Allergies - Symptoms, Treatments, Homeopathic Remedies
Using Homeopathy for Allergies and Hay Fever
Allergies are a familiar part of our social world, afflicting many of the people in our lives. But what are they, exactly? Allergies are a disorder of the immune system in which the body reacts in an antagonistic manner to normally harmless substances. Allergic reactions can take many forms, and their severity ranges from a minor nuisance to life-threatening (as in the case of an anaphylactic shock response). There are rampant food allergies (such as lactose, gluten, or peanut intolerance), plant/pollen allergies (a category known loosely as "hay fever," especially as it relates to ragweed), dust mite allergies, mold allergies, bee-sting allergies, pet (dander) allergies, drug allergies (such as penicillin), skin allergies...the list is long. Some allergies are seasonal (especially springtime for sufferers from pollen exposure), others perennial.
Allergies, which have a genetic component, afflict at least 50-60 million Americans (roughly 2 in 10), and approximately 55% of the population test positive for one or more allergens. The incidence of allergies is increasing in many countries. One explanatory theory is the increasing prevalence of synthetic substances in our world, while a very different explanation that has achieved some acceptance is that our immune systems have been "spoiled" by modern hygiene and the relative lack of invaders has caused our bodies to find enemies in benign substances.
Mild allergy symptoms include sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, rash, congestion; moderate symptoms include general itchiness and difficulty breathing; severe (anaphylactic) symptoms include swelling that can make breathing and swallowing difficult, cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and mental confusion.
Conventional Treatment Treats the Symptoms Not the Cause
Skin tests are the most common means of determining what someone is allergic to. Treatments for allergies - which can develop at any point on life, though the most common time is the late teens - vary widely. The single, simplest "remedy" for an allergic disease is to avoid the allergen/s that prompt/s the response. Those allergic to dust mites might choose to rid their homes of carpeting, for example. But other methods include antihistamines, bronchodilators (for asthma and other respiratory allergies), immunotherapy (allergy shots), steroid nasal sprays, and decongestants. Well-known over-the-counter antihistamines include Benadryl and Claritin; prescription choices include Allegra and Clarinex. Corticosteroids severely impair the body's immune response, and these powerful drugs are best avoided if at all possible.
There are of course also alternative, integrative treatments for allergies, some of which have shown great promise even in clinical studies. One naturopathic remedy that has induced a lot of excitement the European herb butterbur, which has performed as well as some powerful antihistamines in controlling allergy symptoms without the drowsiness side effects associated with allopathic medications. Nettles and goldenseal have also shown strong results.
The most common allergy no doubt is hay fever, from which over 35 million Americans suffer as plant, tree, grass, and flower pollen fill the air. In treating hay fever, a trained homeopath will evaluate all aspects of a patient's allergic responses and overall constitutional health. Based on this analysis, s/he will select a homeopathic remedy that will alleviate the symptoms and reduce their frequency while addressing the underlying reason for the sensitivity to substances. This way, the result of homeopathic treatment is not to merely drive the disease further inside the body where it might manifest in another manner. An illustration of this progression is the well-known phenomenon where many children who have severe skin rashes later on develop asthma; this sequence even has a name - the "atopic march."
Homeopathy Matches Your Individual Symptoms to a Homeopathic Remedy So You Feel Better Right Away
Some of the many homeopathic remedies proven effective for hay fever include Arsenicum, Sinapis nigra, Ambrosia artemisiaefolia, Sabadilla, Aralia racemosa, Ipecac, Naphthalin, Sanguinaria nitrate, Natrum muriaticum, Ranunculus bulbosus, Silicea, Rosa Damascena, Allium cepa, Arum triphyllum, Mercurius protoiodide, and Psorinum.
Other homeopathic cures that are given to patients with allergies include Euphrasia (eyebright), Histaminum, Sanquinaria Canadesis (Blood Root), and Thuja occidentatis (Arbor Vitae).
