It’s Springtime – finally! Inhale a deep breath of sap flowing, buds bursting, the smell of dirt and warming soil. The season of joy and life and renewal! Right? Ennhhh…wrong… Especially if that first whiff of spring brings on your symptoms of weepy/watery eyes, a burning, sneezing watery nose, a sore throat, and itchy mouth/nose/eyes. You are so stuffed up that breathing is impossible. You know that feeling? Stuffed up AND runny but darn if you can blow anything into your tissue!
GIVE ME SOMETHING…ANYTHING!!
Maybe you’ve turned to over-the-counter medications just to get through the season, but you are struggling with side effects. Or it feels like your hay-fever is getting worse every year. Some people discover long term side effects that are life altering (read the possible side effects on the leaflet and Google “zyrtec withdrawal” if you are unsure of the risks).
One thing can be said for the over-the-counter medications: they do dry up the nose—and the eyes and the mouth. But, over the years, some people get an ‘out of it’ feeling.
Maybe this is the year you decide that you really want to try something different, something more natural, AND just as effective (more effective, actually).
TRY Homeopathy for allergies
In the resources section of today’s blog, you will find links to some extremely well-written articles on homeopathy and hay fever (no need to rewrite something that is well covered). The article on the Helios Homeopathic Pharmacy website gives you descriptions of the most common remedies recommended for hay fever and allergies. Instead of one or two over-the-counter medicines for everyone with every symptom of hay fever, homeopathy can individualize based on characteristic symptoms of the person, rather than the condition itself.
SINGLE homeopathic remedy for allergies?
For instance: If your strongest allergy/hay fever symptom is constant sneezing with a clear watery runny nasal discharge (watering the garden) but the nose feels blocked, you might need Arsenicum (especially if you have a history of asthma). With the general symptoms of Arsenicum, such as chilliness, wanting warm/hot drinks, restlessness, and any burning sensations that feel better with warm applications (think burning eyes and you want a warm cloth on them, not a cold one), you will likely find immediate relief.
There is one remedy that I would like to mention, however, because it might be difficult to find anything written on it. In Dana Ullman’s article, “Homeopathy for Allergies: Nothing to Sneeze At,” he mentions a remedy that I had never heard of until today.
Galphimia glauca is a plant common to Mexico and was used by German doctors in the 1960’s for allergies. In fact, there is a great deal of research on this homeopathic preparation.
What is characteristic with Galphimia is the hypersensitivity to weather changes (during the springtime in Calgary, we can have sunny and warm one day and snow the next) and with the allergy symptoms, shooting pains in the stomach. So in many ways it can be similar to Arsenicum, but Galphimia has its own peculiar symptom picture.
COMBINATION hOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES for allergies
Alternatively, the combination homeopathic remedy can be convenient if you are at the beginning of your allergy symptoms, and you need some immediate relief until you can get in to see a homeopath. Or it is possible that you are just plain desperate and need something now!
When you use combination remedies it is important to read the different brand packages, as you will find they may have slight variations in the formulation. You might need to try a couple of different formulations until you find one that is right for your needs.
Ullman highly recommends that you find a combination that has the Galphimia in it and after a look on the Internet, I discovered that Hyland’s does have an allergy formulation that includes Galphimia.
It’s called Hyland’s Seasonal Allergy Relief.
The remedies in Seasonal Allergy Relief:
- Allium cepa (red onion)
- Galphimia glauca
- Histaminum hydrochloricum
- Luffa operculate
- Natrum muriaticum
- Nux vomica
Boiron has a product called RhinAllergy.
The remedies in RhinAllergy:
- Allium cepa 5CH
- Ambrosia artemisiaefolia 5CH
- Euphrasia officinalis 5CH
- Histaminum hydrochloricum 9CH
- Sabadilla 5CH
- Solidago virgaurea 5CH
Check out both the links to Hyland’s and Boiron to read the ingredients. You will notice many of the same remedies are in both formulations and if you go to the Helios’ website, you can read the individual remedy pictures.
Homeopathy has many remedies that have proven very effective with seasonal allergies. Try it this season. If you find that homeopathy helps, consider booking an appointment with a qualified homeopath. If you are a DIY person and want to try finding a remedy on your own, you will likely be helped for the season. But if hay fever and allergies or asthma are a chronic health concern for you, a homeopath can find a remedy that will eventually, over two or three seasons, help you heal so that yearly allergies can be a thing of the past.
Let me know how your allergy season goes.
Yours in health and healing,
Donna
RESOURCES
Helios is an excellent resource for combination homeopathic remedies and single remedies. Descriptions of the individual remedies that you see listed on combination products are very helpful for the beginning home prescriber.
A Vogel information on Galphimia
Getting started with homeopathy
A beginner-friendly guide walking you through how to get started with homeopathy — covering starter remedies, kit-building tips, where to buy, and links to further courses and resources.
