Spring means warmer days, budding flowers and trees—and if you’re unlucky, the appearance of watery eyes, runny nose and itchy throat—all hallmark symptoms of hay fever. Allergies are on the rise due to warmer seasons and an increase in toxic chemicals.
Many people turn to medications like antihistamines but become disheartened by the side effects and purely symptomatic treatment of allergies. Homeopathy to the rescue! In a study published in a European journal in 2012, patients who suffered from allergic conditions such as hay fever, conjunctivitis, asthma and eczema experienced improvement without side effects. Of those taking medications, 62% were able to eliminate them, while the other 38% were able to reduce them. For more research on homeopathy, check out my previous blog.
Homeopathic medicines work by stimulating the body’s healing response rather than just by managing symptoms but the remedy must suit the symptoms a person experiences for the best result.
In fact many turn to homeopathy when other therapies seem ineffective. While there are many types of allergies, my top three remedies for hay fever are Allium cepa, Euphrasia and Sabadilla. Choose the one which best suits your symptoms and take three times daily until your symptoms subside. In acute situations like hay fever, you should notice a difference quickly. If your symptoms improve immediately after a remedy, stop and repeat only if symptoms return. If there’s no improvement at all after 1-3 days, switch to a better fit or find a homeopath to help you choose the right medicine.
Allium cepa 30ch is one of the top remedies for hay fever. Symptoms that suggest Allium cepa is best are: watery, itchy nose that runs like a faucet and burns the surrounding area. There may be sneezing and the eyes are water and itchy too. Warm rooms feel suffocating and there is a need for fresh air.
Euphrasia 30chis a better fit if the eye symptoms are most intense: red, itchy watery eyes that burn and are sensitive to light. The eyes may feel like sand is in them, and the nose runs copious amounts of non-irritating mucous.
Sabadilla 30chis the best choice if instead your hay fever is characterized by sneezing fits followed by runny, red, burning eyes, and watery nose. The throat is dry and itchy. The hay fever is better worse outdoors.
There are more homeopathic remedies for hay fever, so if these top choices don’t seem to suit your symptoms, find a homeopath to choose a more suitable medicine. Homeopathic constitutional remedies which take all symptoms into account including sleep, digestion and energy, are best taken before allergy season to strengthen health overall. These natural medicines also help with other allergy symptoms that may not be of the hay fever type, whether for hives, digestive problems or asthma because they work by jump starting the body’s natural and innate ability to heal itself. Over time, homeopathy increases your level of health, and you need less rather than more remedies.
Further general recommendations:
Change bed sheets, open windows and remove clutter regularly. If you have nasal congestion or hay fever type symptoms, keeping your home relatively dust free will make a difference. Dust mites live off our dead skin cells, and we lose about 40,000 skin cells every minute!
Eat local, raw, unpasteurized honey throughout the year to prevent pollen allergies. Small, regular amounts of the natural pollens in honey can prevent symptoms from developing, similar to the way a natural vaccine would work. Be sure the honey is made locally and is unpasteurized for the best effects.
Reduce your toxic load—avoid toxic cleaners, and eat wholesome, natural foods. In the last 50 years, which is when allergies began their rampant increase, somewhere between 100,000 and 7 million new chemicals have been added to our environment and the number is increasing exponentially. Our bodies are amazing at creating and maintaining balance but these chemicals do have an impact and over time, reaching a threshold when our bodies are no longer able to keep up—that’s when symptoms of allergies appear.
Take quercetin and vitamin c to stabilize cell walls and reduce seasonal allergy symptoms. You may find that you may need more over time, but it will help manage symptoms.