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Allergies Making Life Miserable? Homeopathic Remedies Are Natural Solutions

Allergy refers to a sudden hypersensitive reaction, presented with a number of symptoms. Allergen is an agent that is considered harmful by a sensitive/allergic person but doesn’t have any effect on other persons. The main allergens include dust mites, pollens, animal danders, certain food like eggs and shellfish etc. The main allergies include nasal allergy, allergic cough, food allergies, dust allergy, and skin rash. The allergic reactions to Hair dye are also prevalent in some. The homeopathy treatment for allergies not only helps in giving relief in acute attacks of allergy but also promises to effect a cure and exact the condition from its root. The cure is possible by application of properly selected constitutional medicines to the patient. In homeopathy, the allergies are treated not on the basis of the allergen triggering the allergic response, but by the characteristic individual symptoms narrated by the patient. These characteristic symptoms are, in essence, the key to unlocking the most suitable medicine required. Homeopathy for allergy works by moderating the overactive immune system. In this article, various types of allergies and their corresponding medicines have been discussed.

Homeopathy for Allergy

1. Apis Mellifica: Apis mellifica holds a prime position to treat the hives or urticarial rash due to allergic reactions. This medicine can be utilized in all cases of allergic hives that result in violent itching with burning and stinging sensations. The patient may be relieved by cold applications. The skin is sensitive to touch. Swelling also accompanies. Slight betterment in the skin symptoms in the open air is another prominent factor which, if present, confirms that this medicine should be used.

2. Arsenic Album: Arsenic Album is a frequently used medicine for treating nasal allergy. The symptom that points towards this medicine’s implication is fluent and burning discharge from the nose with much sneezing. This may be accompanied by watering from eyes with burning.

3. Natrum Mur: Natrum Mur is suitable medicine for both nasal and skin allergies. The important pointers for using Natrum Mur in nasal allergy are running nose with sneezing and breathing difficulties, and in skin allergies, it is used mainly when excessive itching is present that mainly gets worse in a warm room and better in open air. Craving for salt is usually noted in all the patients requiring Natrum Mur.

4. Sulphur: When it comes to skin allergies, Sulphur is the foremost and an infallible medicine for allergies. This can be employed in all those cases of skin allergy where excessive itching with extreme burning sensation is present. Skin usually remains dry. The patient scratches the skin and gets relief. These are all the local skin symptoms for using this medicine. The constitutional symptoms used for selecting this medicine for chronic treatment include an aversion to bathing, unhealthy dirty looking skin, craving for sweets and an utmost heat in the whole body.

Various Allergies and Homeopathy

1. Nasal Allergies (Allergic Rhinitis)

The main causative allergens towards exciting an attack of nasal allergy are dust mites, animal danders and pollens. The main symptoms of allergic rhinitis include sneezing, fluent discharge from nose, dropping of nasal discharge back into the throat which is referred to as postnasal drip in some cases, itching in nose, throat and ear, and a discharge from eyes with itching in them. The natural medicines that show excellence in treating nasal allergies include Allium Cepa, Arsenic album, Arundo Mauri, Kali Bichromicum and Gelsemium. The first two mentioned medicines vis-a-vis Allium Cepa and Arsenic album are natural medicines for nasal allergy. They both work well when the symptoms are running nose with sneezing, burning in nose and eyes. But there is a very fine line of demarcation that decides the application of medicine out of these two, which is that if the patient feels better in open air and worse in warm room Allium cepa is selected, and for the exact opposite condition in which patient is relieved in warm room and worse in open air then Arsenic album becomes the choice of medicine. The next medicine Arundo mauri is the best choice when extreme itching in nose, eyes, and throat predominate with sneezing and fluent nasal discharge. The use of medicine Kali bichromicum is called for in those patients of nasal allergy in whom the nasal discharge dropping into the throat (postnasal drip) stands out to be a dominant feature along with sneezing. The last medicine Gelsemium is prescribed when the running nose and sneezing are present with pain in head and a feverish feeling. The above mentioned medicines can also be used as remedies for seasonal allergies .

2. Allergic Cough (Allergic Asthma)

Allergic cough mainly presents itself as cough with difficult breathing, suffocation, chest tightness and wheezing/whistling sounds from chest. The medicines of immense help in allergic cough include Arsenic album, Ipecac, Bryonia and Sambucus. The selection of medicine to treat allergic asthma is based upon the dominant symptoms of the patient. Arsenic album is selected when cough with chest tightness and suffocative attacks is the main complaint of the patient. The patient feels that this problem is worse at night time and has to sit up for relief. Warm drinks usually bring relief to this person. For using Ipecac in allergic cough, the main symptom is a violent loose cough with wheezing sounds due to the loading of mucus in the chest. Sometimes vomiting accompanies cough and relieves the patient. The next medicine Bryonia Alba gives good results when the cough is dry. This may be accompanied with chest pain and difficult breathing. Mainly the person over all feels better on lying down and worse on walking. The last medicine Sambucus is of supreme importance when nasal blockage is present with suffocative cough. Due to nasal blockage, the patient wakes suddenly at night with symptoms of difficulty in breathing and suffocation.

4. Skin Allergies

The skin allergy includes rash with itching, eczema (allergic dermatitis) and urticaria (hives). In urticaria the skin gets raised in patches with itching. The best medicines that come into play for treating allergic skin rash are Sulphur, Apis mellifica and Urtica Urens. Sulphur is a well known allergy medicine for treating skin complaints. Sulphur can be prescribed in all types of allergic skin rash where dryness, itching and burning sensations predominate. Apis mellifica is of great help in treating urticarial rashes where intense itching with burning stinging sensations and swelling of skin is present. Cold application may relieve the patient. Swelling of face may also be present. Allergic rash with asthmatic symptoms yield wonderfully to this medicine. Urtica urens is the first choice when eating shellfish has excited the skin rash with violent itching and heat.

5. Food Allergy

Food allergy refers to a series of symptoms that follows after taking in a particular type of food to which a person is allergic. The symptoms may occur in four planes. The first is nasal symptoms like discharge from nose, itching in nose and eyes and even difficult breathing. The second is gastric symptoms like loose stool, pain in stomach, nausea and vomiting. The third symptom is swelling of lips, mouth or of face. And the last symptoms are related to skin and include itchy rash, eczema or hives (Urticaria). The common food allergens leading allergic reaction are Egg, shellfish, nuts, wheat and milk.

The medicines for egg allergy are Carbo veg, Nux vomica and Sulph. Carbo veg and Nux vom are the natural medicines for egg allergy where gastric symptoms predominate. Carbo veg is prescribed when loose offensive stool, gas in stomach, nausea, vomiting follows eating eggs. And if this is accompanied with pain in abdomen Nux vomica is selected. When the gastric symptoms are accompanied by skin complaints after eating eggs, Sulphur can be used where itching or burning on skin are present.

For combating with shellfish allergy, the best natural medicine is Urtica Urens. This medicine can be taken by all those patients in whom sudden hives with violent itching and burning follows eating shell fish. This medicine has excellent power to control such symptoms.

The food allergy to wheat can be controlled with medicines that include Lycopodium, colocynth and Natrum Mur. Lycopodium can help in controlling the gastric symptoms. Lycopodium can be used when loose stool with gas in abdomen predominates. Colocynth is used when cramping pains in stomach accompany loose stool, and Natrum Mur is used when skin rash occur either independently or along with gastric trouble after taking wheat.

The last mentioned food allergy to milk can be treated with natural medicines without any side effects. The natural medicines include Aethusa Cynapium, Natrum carb, and Pulsatilla. Aethusa cynapium tops the list of medicines for milk allergy. The symptom for its use is vomiting immediately when milk enters the stomach. Sweating and weakness may follow vomiting. Natrum carb is indicated when loose stool follows milk intake. Pulsatilla is used when milk or any milk product excites allergic reaction. The prominent symptoms that call for the use of Pulsatilla medicine include loose stool, nausea, vomiting, gas, or acidity after taking milk or milk products. A complete absence of thirst is an accompanying symptom in some cases that if present forms an important symptom towards selecting Pulsatilla for milk allergy.

6. Euphrasia for Allergic Conjunctivitis

Euphrasia is the best natural medicines to deal with eye symptoms due to allergy. This can be taken in all such cases presenting with redness, itching, burning in eyes with watery discharges.

7. Dust (dust mite) Allergy

The leading natural medicines that provide a great helping hand to deal with dust allergy include Lycopersicum, Bromium and Arsenic album. Lycopersicum is the leading medicine that is used when breathing in of the slightest dust particle leads to running nose and sneezing. Bromium is utilised when dust inhalation leads to discharge from the nose along with chest complaints. The chest complaints include difficult breathing, cough with mucus in chest. Lastly, the medicine Arsenic album is used when fluent nasal discharge with burning in eyes and nose and sneezing predominate.

8. Allergy Caused By Hair dye

The symptoms that follow dye application on hair include skin rash, itching and swelling that appears mainly on the face, the ears, and the neck. There are various natural medicines to deal with the allergic reaction to dyes, but they are not specific or patent medicines for dye allergy. Suitable medicine is to be chosen after taking the symptoms from the patient. Few medicines like Sulphur, Arsenic album, Natrum Mur and Sepia can be used following case taking.

ALLERGIES AND HOMEOPATHY

By Dr. Vikas Sharma MD 2 Comments

It is spring time. There is so much of optimism in the air that people get frenzy. It is such a euphoric time in the year that people get eccentric while enjoying and find outrageous ways of doing it – Holi in India, Fallas in Spain and the Great Toad Derby (Toad race) in California. Spring all over the world is a time for celebrations and fairs, but for some this time is not so fair. Staying indoors is the only option. At times even this option also proves unsuccessful. It is time for the dreaded allergies to come up and pollen is the main cause. Though high pollen counts can affect numerous types of allergies, from eye allergies (conjunctivitis) to skin reactions (dermatitis), the most common spring allergy is allergic rhinitis (symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, nasal congestion or headaches) and asthma.

For those who suffer from allergies, their immune system has mistakenly learned to remember the pollen released by various plants as potentially harmful, and responds with the familiar allergic symptoms. The specific types of pollen and the time of their release depends upon the local climate and varies around the country.

Weather can influence the timing and severity of the problem. A mild winter often leads to a more severe pollen season. If the spring is warmer and wetter than usual, that can provoke more grass to grow earlier, leading to a more severe situation during the late spring and summer already been released out of the air. An important component of the allergy management plan is to go in for a thorough homoeopathic treatment, avoiding the pollens and molds that make you sneeze and wheeze.

Can such seasonal allergies be totally cured with homoeopathy? Yes, if one is able to get a good homoeopathic treatment. But as allergy is a thousand-headed monster, it may take two-three seasons before one can get completely cured.

Why should one use homoeopathy for treating allergies?

a) First of all, it prevents further deterioration as it is often the noted conditions such as allergic rhinitis that can progress into asthma. b) Safe treatment-homoeopathic medicines do not have any sedative effect as some of the other conventional drugs used to control allergy do. c) Non-toxic-homoeopathic medicines are highly diluted, thus there are no chances of developing drug-toxicity. d) The homoeopathic system uses the body’s own healing system to work for it.

Does homoeopathy believe in treating only the chronic state of allergies or are there medicines that can take care when one gets those acute flare-ups in spring?

The treatment is aimed at controlling both acute and chronic problems though a different set of medicines might be used to control the acute attacks of allergy. A constitutional approach is often the best way while treating the chronic state. Prescription based on a thorough analysis of a person’s physical and mental characteristics is what called as “constitutional approach” in homoeopathy.

Nasal Allergy treatment with homeopathy

By Dr. Vikas Sharma MD 42 Comments

Allergies are fast emerging as a major threat to our health. There are three basic reasons why one should prefer homeopathy for this problem.

One, it is the most natural and safest treatment. As it is based on the principle of ”like cures like” it forms a natural way of conditioning our healing responses also. The substances used in homoeopathy are in a highly diluted state and they act very safely – without any side-effect. Two, as it is a natural form of medication it does not suppress the disease. Three, the beneficial effects achieved with homeopathic medicines are lasting and do not vanish once the treatment is stopped.

What is allergic rhinitis?

It is nasal allergy which is also referred to as hay fever. This mostly affects our nasal path (nose tract) and the conjunctiva of the eyes. Its symptoms are frequent sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, congestion, and itchy eyes, nose, and roof of the mouth or the throat.

Allergic rhinitis is like any other allergy. The only difference is that the fight between the antigen and the antibodies takes place in the nose, eyes, etc.

As we breathe, we take in many substances along with the air. Substances such as pollens, animal dander and smoke (allergens), for some individuals, are countered by the body’s own defence system in our nose. They are attacked by the already developed antibodies in our system. This is called an allergic reaction, which also results in the release of an inflammatory chemical called histamine. It causes the swelling of the mucous membranes in our nose, sinuses and eyes, leading to a runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing.

The most common allergens are pollens (released by trees, grasses or weeds.), animal dander, dust mites, molds, dust and smoke. For those who have seasonal allergies, pollens are the main culprit, and for those who suffer all the year around animal dander, dust mites, cockroaches and molds are the culprits.

But it is actually no fault of the person who suffers from this allergy. It is your body’s own watchdogs that have (by mistake) started fighting the substances that are not at all harmful to you. The hereditary factor plays a major role. If one of your parents is suffering from any kind of allergy the chances are that you would also develop an allergy of some sorts. If both parents suffer from allergy, the risk for you to develop allergy is 70 per cent.

The homeopathic medicines used in treating allergic rhinitis are Sabadilla, Natrum Mur, Arundo, Allium Cepa, Histaminum and Wyethia. Another medicine that has been introduced and has a great role in treating allergic rhinitis is Glaphimia Glauca. The medicines mentioned are for information only. Self-medication can be harmful.

NASAL ALLERGY and HOMEOPATHY

By Dr. Vikas Sharma MD 1,066 Comments

Nasal Allergies In Autumn

Are you sneezing dozens of time in a day? Is your nose dripping like water from a tap? Are you getting itchy and watery eyes and all of this has been there since the last few days or weeks? If yes, than it is probably due to the fact that you are suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis or autumn allergy. This kind of upper respiratory allergy develops due to the increased presence of allergens (allergy causing substances like pollen etc.) in the environment during the months of September to early November. An extension of this kind of allergy occurs in the months of April and May.

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