Do you suffer from regular bouts of sneezing, a runny, clogged or itchy nose, itchy, watery red eyes, and an itchy throat? Are you tired of the toll these symptoms take on your general countenance and overall strength? Chances are you think it’s a cold but it just might be allergic rhinitis.

As you surely know, allergic rhinitis is serious and debilitating. Unchecked, allergic rhinitis can affect your quality of life. Not only does it cause nasal obstruction, excessive sneezing and watery eyes. It also causes sleep disturbances and consequently, daytime fatigue. Moreover, chronic attacks of allergic rhinitis make one susceptible to viral and bacterial infections which can lead to worsening of asthma and respiratory ailments.

A Solution

Homeopathic treatments are steadily gaining popularity for treating ailments. Homeopathy is system of therapy based on the concept that disease can be treated with drugs (in minute doses) thought capable of producing the same symptoms in healthy people as the disease itself.

Homeopathy was invented by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was both refined and popularized by the American physician James Tyler Kent. Homeopathy is based on the theory that each naturally occurring element, plant, and mineral compound will, when ingested or applied, result in certain symptoms.

Hahnemann believed that, by diluting these substances in a standardized manner, one could reach the true essence of that substance. Hahnemann described this process of dilution as “potentizing” (German: “potenziert”) the substance. These dilute amounts could then be used to treat the very symptoms they were known to produce.

Hahnemann and his students approached their treatments in a holistic way, meaning that the whole of the body and spirit is dealt with, not just the localized disease. Hahnemann himself spent extended periods of time with his patients, asking them questions that dealt not only with their particular symptoms or illness, but also with the details of their daily lives.
It is also suggested that the gentle approach of homeopathy was a reaction to the violent forms of medicine of the day, which included techniques such as bleeding.

What to remember about homeopathy

Homeopathy works on the principle that “like cures like”-meaning that substances causing disease symptoms could also alleviate those same symptoms. The theory, is that homeopathic remedies rally the body’s own natural healing defenses to fend off illness. Made from highly diluted plant, mineral and animal substances, homeopathic medicines aren’t always considered valid by traditional physicians.

But in 1992, Congress established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to begin clinical trials of dietary supplements and nontraditional therapies. Results so far have proven informative: one recent study on vertigo appearing in the American Medical Association’s Archives of Otolaryngology showed that the homeopathic remedy for vertigo, Vertigoheel, improved the symptoms in 70% of the subjects–making it as effective as the standard drug betahistine.

If you decide to choose homeopathy, consider this:

Less Is More

Though critics maintain that homeopathic medicines are too diluted to be effective, homeopaths believe that smaller, more diluted doses are generally the most potent.

Mix And Match

Use the remedy that best corresponds to your symptoms. Books like The Natural Healing Companion can help you make informed decisions.

Understand Potency

When you’re positive you’ve got the right remedy, choose a higher potency. Less sure? Pick a lower one. Or try a combination of medications for a given condition. If you don’t get relief after 24 hours, try another remedy.
Very often, people find that in treating a “big” problem, like anxiety, “smaller” associated problems, like insomnia, heal as well. When treating serious conditions, consult your regular physician.

Homeopathic Therapy

No one wants to be slowed down by allergies. Allergies are caused by the immune system’s overreaction to a misidentified threat, such as pollen. The body’s cells defend themselves by releasing histamine, a chemical that causes an allergic cascade of familiar symptoms such as coughing, sneezing and runny nose.

Because histamines can affect other parts of the body, individuals with allergies also will suffer symptoms outside of the sinuses. These could include itchy eyes and skin. Allergy tests initiated by your practitioner can provide a better idea of what is causing the reaction, so it can be avoided all together.

Check out your local drug store for available homeopathic allergy relief to help you combat the adverse effects of allergens and its debilitating result on the way you live your life.