Allergy season is here and many are turning to unconventional treatments to help, a new study says.
A study by researchers at the Medical University Lübeck in Germany showed that almost a quarter of the studied population (26.5 percent) used alternative medicine for allergies. The most common forms used were acupuncture, bioresonance and homeopathy.
Researchers collected surveys from nearly 400 adults who suffered from hay fever, food allergies and even asthma. Data was gathered from 2000-2001.
The study also found that most people who tried alternative medicine were unsatisfied with standard treatments. About 78.3 percent of them believed that alternative medicine had few side effects.
However, researchers say those who had never used alternative medicine felt more optimistic about treatment than those who had. Among those who had used alternative medicine, only 28.6 percent felt their therapy worked well and 53.8 percent felt their therapy worked somewhat well.
“Alternative medicine for allergies should be recognized as a considerable cost burden for society and the individual patient. Implications for public health should also be discussed in context with the limited evidence of efficacy,” researchers wrote.
