Hay fever is one of the most common chronic illnesses in the United States, affecting over 35 million people. An allergy is a specific reaction of the body’s immune system to a normally harmless substance, whereas the symptoms of a cold are the body’s response to a viral contagion.

In persons who are not allergic, the mucus in the nasal passages moves foreign substances to the throat which are then coughed out or swallowed. However, for the sensitive person, the body responds more dramatically, causing nasal congestion, sneezing, itching, irritation and excessive mucus production. You may be confused about whether these symptoms are allergic responses or just a cold. The table below may help you to differentiate them.

Cold Symptoms

Cough - Common
General Aches/Pains - Slight
Fatigue/Weakness - Sometime
Itchy/Watery Eyes - Rare or Never
Conjunctivitis - Rare or Never
Sneezing - Typical
Runny Nose - Common
Stuffy Nose - Common
Sore Throat - Common
Fever - Rare
Duration - 3 days to 2 weeks
Complications - Sinus infection, middle ear infection, asthma

Allergic Responses

Cough - Sometimes
General Aches/Pain - Never
Fatigue/Weakness - Sometimes
Itchy/Watery Eyes - Common
Conjunctivitis - Common
Sneezing - Typical
Runny Nose - Common
Stuffy Nose - Common
Sore Throat - Sometimes
Fever - Never
Duration - Weeks (6 weeks for ragweed or grass pollen seasons)
Complications - Sinus infection, asthma

Additional Allergic Symptoms:

“Allergic shiners” (dark circles under the eyes caused by increased blood flow near the sinuses)
“Allergic salute” (in a child, persistent upward rubbing of the nose that causes a crease mark on the nose)

If you suffer from allergy symptoms, you have a hypersensitive immune system. This means that in order for any treatment to be effective it must reduce your overall sensitivity.

It is well known by allergy specialists that moving away from the pollen that affects you is not the answer, you will simply develop allergies to new substances. The underlying sensitivity has not changed, therefore the symptoms will recur. The use of conventional medicines such as Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtac, Sudafed, Benadryl, etc. simply masks the symptoms and does not change the underlying sensitivity.

Homeopathic treatment is effective in treating allergies because it reduces your sensitivity while improving overall health. To a homeopath, the presence of allergic symptoms means that the immune system is in overdrive. . . it is out of balance. This imbalance in the body is what homeopathic treatment seeks to improve.

Easy ways to reduce your exposure to offending pollens:

• Use an air purifier in your home to help clear room air of allergens
• Stay indoors and keep the windows closed in the morning when the pollen counts are highest. Also, sunny, windy days can be worse days in which to be out.
• Wear a mask if you work outdoors: one that is designed to filter pollen out of the air.
• Vacation at the peak of the pollinating season and avoid a location with those same conditions