How To Reduce Hay Fever Symptoms Naturally

The first and most important information I can share with you is why hayfever manifests itself in the first place. Why do some people get it and others don't? There are various reasons but the most important one relates to the immune system itself - hayfever like so many other symptoms is one of auto-immune. It means that the body is attacking itself. Why would it do this? What has made the immune system so out of balance that it no longer recognises its own processes and sees them as invaders?

To answer that - one has to look at, firstly, what is happening in that person's life that has lowered the immune system in the first place? What are their stresses? What emotional upheaval is going on? Are they overworked? Are they not getting enough sleep due to worry? This may sound such a simple point - but it is not. All negative emotions will lower the immune system. Have you ever noticed that if you experience a serious trauma - ie loss of a loved one, a bad ending to a relationship, loss of a job etc that suddenly you are ill? You either get a serious cold, flu or similar. This is the lowering of your immune system due to the shock of the trauma. As far as your immune system is concerned, it is definitely a trauma for you.

Same thing happens with fear - a really strong emotion triggered by the hormone adrenaline - our fight or flight hormone. What happens in your digestive system during a period of intense fear? We need to rush to the nearest loo normally! Just shows you how quickly the body responds to the mind's perception of the trauma.

An example - 2 little boys; identical twins; of about 3 years old. Playing happily on the beach with their mother during the summer. Both get stung at exactly the same time by 2 bees - one little boy runs to the right and finds his mother who soothes and calms him - not only does it reduce the pain but alleviates the fear. However, the second little boy runs to the left - cannot find his mother and the fear grows and the pain grows. Not only does he in later life develop and allergy to bee stings but also to the chocolate cake that was being digested in his stomach at the time! It is the emotional trigger that is the initial cause of the immune system attacking itself. The memory is buried deeply in the subconscious but is still there nevertheless. All it takes for that memory to surface is a bee sting or chocolate cake! Amazing but true.

The second part of understanding hayfever is related to diet. How can diet lower the immune system? Our body has certain needs and if these are not met then it can turn on itself seeking what it must have. A good example of this is cow's milk - we are told that it is seriously good for us and our children as it is full of calcium. First point is that it creates a lot of mucous in the body. Second is that it is made for baby cows and not humans. Third is that it may contain calcium but unfortunately it is not available to our bodies to use. It, therefore, throws out the calcium balance within the body and to redress this balance calcium is leached out of our bones. Worth thinking about that one!

Our body needs vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids etc. What it does not need is sugar, carbohydrates, fizzy drinks, fast food, crisps, pizzas and so on. Unfortunately it many cases this is what it gets to live on! So what is the result? Firstly the body will flag that it is hungry - seeking to get what it needs. Ever noticed that half an hour after a take-away of pizza or KFC you are hungry again? Empty food as far as the body is concerned - so it sends signals that it needs what it needs and you, not understanding the message - eat more of the same!

interestingly enough if you eat a meal based on vegetables and a protein - you usually stay fuller for far longer - wonder why?? You are feeding your body - not your tongue!

Hayfever is, therefore, a symptom of a lowered immune system relating to emotional imbalance and dietary imbalance. How do I know this? After 15 years as a Naturopath I have worked with countless patients who have had hayfever symptoms and allergies. What has been interesting is that I have not worked on the hayfever itself - the diet has been changed, the sugar and processed food has gone, the digestive system has been re-balanced, the bowel is now working as it should, the emotions have been talked about to help release what may have got stuck if that was needed.

The end result was that the hayfever symptoms disappeared all of their own accord! What we had done together was rebuilt the immune system by working on the most important factors and didn't even need to use herbs to mask the symptoms. If you give your body what it needs - clean it out by using herbs - clean up the diet and address what needs to be addressed in that individual's life - a re-balancing takes place and the immune system is stronger and no longer does it attack itself.

Please remember that auto-immune is exactly that! A toxic body that is out of balance and is losing its way - it no longer can tell friend from foe so to speak!

Understanding is the first step to changing something. Looking at the balance of your life, emotions and diet and correcting what needs to be corrected will alter the symptoms of hayfever and hopefully if you work at it - banish them altogether!