Helping Allergies Naturally with Homeopathy

Allergies can be a pain - itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing fits, scratchy throat (and sometimes worse) await sufferers of seasonal allergies every year. Environmental sensitivities make many people’s lives a misery. Drug store shelves are full of medicines to suppress the symptoms. But what if there was a safe, effective, natural solution to the problem? One that didn’t have the side effects of regular medicine? Even better, what if it could not only ease your current symptoms, but also improve your overall state of health so that next time you didn’t get the allergies as badly, or maybe even got rid of them altogether?

Welcome to the potential of homeopathy! Homeopathy is a versatile system of complementary medicine that uses specially prepared natural remedies to gently stimulate your body to heal itself. It has been used by millions of people worldwide for over 200 years and is currently the fastest growing form of natural medicine in the USA.

Several clinical studies have shown the effectiveness of homeopathy for allergies. David Reilly MD of the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital compared homeopathic remedies with placebo for the treatment of grass pollen allergy in 1986. The group taking the homeopathic remedy halved their need for antihistamines compared to the placebo group. In 1994 he investigated dust mite allergy, showing that 77% of subjects taking the homeopathic remedy improved, compared to 33% on placebo. Most recently in 2000 he compared nasal airflow in allergy sufferers. The homeopathic group had a 28% improvement in nasal airflow, the control group a 3% improvement.

Homeopathy has two approaches to allergy problems. One is to treat the allergy attack itself, focusing on the immediate symptoms. A woman came to me seeking homeopathic treatment for wheezing, dry cough and runny nose along with sore throat and loss of voice. This had come on after being exposed to solvent odors during remodeling her house. A homeopathic remedy called Sanguinaria was recommended, and the symptoms rapidly resolved.

Homeopathy also offers a way to reduce your sensitivity to allergens over the long term. This is the most effective approach as it reduces the severity and frequency of allergy attacks over time, and can in many cases prevent future episodes. If you would like to treat allergies in this way, seek advice from a qualified homeopath. Every spring and summer a young man’s life was miserable. He had itching eyes, sneezing and nasal congestion, and his nose would run like a tap. He felt so bad he had to lie down, but then the nasal discharge would run down the back of his throat, causing a raw, burning pain. He was given a homeopathic remedy derived from the mineral Phosphorus to strengthen his overall health. In the four years since taking the remedy he has suffered only one mild bout of allergy symptoms, and this was quickly resolved by the appropriate homeopathic remedy.

You can use homeopathic remedies to treat mild allergy symptoms yourself. Here are a few commonly used remedies with typical symptoms:
Allium cepa Profuse, irritating, burning nasal discharge. Eyes water but tears are not irritating. Lots of sneezing. Throat feels as if something is stuck in it. Symptoms are worse from the scent of flowers, worse in the evening, and worse in a warm room. You feel better outdoors.
Euphrasia Very watery eyes; tears irritate, burn and sting. Eyes are red, burning, swollen and sensitive to light. Profuse, non irritating nasal discharge. Cough only in the daytime, better lying down in bed. Headache, worse in the sun.
Sabadilla Frequent violent sneezing fits. Runny nose, itching inside. Eyes red and burning. Wheezing. Face feels hot, body feels chilly. Warmth helps. Desire for warm drinks, &/or lemon. Cold drinks make things worse. Very sensitive to the scent of flowers.
Wyethia Tremendous itching of the nose, throat and palate, which may extend to the ears. Rub the tongue against the roof of the mouth to soothe the itching. Throat feels swollen and irritated. Constantly clearing the throat.

Remedies can be obtained from health food stores, which usually carry a selection. To take a homeopathic remedy, take 1 pellet of 12c potency and wait an hour or so to see if it has helped. You can repeat the remedy if necessary, but if you are feeling better, don’t take any more unless your symptoms come back.

If you have taken several doses and your symptoms are not resolving you may benefit from professional advice. Professional homeopaths have access to a wider range of remedies than you will find in health food stores, plus they have years of training and experience that enable them to find the best remedy for you. Don’t try to treat yourself for a chronic or long term condition.

How Homeopathy Worksr
Homeopathy works on the basis of “like cures like”. This means that a substance which can produce a certain set of symptoms when tested can relieve the same combination of symptoms when they appear as a result of an illness. Homeopaths have been testing remedies on human volunteers (no animal testing is ever used) for over 200 years, and detailed databases of symptoms and remedies have been developed. Homeopaths use these resources either as computer software or reference books to select the remedy that best matches a client's symptoms.

Finding a Homeopathr
These organizations have lists of qualified practitioners:
National Center for Homeopathy www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org
Council for Homeopathic Certification www.homeopathicdirectory.com
North American Society of Homeopaths www.homeopathy.org