HAY FEVER - THE NATURAL CURE

Keith Smith L.C.P.H. M.H.M.A. ,  Homeopath, Writer and Life Coach

Most of us look forward to the warmth of spring, but for about one in five of us it comes at a cost.  Sneezing, runny nose and streaming eyes are the all too familiar signs of hay fever, or allergic rhinitis as it medically known. 

 As with all complaints, there are two approaches.  Orthodox treatments generally concentrate on making you more comfortable by temporarily reducing your symptoms. 

The alternative approach can do this too, but more importantly aims to prevent symptoms returning by removing the underlying cause to achieve a true cure. 

 Imagine that!  No more dreading the onset of spring! No more trips to the chemist or G.P. for nasal sprays, eye drops etc., and no more risk of side effects like drowsiness, raised blood pressure, disturbed sleep, osteoporosis or a weakened immune system.

 Homeopathic remedies can be used safely to treat hay fever in children and adults, as used correctly they have no side effects.  Trials published in the British Medical Journal show that they are effective in treating patients with allergic rhinitis.

The Hay fever Season

Often you can tell what is causing your hay fever by the time of year it occurs.

Tree Pollens – if your symptoms develop between January and April then you are probably one of the 25% of hay fever sufferers sensitive to tree pollens.

Birch trees release their pollen in April.  Hazel, alder, elm and yew all release pollen between January and April.

Weed and Grass Pollens – the majority of hay fever sufferers are affected by various grass pollens.  In the UK these cause problems from early June through until mid July or early August.  However weed pollens can also cause problems during this period and on through until mid September.  To complicate things, you may suffer from exposure to one type of pollen, a few types or many different ones.  Rapeseed is the bane of many patients, especially if living near the vast yellow fields, or driving through them during May.

Moulds – if your symptoms are worse during the autumn then you are probably being affected by mould spores.

All Year Round Sufferers – this is likely to be caused by other triggers such as dogs, cats, horses, pollution, dust mites etc..  This is known as perennial allergic rhinitis.

How Can I Pinpoint My Triggers

Skin prick tests can be arranged by G.P.s though are not completely reliable.  Bio-resonance testing can give an indication of what you react to, whether this is pollen, a pet or foods etc.. (for more information telephone Well House Clinic on 01323 842633).

Useful Tips

• Close car windows and your sunroof when the pollen count is high.  Use air conditioning.

• Avoid pollen rich areas in the afternoons and evenings when the pollen count is higher.

• If you have exams to do this summer and suffer badly from hay fever, avoid medicines that make you drowsy and make an appointment with a qualified homeopath immediately.

• Buy local honey – this may help to desensitise you against the pollens in your neighbourhood.

• Strengthen your resistance with a good quality anti-oxidant combination including the minerals zinc, and selenium and vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene.

• Take a good quality natural anti-histamine combination including the amino acid methionine (500 mg), calcium (400mg), magnesium (200mg) and 1g of vitamin C.

• So How Do I Cure My Hay Fever For Good

• The following chart will give you some remedies to ease your symptoms safely without side effects. But if you want to be cured for good, then contact your homeopath who will be able to treat you at a much deeper level to deal with this genetic trait. Hay fever is linked in families to asthma, and eczema – so you or other family members may suffer from these complaints. A qualified homeopath can very successfully treat all three.

If you are not sure which remedy to use try Mixed Pollen 30c. The dose for all the remedies (adults or children) is one tablet every two hours for three doses daily. Let the tablet dissolve under your tongue in a clean mouth (i.e. at least 15 minutes away from food or drink including water). Avoid peppermint and coffee as these can interfere with the action of the remedies.

If you have chosen the correct remedy, your symptoms will reduce on the first day and ideally you will be able to reduce subsequent daily doses to one tablet as required, or perhaps one dose a.m. and a second dose p.m.. If the remedy doesn’t begin to relieve your symptoms by day two, then you could try a different remedy or contact your homeopath for professional treatment. Remember you are only treating your symptoms, to stop hay fever reoccurring you need to book an appointment with your homeopath.

To book homeopathic treatment or bio-resonance testing for pollens and other allergens telephone Well House Clinic on 01323 84263

Keith Smith is a local Homeopath, writer and Life Coach and can be contacted via email at Homeopathy for Health or by phone Tel: 01323 842633