‘If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?’ wrote the poet Shelley, pointing out how there is generally an end to the coldness of Winter and other hardships. But for sufferers of Hayfever, Spring means being hit by a debilitating allergy to the pollens of grasses and trees. This results in the typical allergic symptoms of sneezing, itchy eyes and even wheeziness for some.
The main treatment in purely conventional medicine is through antihistamines which combat some of the symptoms of Hayfever. These are generally benign treatments, can be useful, but do not treat the problem at its source. Essentially they treat the symptoms because the cause is deemed to be pretty much untreatable.
I combine two approaches in treating hayfever.
1. Natural Therapy/Homeopathy: Clinical Trials have been performed on using homeopathic medicines on hayfever sufferers. You can see a summary of these trials here.
2. Neti: A special cleansing exercise, learned from Yoga Therapy.
While these natural treatments are being instituted, it is best to remain on your conventional treatments (eg antihistamines) until there is a substantial improvement. At that point reduction or removal of these medicines can be discussed with Dr Kaplan and your GP.
