This time of year we’re getting ready for spring and all it brings – warm weather, green grass, new buds, and flowers. However, seasonal allergies or hay fever can make it difficult to enjoy the beautiful weather. Coughing, sneezing, and itchy eyes can limit your quality time with your family.

Antihistamines, decongestants, or steroids offer relief, but medicines often bring side effects like dizziness, drowsiness, and worse. Medicines also don’t address the underlying causes of allergies.

Homeopathy (ho•mee•ahp’•eh•thee), a natural system of healing, can alleviate symptoms without side effects. Working with a professional homeopath to strengthen the immune response can correct one’s susceptibility to allergies. Allergies brought me to homeopathy 35 years ago. Symptom-free in a short time, I could fulfill my dreams and become an archaeologist.

Offering an individualized approach, a homeopath considers each person’s unique symptoms to determine the correct remedy. Common remedies for allergies include:

Eurpharsia (eyebright) is for allergy symptoms that come with itchy, burning, watery eyes. Allergy sufferers needing Eurphrasia will often try to wink away the sensation of a hair or sand in their eyes.

When a person experiences teary eyes and a drippy, burning nose, similar to chopping an onion, a remedy called Allium cepa can alleviate symptoms. It’s interesting to note that Allium cepa is made from a type of onion.

Wytheia heleniodes is a remedy for a person who experiences an itchy nose, throat, and soft pallet. People needing Wytheia will often make clicking noises in an attempt to relieve the tickling sensation on their soft pallet with their tongue.

Other natural care tips:

Raw, local honey: The allergens trapped in honey are delivered in small, manageable doses, similar to allergy immunology injections. Note: Infants under one year should not be fed honey.

Bathing: Clean all traces of pollen from your hair and face before retiring for the day. Wash your face or shower.

Sinus rinse: Rinsing trapped allergens from the nasal passages helps prevent a stuffy nose.

Careful house cleaning: Frequent cleaning and dusting can remove allergens. Consider a HEPA clean air filter for your home.

Homeopathy is a 200 year-old healing modality that has been used by millions of people worldwide. Find out about Homeopathic Allergy Care and our Seasonal Allergy Special offered through the end of April 2010.

Related Article: “Is Homeopathy Effective in Overcoming Allergies?“