Special on Hay Fever
Having suffered from it myself, I can honestly say that hay fever can feel totally debilitating. Unless you have suffered from it too it is hard to really understand how it can affect someone, after all it's just a bit of sneezing isn't it?
At its worst it can resemble a heavy head cold or even flu. Symptoms include a bunged up nose alternating with running like a tap; constant sneezing (which is exhausting in itself); red, sore, itching eyes; coughing; wheezing; feverishness; sore throat; itchy mouth; itchy skin, headache, sinus pain, nose bleeds.
It can be terrible, and of course can last for months. While everyone else appears to be loving the sunshine, it can make you dread the summer (especially if you have exams) and feel like a spoil sport!
Hay fever is the most common allergy in Western countries. It affects about 20% of the UK population - more than 10 million people - and it affects one million so badly that it interferes with their lives.
Hay fever symptoms happen owing to an over reaction by the immune system to airborne particles of grass, tree and flower pollens or allergens which penetrate the nose, throat and upper respiratory passages.
A pollen allergy can appear at any age, but tends to be worse among teenagers and young adults. Men are affected more than women and hay fever can run in families.2010
Owing to the prolonged winter it is believed that this year the pollen count will be worse than ever as plants, trees and grass from the late spring coincide with those coming up in the summer to create extra high levels.
Treatment
Acute Relief - in the summer months once the allergic response has been triggered, symptoms are treated with acute homeopathic remedies. These can be very successful and will almost certainly take away a lot of the immediate symptoms.
Long Term Help - professional homeopathy treatment seeks to go back to the cause of why the immune system has over reacted to a part of our natural environment. Many people have found that after suitable treatment their hay fever gradually reduces until it is no longer a problem.
Longer term, a solution is to see a homeopath during the winter months when the condition is dormant. Treatment can increase the body’s natural resistance so that is becomes less sensitive and less easily attacked by outside factors. This means that the allergic response the following summer will already be less.
But what about my antihistamine tablets and nasal sprays?
Eventually you will not need to rely on your medication, but I understand that it can seem like a life line that you don't want to let go of initially. It is possible to run the two alongside, gradually reducing your need for antihistamine as your symptoms improve with homeopathy. If you are not sure, do just ask me.
General Advice for Hayfever Sufferers
- Avoid open fields and freshly mown lawns, however inviting!
- Try to keep windows closed (if practical) when the pollen count is high, particularly in the morning and evening owing to pollen movement when the temperature changes.
- Dry, warm breezy days lift and circulate pollen, so wear sunglasses as much as possible as this will protect your eyes from dust and pollen.
- Increase your fluid intake to replace fluid lost through watery eyes and nasal discharges.
- Rinse your eyes and nasal passages with water to dilute the pollen – inhaling steam can help relieve swollen airways.
- A change in diet can make a huge difference. A balanced whole food diet which avoids junk foods and additives will improve your overall state of health and resistance to stress, whatever the allergen causing your attacks.
Sometimes the chemical additives in processed foods or other dietary items are themselves to blame, resulting in a dramatic improvement when they are removed from the diet. Avoiding these mucous forming foods can make an enormous difference to hayfever symptoms. These include white flour, white sugar and their products, refined, processed foods, including fried food, animal fat, dairy products, chocolate, cocoa, salt, tea, coffee and alcohol. Emphasis should be placed on raw or lightly cooked fresh fruit and vegetables, whole-wheat flour and its products, nuts, eggs, fish and white meat. - Very recent research has found that regularly taking the live bio culture Acidophilus can help resistance to pollen and allergic reactions, by strengthening the gut and therefore the immune system. Acidophilus can be sourced as a supplement in capsules from health food shops or in natural bio yoghurt.
