Hay Fever and the use of Homeopathy

If you have symptoms of Hay Fever and are interested in using homeopathy, you should know what is important to observe and inform your homeopathic practitioner.

Hay Fever is medically known as “seasonal allergic rhinitis” and consists of an inflammation and irritation in the delicate linings of the nasal passage, throat and eyes. Hay fever commonly appears around the ages 11 to 12; the symptoms usually peak in the 20s and early 30s and then gradually disappear. However, more and more people are beginning to experience hay fever for the first time in their 30s. Although we still use the term “Hay Fever,” a fever is not a symptom of the disease nor is it due to hay.

What causes hay fever?

Hay Fever is caused by an allergic reaction to the allergen pollen – a grain used to transport the male DNA to the female part of the flower. When pollen particles are breathed in, the body’s immune system overreacts, as it believes it to be a harmful substance. The body then produces an antibody, immunoglobulin E (IgE) to fight it off. The IgE antibody stimulates the release of certain chemicals, in particular histamine, to flush the pollen out of the airways. It is this process which causes the many symptoms associated with Hay Fever. If the person tends to suffer from Hay Fever symptoms in early spring, it is more likely to be an allergy to tree pollens; if the person suffer more in the summer then it is more likely to be a grass pollen allergy.

Hay Fever and homeopathic medicines

Acute attacks of Hay Fever often respond to homeopathic medicines. Allergies are usually deep-seated problems, and are often best addressed with a homeopathic constitutional medicine and the guidance of an experienced practitioner. A homeopathic constitutional medicine is a medicine that works on a deep cellular level to bring the body and emotions back to a state of health and balance.

To find your constitutional medicine you will need to see a trained homeopathic practitioner. He will ask you many questions, some which may seem irrelevant, like what kinds of foods do you crave, or if you prefer the mountains or the seashore. And do not be surprised if you are given a single dose. Constitutional medicines are deep and long acting. Many people find that it is useful to get a “constitutional tune-up” once a year or at the change of the seasons.

Homeopathic medicines are prescribed by symptoms rather than conditions, as each case of a particular illness can manifest differently in different people. The process of finding the correct homeopathic constitutional medicine is started by the process of case taking. The homeopath will already take note of certain bodily attributes and appearances when the patient enters the room. Patients will then be asked to talk about themselves and to describe their symptoms. The homeopath will ask certain questions to establish the personality type of the patient. Only when the practitioner has a god grasp of the patient’s symptoms as well as their physical, emotional and mental states, can he make an informed decision about the appropriate single homeopathic medicine with traits that will match the personality traits of the patient.

Homeopathic questionnaire

Below is a list of questions that a homeopathic practitioner may ask you during a consultation related to Hay fever:

1. Questions about the headache during Hay Fever

Do you have headache?
What type of pain do you have (burning, throbbing, sore etc)?
What time of the day do you have pain?
Where is the location of your pain (forehead, temples etc)?
Is there any condition that improves or aggravates the pain (e.g. headache that improves after sleeping or headache that aggravates when inside of a warm room)?
Note that these simple details can make a change when the homeopath is choosing a medicine for the patient.

2. Questions about eye symptoms during Hay Fever

Do you have painful, itchy eyes?
When do you have the itching (inside of the house or outside)?
Or what time of the day do you have these symptoms?
Does the itching improve with warm or cold applications?

3. Questions about ear symptoms during Hay Fever

Do you have pain, itching in your ears?

4. Questions about mouth and throat symptoms during Hay Fever

Do you have an itchy throat?
Some patients experience an intolerable itching on the roof of the mouth and behind the nose – sometimes exceeding into the throat and ears – and these symptoms strongly suggest the use of a specific homeopathic medicine.

5. Other relevant questions

What type of discharge comes from your nose? Does the discharge cause a sore on the nose or the upper lip?
How do you feel physically and emotionally during the Hay Fever? When do most of your symptoms appear? Does the emergence of the symptoms have to do with changes of the weather? Does the emergence of the symptoms have to do with changes in temperature?
What are the emotional changes you experiment during an acute of Hay Fever? For instance, some patients become irritable with other people, and others may demand large amounts of attention, or may have fears to stay alone etc.
What type of symptoms may occur, in different parts of your body, during the acute of Hay Fever? Conventional medicine simply disregards these symptoms; Homeopathy, in contrary, gives them great value, since they characterise not only the disease but the diseased person – target of the homeopathic consultation.

The best time to treat Hay Fever with Homeopathy

There are two important moments to start treating Hay Fever:

  • When winter is at your door. This way, this inconvenient disease will be treated on a preventive manner in order to be already stabilised during spring and summer time, or
  • During an acute phase of the disease, that occurs more during spring and summer.