Hay Fever Help Homeopathic Treatment And Other Self Help Tips

When working well, our immune system protects us by destroying dangerous bacteria, viruses and toxins that enter our body. In the case of hay fever however, something goes horribly wrong and our immune system starts to over-react to harmless substances such as pollens, grasses, and animal dander. This allergic response results in a cluster of symptoms that make life miserable such as sneezing, stuffy or running nose, itching, headaches, asthma, watery eyes, post nasal drip and fogginess.

While hay fever may seem to be about surface symptoms only, it is really a deep-seated complaint. Commonly prescribed sprays and tablets that suppress hay fever symptoms may bring temporary relief but theyn never get to the root of the problem. They are also associated with side effects and are the least helpful option for long-term improvement.

In this article we will show you some simple self-help measures that go a long way to reducing the frequency and intensity of hay fever symptoms, plus explore the homeopathic and conventional treatment options from the perspective of effectiveness and safety. Finally, a list of remedies commonly used by homeopaths to treat hayfever, along with when they should be chosen, will help you decide which one may help you.

Simple Steps for Managing Hay Fever

There are several self help measures that cost very little which you can do yourself to help with hay fever. They are:

1. Drink plenty of water. When you’re well hydrated the mucous membranes of your nose remain moist to expel allergens more easily.
2. Consider using a neti pot. These small pots can be filled with a warm sea salt solution and used to flush your nasal passages and expel irritants.
3. Coat your nostrils. Lightly smear a non-absorbent ointment, such as paw-paw ointment, onto the inner surface of your nostrils to provide a protective barrier that traps allergens.
4. Know your triggers. Most hay fever sufferers are affected by the wind but some are worse indoors while others itch and sneeze when outside. Avoid your triggers when pollen counts are high.
5. Use Food as your Medicine.

Healthy fats and oils such as olive oil, fish oil and even moderate amounts of animal fats are important for a healthy immune system. Studies show that those who eat mostly polyunsaturated and trans-fats, as found in many margarines and processed foods, are more likely to suffer allergies.

Onions and garlic can be used for their homeopathic effect - the symptoms they cause, they can also treat. Both contain natural compounds that reduce the inflammation of hay fever. Add them liberally to your meals or, if you are up to it, eat them by themselves to reduce nasal irritation and streaming eyes.

Local raw honey can be used as a crude form of homoeopathy to desensitise yourself to local pollens from which the honey was produced. Start by taking a small amount each day before the start of hay fever season, gradually increasing to a teaspoon or more. Continue right through the season for best results.

Spices such as horseradish, mustard, chillies and fenugreek also help through a crude homoeopathic effect - they can relieve the very hay fever-like symptoms they produce. Add them liberally to meals or take them alone to thin mucus and expel irritants.

Safe and Risky Ways to Treat Hay Fever

If we want the best result for the least risk when treating our health problems, we must think carefully about the treatment we choose.

Conventional medicine depends on the allopathic effect1 for most of its treatments. It relieves symptoms by palliating or suppressing them for short periods of time. The drawback is that side effects are common and continual suppression leads to worsening health.

Homeopathy2 seeks to stimulate a self-healing response from the person’s own vitality. The goal of treatment is to strengthen rather than weaken this vitality so that full healing is more likely. Homeopathy does this through potentised3remedies that closely match the symptoms of the person’s disease and are free of toxic side-effects.

To get a better idea, let’s compare the two approaches in what they offer for hay fever.

The Conventional Approach – Allopathic Treatment

Conventional medicine treats hay fever with antihistamines, ster oids, or desensitisation treatments. For stubborn cases that fail to improve, laser surgery may be used to destroy the mucus-forming nasal tissue. Let’s look at each option in more detail.

Antihistamines

Anyone can be affected by the side-effects of antihistamines but children and the elderly are more vulnerable. Antihistamines can worsen conditions such as glaucoma, enlarged prostate gland, difficulty in passing urine, or bowel blockage, and their safety during pregnancy hasn’t been established. They also hold increased risks for those with liver or kidney disease.

Some of the most common side-effects include: headache; drowsiness; dizziness; blurred vision; confusion; dry mouth; constipation; and difficulty passing urine. And once the antihistamine effect wears off, hay fever symptoms are usually return.

Steroids

Steroids (corticosteroids) for hay fever are available as sprays, creams and tablets. Steroids create many more problems than antihistamines. They lead to unpleasant and even dangerous side-effects such as high blood pressure, bleeding from the bowels or stomach, reduced healing, poor muscle growth, weight gain, and electrolyte imbalances. Long term use increases the likelihood of diabetes, glaucoma, and eye damage.

And if that’s not enough, additional side effects include mood swings, personality changes, agitation, nervousness, tiredness, lack of energy, and depression. There are certainly safer ways of managing hay fever than resorting to steroids!

Desensitisation Treatments

Homeopathy is everywhere – even in approaches sometimes used by conventional medicine. Modern allergy treatments that expose people to small amounts of the substance to which they are allergic, unknowingly use the homeopathic principle of ‘like treats like’. Homeopaths have known of this approach for almost two centuries but are also aware that if even smaller amounts are used, and in potency, the results are much faster and better.

Homeopaths also understand that while a homeopathic remedy prepared from an allergen (the substance that triggers an allergic response) can bring temporary relief or surface improvement, a deeper-acting remedy that addresses the person’s whole state of ill-health will lead to the hay fever being eradicated completely and better health overall.

Laser Surgery

Laser surgery is used to vaporise the mucus membranes of the nose to inhibit the symptoms of hay fever. Care has to be taken to prevent burning of the nasal tissue. Success is variable and re-vaporisation is often needed as symptoms will often return over time.

Homeopathy and Hay Fever Research

Numerous studies have shown that homeopathy should be the treatment of choice for allergies. They consistently show that homeopathic treatment alleviates the symptoms of hay fever and other hypersensitivity disorders without dangerous side-effects - and improves quality of life. A sampling of these studies have been placed in the Research section of the website.

Treating Hay Fever with Homeopathy

Treating yourself with homoeopathy during an acute phase of hay fever is easy as long as you know the remedy that matches your symptoms. Relief is usually rapid and all remedies are safe for use with babies through to the elderly when used according to instructions. Do be aware that self-treatment does have its limits though. You won’t be able to prescribe deeply enough to deal with the underlying chronic imbalance that allows your hay fever to recur. A qualified homeopath can treat this for you but it may require more than one visit. The bonus is that other health problems will improve along with your hay fever.

To treat your acute hay fever yourself, look through the remedies listed below to see which one matches your symptoms - then just take it. Instructions on how to dose, and how often, can be found here. If there is no improvement by 3-4 doses just reassess your symptoms and choose a different remedy that matches your symptoms more closely.

Should you find it difficult to sort through your symptoms, ABC Homeopathy has an online remedy finder to make it easier. Or, consider using our Hayfever Complex that combines a number of the more frequently needed remedies for you. This is available for order from our online shop.

Alternately, an appointment can be made with a homeopath who will assess your symptoms in full and make a constitutional prescription to help you get on top of the problem once and for all.