Spring is in the Air
by Anita Francoeur
Homeopathic
Treatment of Allergies/Hay fever
Our immune system operates very efficiently as our body’s defense.
The immune response to bacterial and viral invasion is marvelously
precise and purposeful. Knowing how this system works can give us insight
into why it becomes less effective. The body is defended against foreign
invasion by both the Immune system itself, and other nonspecific body
defenses.
Some non-specific defenses against disease include chemical and mechanical
barriers such as your skin. The mucous membranes also protect our
bodies, but in order to do this they must maintain a healthy pH
balance of the secretions, they produce for this purpose. Reflexes
such as coughing and sneezing also act as a defense.
Disorders of the immune system include Allergies, Hay fever, Asthma,
Autoimmune disease such as Lupus, Eczema, Cancer. Warning signs of
Immune System Overload can include tiredness, aching joints, allergies,
hives, and autoimmune diseases.
Allergies involve antigens and antibodies. The chemical process is
much like the immune response except that usually it is a hypersensitivity
to the presence of certain substances that are normally harmless
to most people. These allergens (e.g. house dust, animal dander,
or certain foods, pollen) cause a reaction within the body very
similar to antigens within the immune system. When the tissues
of a susceptible person are repeatedly exposed to an allergen for
example, the nasal mucosa to pollens (hay fever) these tissues
become sensitized: that is antibodies are produced in them. When
the next invasion of the allergen occurs, there is an antigen-antibody
reaction. Normally this type of reaction takes place in the blood
without harm, as in immunity. In allergy, however, the antigen-antibody
reaction takes place within the cells of the sensitized tissues,
with results that are disagreeable and sometimes dangerous.
What causes this system to become dysfunctional?
Stress in any form causes the body to work extra hard. There are
a number of things that cause stress. First, there is environmental
stress, caused by pollution through the air we breath, the food
we eat, and the water we drink. Second, there in emotional stress
caused by prolonged state of adrenal over stimulation. Third, a
life stress due to no meaning or purpose can cause a type of despondency,
which undermines the immune system. Fourth, lack of exercise.
Caring for your immune system before and during Spring;
Exercise is very important for over all health, but is essential when
considering the Immune system. The Lymph tissue is spread through out
the body and is interconnected by fluid called lymph. This lymph carries
rubbish around the body to be eliminated to keep the body healthy.
The lymph is transported through out the body via muscular contraction.
Living a lifestyle where there is little to no physical activity causes
the lymph system to become sluggish and stagnant. This toxic chemical
cocktail remains in the body much longer than it was intended. So this
is “one” of the reasons we must exercise. Even gentle movements
can boost your circulation, increase your energy level, and help you
start or restart the day. Any exercise is better than none but ideally
the exercise that would be best is one where you are moving vigorously
enough to perspire (carefully build your fitness daily, do no over
exert yourself).
Stress, despondency and despair, boredom, hopelessness, purposelessness,
these have all been found to contribute heavily to Immune system dysfunction.
This is easily understood when considering the interconnection of all
of our body systems. There is not one stress chemical that is secretly
released in our body; every organ and tissue is affected. The body
response to stress is designed to give us the energy and motivation
to “fight or flight” to keep us alive. This is great if
you have an enemy to fight or run from. In this day and age the enemy
is often lifestyle, it not a real thing it’s only a choice. Nevertheless
that does not stop the chemical reaction within our body from operating
to keep us alive. But unfortunately, our bodies were designed to live
with a limited amount of enemies to fight or run from. Day after day
of war on the body of stress hormones depletes our Immune system.
Homeopathic care of your Immune system if you have Hay fever;
Instead of assuming that symptoms represent illogical, improper, or
unhealthy responses of the body and that they should be treated, controlled,
and suppressed. Understanding that symptoms are positive, adaptive
responses to the variety of stresses on the body, helps make treatment
effective. Symptoms represent the body’s best effort to heal
itself. Hence, instead of suppressing symptoms, therapies should stimulate
the body’s defenses to complete the curative process. In this
context, symptoms are not the disease. Symptoms accompany disease.
Symptoms are evidence of disease. But treating symptoms is like killing
the messenger for bringing bad news. In fact, treating symptoms can
suppress the body’s natural responses and inhibit the healing
process.
The forefather of Homeopathy (Samuel Hahnemann) was a systematic observer
of nature and healing, and was clever enough to recognize that the
body makes amazing and impressive efforts to heal itself, but that
it is not always strong enough to complete the healing process. Often
it needs a catalyst to stimulate its defenses, particularly when battling
serious acute infectious diseases, chronic illnesses, or genetic disorders.
Using the law of similars, Hahnemann developed a highly systematic
method to individualize the choice of the right catalyst by prescribing
a substance that imitates the body’s defenses.
Hahnemann coined the Latin phrase similia similibus
curentur (“let
likes be cured by likes”) to describe his discovery that substances
in small doses stimulate the organisms to heal that which they cause
in overdose. He termed the medical system based on this principle homeopathy,
from the Greek words homoios for “similar”, and pathos,
for “suffering” or “disease”.
This principle, most commonly known as the “law of similars,” states
that any substance that can cause symptoms when given to healthy people
can help to heal those who are experiencing similar symptoms. Below
are listed a couple examples to help you understand the application
of this law of similars:
Ambrosia (Rag Weed)
A remedy for hay-fever, runny eyes, intolerable itching and burning
of the eye-lids. Respiratory tract in its entire length stuffed up.
Hay fever with diarrhea. Watery runny clear nose with lots of sneezing
of watery discharge. Nose bleed. Stuffed up feeling of the nose and
head. Irritation of trachea and bronchial tubes, with wheezing attacks.
Sabadilla (Cevadilla Seed)
Action on mucous membranes of the nose and tear ducts, producing
violent runny nose and eyes. The person is a chilly person sensitive
to the cold. There is an increased sensitivity to odors of any
kind especially the smell of flowers, or cut grass (only has to
think about the smell to bring on an allergic reaction. The eyelids
become red, eyes watery and burning. There is spasmodic sneezing,
with running nose. Runny nose with severe frontal sinus pains and
redness of eyes and running eyes. Rawness or tickling inside nose.
Tightness in chest with difficult breathing. Sensation of a lump
in the throat, with a constant necessity to swallow. Chronic sore
throats, worse, from cold air. Hot sensations of head and face,
with a feeling that the hands and feet are icy cold. The person
is also likely to have very dry skin.
Anita Francoeur is a specialist in homeopathy, allergy treatment and
practices out of Port Alberni. She can be reached at
250.724.0050
Tofino Body & Soul - Spa and Wellness articles
Tofino health article about the homeopathic treatment of hayfeaver and other allergies, by Anita Francoeur for Tofino Time magazine.