic diseases were also included. Other publications in Chinese were also dis cussed.Recent FindingsA startling escalation in the incidence of allergic diseases in the last several decades has posed tremendous social and financial burdens on the community.  Failing to locate a cure for these chronic diseases, patients have resorted to using alternative medications of which traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a popular one. Thus CHM has been extensively employed for treating allergic diseases. Some investigations have been conducted to ascertain th e therapeutic efficacy of CHM for allergic diseases.SummaryAlthough CHM has been widely deployed for treating allergic diseases, it appears from the published data that there is a dearth of conclusive evidence to  establish the effecti...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research