Constant sneezing, itchy eyes, streaming nose? Do these symptoms seem familiar to you?
Then perhaps you are a hay fever sufferer.
About 10 to 15% of children and 25 to 30% of adults are affected in the UK – so quite a large proportion! Additionally according to Allergies UK, people who have allergic rhinitis are at increased risk of developing asthma. So it is important to manage the symptoms and address the root cause of the issue.
This article sets out some useful information about hay fever and why it happens together with some tips to help with your symptoms and how to minimise hay fever.
What is hay fever?
Allergic rhinitis is a response from your immune system to pollens, grass and other allergens. It can become debilitating when the symptoms are intense. This may impact on work and school life, as well as disrupt social outings and perhaps even your sleep.
This over-reaction from our immune system happens when our body makes allergic antibodies (IgE) to react against airborne allergens. Such reaction occurs because there is an imbalance in the immune system and may start at any age, not just in childhood.
Whilst it is common to treat hay fever with over the counter drugs such as anti-histamines, these treatments only mask the issue. And sadly, they can produce side-effects and their effectivity is often of short-duration.
So what can we do to reduce our symptoms?
Closing our windows and staying indoors do not have to be our “go to” measures.
First thing first, stay well hydrated so that the mucous membranes of your nose remain damp and expel unwanted particles more easily.
You may also want to coat your nostrils with a bees wax ointment (or a similar natural ointment) before going out.
When you come back from outside, make sure your shoes stay on your door steps and you get changed into clean clothes. If necessary, have a shower and rinse your hair too as pollens tend to stay on your clothes and hair and you should avoid sleeping with them around.
Eat healthy fats, onions, garlic and spices which help keeping a healthy immune system and reduce inflammation caused by hay fever. And finally, I often recommend a daily intake of local raw honey during the winter. This helps to desensitise to local pollens.
What about homeopathy?
Some studies show the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies in treating hay fever symptoms.
Many homeopathic remedies are available: Nux Vomica, Euphrasia and Allium Cepa are typical examples. Choosing the correct remedy will depend on what symptoms you experience: are your eyes itchy? do you get a watery discharge from your nose? do you feel better outdoors? are your discharges burning, etc?
Those remedies will help during the acute flare-up and may even have dramatic results (I have witnessed symptoms disappearing within minutes of taking the remedy). They are great to have at hand should your symptoms take you by surprise or become less bearable. However they will not address the underlying cause of your allergy and probably will need to be repeated frequently.
Hay fever prevention
The best way to manage hay fever effectively is to build up your resistance to allergens and strengthen your immunity before the season starts. Ideally you should follow a homeopathic treatment at the start of autumn and repeat it during the winter. It involves various remedies which address your allergic disposition and remedies selected for you to help your immune system. Homeopathy is an individualised medicine so remedies are chosen based on your specific symptoms.
And being holistic, you will find that the treatment may also help with other troubles you may have!
For more information, please contact me at priscille@priscillehomeopathy.co.uk or on 07387 422 848, or via my contact page.
Priscille Francetti LCCH MARH
Homeopath
