What is really going in hay fever?

Before we look at the three ways that homeopathic remedies can help hay fever, we need to ask the question “what is really going on in hay fever”? 

Hay fever is caused by pollen isn’t it? Well, although pollen is the trigger for the irritating symptoms of hay fever, the root cause is actually a loss of immune tolerance. Usually substances in our environment, such as pollen, are tolerated by the immune system because it considers them harmless. However, in people with hay fever, the immune system has become hypersensitive and completely overreacts to pollen, treating it as a threat. This triggers the release of IgE antibodies and histamine which cause the distressing sneezing, itching, runny nose, wheezing and coughing.

Why does the immune system become hypersensitive?

Many factors can throw our immune system off balance including stress, lack of sleep, diet and some medications. One example of ths is antibiotics as they disrupt the delicate gut microbiome (the microrganisms which live in an on our bodies, and how these interact with the environment). The microbiome is critically important for maintaining  normal immune tolerance. In fact, people wih allergic rhinitis (hay fever) have been shown to have a different microbiome profile to people without allergic rhinitis.

Three ways that homeopathy can help hay fever

1. Desensitisation:

In Homeopathy we have remedies made from various types of pollen (e.g grass, flower, tree) which can help to desensitise your immune system. I view desensitsation as a way of reminding your body that pollen isn’t a threat so that your immune system learns to tolerate it without overreacting.

Desensitisation remedies can be used during hay fever season to help calm down your body’s pollen-induced tantrum. Its’ also beneficial to take another course in January, to prevent hay fever from rearing it’s ugly head in the spring and summer.

2. Symptom Relief

There are a variety of homeopathic remedies which can help with symptom relief. In conventional medication, antihistamines tend to be the go-to hay fever medicine for most people. In contrast, homeopathic medicine is always personalised. We have remedies for people with hay fever, as opposed to generalised hay fever remedies. In homeopathy there are remedies for people with itchy hay fever, for runny & sneezy hay fever and for wheezy hay fever.

3. Helping to prevent hay fever in the future

By using homeopathic desensitisation, as well as personalised homeopathic remedies, many people find that their hay fever reduces in severity, or disappears completely over time.

This is a little taster of some of the homeopathic remedies that have been helpful for my clients with hay fever:

Ambrosia:

Intolerable itching of the eyelids
Eyes water, smart, burn and may be bloodshot & swollen
Asthmatic attacks which are worse from 9pm until midnight.

Aralia Racemosa:

Frequent sneezing set off by drafts and the movement of air
Asthmatic breathing – wheezing and whistling on lying down at night or after being asleep for a short while
Spasmodic, dry cough and tickling in the throat – need to sit up for relief
Symptoms are worse on hot, humid evenings and better in cool weather

Nat Mur:

Violent bouts of sneezing & nose runs like a tap
Extremely watery eyes with tears streaming down the face (worse in the open air, wind or from reading)
Loss of taste & smell
People needing Nat Mur may feel embarrassed by the symptoms and want to stay at home

Wyethia:

Dryness of the nose with violent sneezing.
Itching of the mouth – need to scratch it with the tongue.
Throat feels dry, swollen; constant need to swallow to clear the throat; hoarse voice

If you would like to learn more about becoming hay fever free, you can find out more here.