Hay fever affects one in five people in the UK. Of these hay fever sufferers 95% are allergic to grass pollen. As we enter the peak grass pollen season from June to August, that means weeks of misery for a lot of people.

Hay fever, otherwise known as allergic rhinitis, is the body’s reaction to a type of pollen – usually tree pollen, grass pollen or weed pollen – recognised by the immune system as a health hazard. In response cells in the body produce the chemical histamine and it is this that triggers allergic symptoms that include a runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes and throat. The allergic reaction in hay fever sufferers can affect sleep and cause fatigue, and have an impact on concentration levels too.

Over the counter remedies for hay fever include antihistamine tablets and eye drops. But there is a more natural approach to treating hay fever.

There is some evidence that homeopathy helps in the treatment of hay fever. Based on the ‘like cures like’ principle, homeopathy recognises that a substance that produces certain symptoms when taken in large doses can actually treat those very symptoms when given in smaller amounts, administered in a homeopathic potency.

So homeopathic remedies for hay fever could include allium cepa, ambrosia, euphrasia and wyethia, administered in tablet form or as nasal sprays. Homeopaths treat their patients as individuals and will take time to diagnose the type of pollen affecting someone with hay fever. They will spend time asking questions about a patient’s symptoms and their severity, plus their medical history, before offering a treatment tailored to the individual.

Homeopathy is not a short term treatment for hay fever. It’s a therapy that shows greater results over time and as such a short course of homeopathic therapy at the start of the hay fever season is advisable.

Find out more about homeopathy treatments at Good Health Centre.

There are lots of more practical things you can do to lessen your hay fever symptoms – the Allergy UK website has some useful advice.