Homeopathy for Hay Fever

Looking forward to dry, sunny days? Maybe not - if you suffer from hay fever.

It is estimated that a fifth of the population dread this time of year because they suffer from hay fever or similar allergies . They can expect to experience a range of respiratory disorders, together with sneezing, itchiness and watery eyes.

Hay fever is an allergy where the immune system of sufferers overreacts to pollen and spores. It usually occurs throughout spring and summer, when pollen and spore counts from trees, plants, grasses, fungi and moulds are at their highest. When the body comes into contact with pollen, the lining of the nose, mouth and eyes release a chemical called histamine which causes an allergic
reaction.

We asked our members to recommend some of the homeopathic remedies their patients most frequently found useful for the treatment of hay fever. Here is a brief list of remedies, which includes some of the key prescribing symptoms.

Please note this is only intended as a guideline. It is recommended that you consult with a registered homeopath in order to receive an appropriately individualised prescription.

Allium Cepa 30C
Dripping nose with burning discharge, violent sneezing, stinging, watery eyes.

Arsenicum Album 30C
Ssneezes because of tickling feeling in nose, burning sensation in eyes, nose and throat,
discharges may be acrid.

Euphrasia 30C
Eyes the biggest problem, with itchy and dry eyes, and burning discharge. Tickling cough, intense
sneezing, runny nose with bland discharge.

Pulsatilla 30C
Bland watery nose and eyes, worse in the heat, eyes itch and feel gritty, and may produce yellowy
discharge. Lots of sneezing.

Sabadilla 30C
Constant , maddening tingling in nose, burning and redness of eyes, sneezing provokes tears.
Eyes watery and burn.

This article was first published in an ARH Newsletter, May 2010.

Tree Pollen and Hay Fever strikes again?

The season of Spring is barely upon us, with only a peppering of crocuses, snowdrops and daffodils around, but it seems that tree pollen is in full force as the hay fever season kicks in.

Hay fever is an allergy caused by a weakened immune system, which results in an irritation to the nose and eyes. It is seen as an extremely obstinate ailment to treat, a permanent cure depends on raising the quality of the immune system.

Homeopathy may help to treat the allergy by strengthening the immune system through individualised constitutional treatment, although it may take several seasons to eradicate the
problem fully. In the short-term, however, the discomfort may be reduced by using a number of different remedies including:

§ Allium Cepa 30C – dripping nose with burning discharge; violent sneezing; stinging, watery eyes

§ Arsenicum Album 30C – sneezing because of tickling feeling in nose; burning sensation in eyes, nose and throat; discharges may be acrid

§ Euphrasia 30c – eyes the biggest problem: itchy and dry eyes, burning discharge. Tickling cough; intense sneezing; runny nose with bland discharge

§ Pulsatilla 30C – bland watery nose and eyes; eyes itch and feel gritty, and may produce yellowy discharge; lots of sneezing; worse in the heat

§ Sabadilla 30c – constant , maddening tingling in nose; burning and redness of eyes; sneezing provokes tears; eyes water and burn

The main cause of hay fever in early spring is tree pollen and therefore a homeopathic
‘Tree Pollen Mix’, available from most homeopathic pharmacies, can be helpful. It is always best to discuss your specific requirements with a registered homeopath since a susceptibility to hay
fever suggests a deeper underlying cause requiring individualised treatment.

This article was first published in Homeopathy Healthy Medicine, March 2011

Homeopathy, Grass Pollen and Hay Fever

The grass is always greener without Hay Fever! This blog focusing on hay fever arising from grass pollen. It is believed that 95% of hay fever within the UK is caused by grass pollens. 

This type of hay fever starts at the beginning of June and peaks around mid-July, although these times may vary, depending on weather conditions and other contingency factors.

Pollen is vital in the reproduction of plants and trees, etc., and the wind is the carrier of the male DNA to the female. To ensure the pollen reaches its destination, plants release a much higher dose of pollen grains than are actually required for the process, so, along with wind direction, these are the two main factors that dictate the pollen count.

Plants release pollen twice a day (in the early morning and late afternoon) and depending on the direction of the wind it has been known to travel many miles from it's source (it has been gathered 200 miles out to sea and even two miles high in the atmosphere). Arising from the prominence of wind direction it is regarded that the West coast of the UK has lower pollen counts than the East, whilst the Midlands and central England have some of the highest in the country.

For those of you who suffer from hay fever, the summer months can represent sheer misery. You may find homeopathy can help to ease some of the specific symptoms that you may be experiencing. 

Ideally you should consult with a registered homeopath for an individualised treatment programme, but you may find the following remedies help to bring some relief.

Gelsemium - achey, flu-like symptoms
Mixed grass pollen - can be used on its own or in alternation with an indicated

remedy 

Wyethia - itchy upper palate, throat and ears

This article was originally published in 'Homeopathy Healthy Medicine' in June 2010. This is a free newsletter published by ARH, and available at http://www.a-r-h.org/publications.htm.

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