Homeopathy & Hay Fever

Summer is here — and, so are seasonal allergies or hay fever, as it is more commonly called in the UK. The common symptoms are runny, itchy eyes, a runny and/or stuffed up nose — and, sneezing. Homeopathy can help.

- Dr Miranda Castro

I adore sneezing. It is a thrilling experience for the body, but as a child I puzzled over why I had to say ‘bless you’ when someone sneezed and was tickled to discover that it came out of the notion that your soul escapes when you sneeze, which is how the custom to say ‘bless you’ apparently developed… to bring your soul back of course.

In this country [US] it is also common to hear gesundheit, the German equivalent of ‘bless you.’ Gesundheit means, literally, ‘to your health’ — a more sensible response to a sneeze, wishing the ‘sneezer’ to stay healthy, and acknowledging a sneeze’s potential to develop into an illness like a cold or flu.

The trouble with hay fever is this… if you are sneezing 10, 15, 20 or 30 times in a row, it isn’t fun anymore. If your sneezes are violent they become downright unpleasant and can even be painful.

In the US allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic illness with more than 50 million Americans suffering from seasonal or perennial [year round] allergies each year.

SENSIBLE PRECAUTIONS

Here are a few common sense suggestions to keep your mucous membranes free of extra allergens during the hay fever season:

• Where possible avoid pollen: don’t do unnecessary gardening/ go for long [or, even short] walks in flower gardens or meadows, etc

• Keep dust levels low in the home: you might want to invest in a vacuum cleaner with a special filter for allergy sufferers.

• Use pillows and duvets filled with synthetic fibres and clean them regularly

• Don’t cycle or take long walks in busy streets, or in the country where crops have been recently sprayed