Hay Fever and Homeopathy

Oh the annoyingness of hay fever symptoms – sent to ruin your day when the weather has finally improved after months of cold and darkness. Hopefully some of these remedies can help alleviate your suffering.

Before I go into detail of specific remedies for specific symptoms, I wanted to tell you about a hay fever protocol that I give to people with very good results.

It involves taking remedies following a six-week pattern, four times a year for three years! I know that is a long time, but think of all of the years you may have suffered already, and if someone said that if you won’t suffer ever again after three years, and all you have to do is remember to take a few remedies, then I think it’s worth it. Plus, over the three years, your symptoms will be less and less each hay fever season.

My husband is an example of this. He has been following the protocol for 18 months now, and he turned to me the other day (at the beginning of April) and said that everyone he knows has been talking about hay fever bothering them when he realised that for all of March he has had no symptoms whatsoever. He even went for walks where they had freshly cut the grass, which normally would have sent him sneezing for England, but returned home unscathed – happy days!

To help you in the short-term though, I have compiled a list of the most useful remedies, and shown what symptoms they match to hopefully bring you some relief for now.

Hay Fever Remedies

Allium Cepa

Take this remedy if you have streaming eyes but they are not burning. Your nose is streaming and also feels hot and burning. You may have a burning sensation on your upper lip, and possibly be very sensitive to light. You may show red capillaries on your skin.

Euphrasia

This is a good remedy if your eyes feel hot or burning, with watery tears. The eyes may be swollen and red, and will feel better for bathing. Your nose may be running and watery but NOT burning. All symptoms will be worse in the sun.

Sabadilla

Take this remedy if you have itching of the palate and nose. The nose may be tingling. It is a good remedy if you have much spasmodic sneezing made worse by flowers and grasses. Your eyes may be hot, red and burning, with a burning watery discharge from the nose.

Arsenicum

This remedy helps the following symptoms:

  • Your nose is running but can also be blocked
  • There is a possibility that you alternate between one nostril being blocked and one is running
  • Discharge from the nose may be burning; there may be redness above the upper lip
  • Your eyes and nose may be red
  • If there is burning, it will feel better for warmth/heat; you may be thirsty for SIPS of water
  • Symptoms are worse between midnight and 2am
  • You may be more anxious than usual
  • It is possible that you may suffer from asthma with the hay fever.

Nux Vomica

You will need this remedy if your symptoms make you feel IRRITABLE! Other characteristics that you will need this remedy are – your nose can be blocked up at night or outdoors, but may run by day or in a warm room. There may be violent sneezing. You will have an itching palate, it may feel like the itching is going down the back of the throat. Your nose could also itch, and there will be a sensation of itching inside your ears, in your eustachian tubes.

Pulsatilla

This remedy typically has thick discharges from the nose/eyes. It won’t feel hot, and will be yellow or green in colour. Your nose will run outdoors and will feel bunged up indoors. Your eyes could have no discharge but feel sandy or gritty. All your symptoms will feel better in the open air. Your eyes may feel better for cold applications. Emotionally, you may feel weepy or sorry for yourself.

Nat Mur

This may be the remedy for you if your symptoms started with an emotional event, such as grief, loss, moving house etc. There will be watery discharges but they will not feel hot. There will be no itchiness, but lots of sneezing. You may or may not have gritty eyes, and symptoms will feel worse in the sun.

Gelsemium

Take this remedy if your hay fever gives you flu-like symptoms, drowsiness and lethargy etc. It will be markedly worse in the Spring. You will have watery eyes, a heavy head, lots of sneezing, and a watery nose.

How to take them

Some of these remedies are included in the remedy kits available from homoeopathic pharmacies such as Helios or Ainsworths, or you can buy them individually. I would suggest taking either the 30c or 200c potencies, multiple times a day.

If you are using 30c or 200c, take one remedy every 15 minutes for up to 2 hours (8 doses). This should be enough to see if it is helping or not. If it is helping, then continue to take it as often as you need to to help relieve your symptoms, if it’s not working, then stop taking it and try another remedy that you think matches your symptoms as closely as possible.

Using homeopathic remedies in this way takes a bit of getting used to, but I always tell people not to be afraid of them, taking regular repeated doses gives your body the stimulation it needs to address the current issues, and if it’s the wrong remedy, it wont do anything at all, it just won’t help you either.

You can also get combination remedies, so if you’re not sure if your symptoms exactly match any of the above, it is a good way to take a combination so you’ve got more chance of the right remedy being in there.

I hope this has been helpful, if you are interested in starting the three year protocol for yourself or a member of your family, then please get in touch. 

Wishing you all a sneeze-free season so you can enjoy a bit of nature!

I am a homeopath based in Ilfracombe, North Devon. I offer consultations online or face-to-face. Please email me zoe@zoebrowning.com for more details and to discuss your requirements.