Articles / Allergies

Homeopathy for Allergies; Treating the Cause
as published in the May 2005 issue of Vitality Magazine

"I love this spring weather", I declared during a recent customary elevator chitchat. "Why?" queried the woman I was conversing with, "It's only another dreadful allergy season!" Tempted to offer her my business card, instead I smiled graciously and gave a sympathetic nod, and decided to write this article on how homeopathy can help. I believe information is one of the best weapons in our arsenal against allergies, or any other ailment for that matter.

While mostly triggered during the spring and fall months, allergies can be ubiquitous during all warm weather months. Allergies can be imprisoning for many sufferers, making it difficult to take a nature walk, or even go outside. Many allergy sufferers can't enjoy their favourite foods and others can't own pets or visit friends who do. For some, even exercising is difficult as their nose runs faster than they do! A runny or stuffy nose leads to mouth breathing, which in turn leads to a dry mouth, then difficult breathing, possible insomnia and finally exhaustion. It can be a vicious cycle.

The greatest misunderstanding about allergies is the assumption that the allergen (pollen, ragweed, animal dander, wheat, etc.) is the problem. Actually, the allergen is simply the trigger or catalyst, while the person's body and its inability to resist the allergen is the cause. Rather than just treating symptoms or avoiding the allergen, the best method is to strengthen your immune system, or constitution. This is where homeopathy can help. Homeopathy heals by strengthening your constitution, which in turn helps your body heal itself. The stronger your constitution, the less you will be affected by otherwise harmless substances known as allergens.

Modern, medical treatment for allergies includes antihistamines, steroids, and desensitization shots. In severe cases, laser surgery may be used to vaporize mucous-forming nasal tissue. People with allergies know that these treatments don't work; at best, they provide temporary relief of symptoms, and at worst, they create side effects that can be a greater problem than the allergies themselves. Ultimately, suppression of allergy symptoms can create more complex health disorders.

Every new over-the-counter drug promises fast relief without drowsiness. "Take this wonder pill" they say, "and be smiling night and day!" Allergy sufferers know that it is not that simple. Since seasonal allergies are related to histamine release, anti-histamines seem like a logical prescription. Unfortunately, it's based on the erroneous principle of Western medicine, which advocates treating with the opposite substance. For example, if you have constipation, take a laxative, for pain, a pain killer, for depression, and anti-depressant, for insomnia, a sleeping pill, and so on. Of course this approach can provide quick but temporary relief of your immediate discomforts. The problem is that it ignores one of the basic laws of natural: "Every action is followed by an equal and opposite reaction." Consequently, if you take a laxative, and force the bowels to evacuate, it causes the colon muscles to go into spasm, so that after the initial bowel movement the body "holds on" even more -- creating a more severe constipation for the following day. The long-term effect of laxatives is a weakening of the colon muscles and a dependency on laxatives. Similarly, if you take a sleeping pill, it mimics the natural brain chemicals associated with sleep, but the brain detects their presence and reduces its own production of these neurotransmitters, decreasing your ability to fall asleep naturally and creating a dependency on the drug.

In contrast to the orthodox system of treating with the opposite substance, homeopathy treats with similars; the patient is given a substance that mimics the disease. In more simple terms, if a person is suffering with hay fever, the correct homeopathic remedy can create (artificial and temporary) hay fever symptoms in a healthy person. However, when given to the sufferer, over time the hay fever disappears, thus curing by similars.

All allergies are a reflection of an impaired immune system. There are several issues that can cause this, which is a topic deserving of an entire book in itself. To properly heal an allergy, you need to treat the cause as well as the symptom. As a first step and temporary measure, it is necessary to identify the culprit and (if possible) remove it from your environment or diet. In due course, strengthening your immune system will do the trick.

The homeopathic method of strengthening the immune system begins with a complete and intense analysis of your allergy symptoms, entire medical history and your personality. After understanding what's going on in your body and mind, your homeopath will select the one homeopathic remedy that is unique to you and your expression of the allergy symptoms. Over time the remedy will help your body heal itself and overcome the allergy symptoms. The miraculous thing is that when you take a carefully prescribed remedy for allergies, it kick-starts the healing process which can eliminate many of your other health concerns.

Of the thousands of homeopathic remedies in existence, 150 plus can potentially cure allergies. If you've tried some of the common homeopathic allergy remedies, such as Allium cepa, Ambrosia, Sabadilla, or one of the combination remedies labeled "Allergies" without any success, don't despair. Taking a quick-fix homeopathic remedy can be disappointing, since, for the most part, it will provide temporary relief of your symptoms, and in many cases do absolutely nothing. In homeopathy, lasting cure can only take place after a professional homeopath has examined your health concerns and chosen a remedy unique to you.

When she first sought homeopathic treatment one year ago, Janet, a 39 year old esthetician, had been suffering with severe hay fever for 12 years. Her symptoms were a stuffy nose that was constantly dripping, watery and itchy eyes, itchy nasal passages, the sensation of sand in the corner of her eyes, pressure in her forehead and occasional headaches. Sometimes she had difficulty falling asleep from all the sinus irritation she was experiencing. Janet had difficulty going outside or being active in the spring and fall, when her hay fever was at its worst. The initial consultation pointed me to the remedy Natrum Muriaticum; a remedy that encompassed all of her physical and emotional symptoms including her temperament. To her surprise, after the initial dose, Janet was on an emotional high and her anxiety level had reduced by 50%. Over a period of 9 months, Janet's allergy symptoms improved by 80%. The remedy Thuja, following the Natrum Muriaticum, cleared up the remaining symptoms over a period of 3 months. Janet is now allergy free.

Your willingness and determination, combined with a few tiny homeopathic pellets every so often, can help combat and overcome this terrible condition. You can once again enjoy spring and the outdoors, sit comfortably around pets, and take pleasure in your favourite foods. Homeopathy is a profound medical science that can help you heal on a very deep level, and in the process eliminate your allergies once and for all.

Tamara Der-Ohanian is a Classical Homeopath practicing and teaching in Toronto and Bolton. She can be reached at 416-385-1001.