Natural ways to beat hay fever

Nearly one in five Australians suffers from seasonal allergies and numbers are on the rise. Hay fever, as it's often called, can seriously impact on your quality of life, with symptoms such as constant sneezing, a streaming nose and itchy eyes and throat.

A natural approach to preventing and managing hay fever symptoms includes a diet based on plenty of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables, as well as drinking at least two litres of water a day. However, there are some other therapies and techniques that can boost your chances of staying sneeze-free this spring. Here are our top recommendations.

Red-eye treatment

Splash your face and eyes regularly with cold water to wash away pollen. "For red, inflamed eyes, try applying used chamomile tea bags. Allow them to cool first," nutritionist Linda Lazaride says.

Sealed with a kiss

It seems kissing could be an enjoyable and effective way to reduce hay fever symptoms. As part of a study at Japan's Satou Hospital, 24 men and women with hay fever were asked to spend 30 minutes kissing their partners while listening to soft music. Analysis of blood samples taken showed a significant drop in histamine levels after kissing, while there was no difference when the couples just cuddled.

Nose job

To stop pollens and dust getting up your nose, try applying a plain hypoallergenic cream around the nostrils. A saline nasal spray or nasal wash can help relieve inflamed sinuses.

Feed your gut flora

The benefits of probiotics for good gut health are well known, but these friendly microbes may also ease the symptoms of hay fever and help reduce the use of medication, Canadian researchers have found. Having good levels of the probiotics bifidobacteria and lactobacilli may also protect against allergic rhinitis in children, a separate study shows. So check that your yoghurt contains the good bacteria, or ask your health food store to recommend a good probiotic supplement.

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Try homeopathy

The gentle art of homeopathy has proven to be the saviour of many a hay fever sufferer, with a recent study from Belgium confirming its efficacy in helping to alleviate symptoms.

"Homeopathy offers a wide range of safe, effective and quick-acting remedies for acute hay fever symptoms," Sydney homeopath Shilpa Bhouraskar says.

Homeopathic remedies are selected according to each person's individual physical, mental and emotional symptoms. Bhouraskar says some of most common remedies include:

• Natrum muriaticum: for watery discharge; when sneezing causes involuntary urination.
• Nux vomica: for a runny nose during the day, which is dry at night; irritable and impatient mood; a person who feels worse in the morning, better in open air.
• Euphrasia: for acrid irritating eye discharge; a person who feels better for wiping the eyes.
• Allium cepa: for frequent violent sneezing; acrid nasal discharge; red inflamed eyes; when a person feels better in cool open air.
• Wyethia: for extreme itching of the palate.

"Consult your homeopath before the allergy season begins, so they can give you a constitutional remedy," Bhouraskar says.

"Constitutional homeopathy works on the person who has the allergy, rather than the allergen itself. It balances your state and hence the immune response to the allergen, which may help to reduce the intensity and frequency of the actual episode in the long run."

For the full story, see the September issue of Good Health.

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