Most of us only think of addressing hayfever symptoms when the pollens have hit the air and we are suffering. This is too late, as our immune system benefits from support several months in advance of any pollen onslaught.
Hayfever is a chronic allergy. Taking anti-histamines to stop one’s eyes itching and nose running only addresses the symptoms and not the cause. There are dangers to taking anti-histamines repeatedly. The University of Washington has warned that “Taking a daily dose of pills like Benadryl, Piriton and Nytol, for at least three years, can increase the chance of getting Alzheimer’s disease by more than 60 per cent”1.
So what can be done? I have found that homeopathy works really well, especially if you start taking homeopathic immune support in the Autumn well before the pollens are released into the air.
The most common symptoms of hayfever are sneezing, a blocked or running nose, itchy and streaming eyes and throat. The itching can be intolerable. All these symptoms can lead to trouble sleeping, daytime drowsiness, poor concentration, problems doing simple everyday activities and feeling miserable.
If you start taking homeopathic immune support in the autumn and through winter you are well prepared by January when you want to start taking whichever pollens it is you react to in homeopathic form. This supports your immune system and can significantly reduce your sensitivity to pollens and your symptoms.
Are you aware that various pollens are released at different times of the year?
The first are the flower pollens, which typically get released March-April. Next come the tree pollens April-May, followed by grass pollens about June. The final pollens to be released in late summer are weeds and shrubs. Depending on when you get your hayfever symptoms you can work out which category of pollens you are allergic to. Alternatively, you can visit a Kinesiologist and get yourself tested to identify these.
Having identified your problem pollens you want to start desensitizing to these in January, having already supported your immune system homoeopathically from October. This gives you time to take each pollen remedy for 3-4 weeks before they hit the air and thereby strengthen your immunity.
Individualised homeopathic medication can be made for your symptoms once pollens are in the air, if you still suffer symptoms. I will run through these next spring for those of you who want to know which to take to relieve your symptoms. Ideally you want the individual homeopathic medications made up for you in a single combination to simplify things.
I will also cover the best immune support to take to reduce your hayfever symptoms in my spring blog.
For autumn hayfever support visit your local practical homeopath or contact me for a Skype/FaceTime consultation or person to person appointment in London.
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