A selection of homeopathic and health news, articles and recipes.
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All natural remedies are taken at your own risk. Always read instructions on any product. Information on this site is not intended in any way as prescription or diagnosis, and is not a substitute for the advice of a doctor or other suitably qualified health professional. If you have a medical condition, or take prescription medication, please seek medical advice. Please read Terms and Conditionsbefore using this website.
Hay fever is a general term used for the respiratory symptoms of an allergy, or sensitivity, to pollen, dust, animal hair, mould or some other substance. It’s not about hay, and it’s not only in the summer. Global warming has made it worse. A more technical term is Allergic Rhinitis.
It commonly involves runny nose, eyes that itch, run or are sore, and a tickly throat. It sometimes includes headaches, sinusitis, coughs or asthma, and difficulty concentrating. Hay fever can make you feel quite ill.
Take some local honey. This means honey made by local bees – not honey made in Mexico or China!
Start taking half a teaspoon a day, increasing gradually to one or two teaspoons. This may allow your body to get used to the local pollens gradually. If your allergy is not related to pollen, it will do nothing.
See a homeopath for a full consultation as soon as possible. There are remedies that can gradually increase your resistance to hay fever: they work best taken in the ‘off season’.
Take Vitamin C, or Quercetin (a flavonoid from plants) may help. Both can act as natural anti-histamines, with no worries about drowsy side-effects. Take throughout the season. Contact me, or your local independent health store, to check on safety guidelines before using.
Homeopathy for Itches and Sniffles
Select a homeopathic remedy, and take for 1 week to assess. If it helps, continue to take it as often as needed – this may vary. If it does not help, choose a different remedy or contact me for a Natural REPORT with detailed choices matching your symptoms.
Arsen. Alb. 6C: burning nose and eyes, sore lips, runny nose, sneezing, feeling chilly and anxious,
Allium Cepa 6C: sore runny nose, eyes water but not sore, sore throat, sneezing, worse indoors
Euphrasia 6C: sore watery eyes, nose not sore, sneezing, cough worse in daytime.
Kali Bich. 6C: sinusitis, headache, sneezing, crusty nose, irritable
Nat. Mur. 6C: runny nose, can’t smell, sneezing, cold sores, mouth ulcers, depressed
Nelson’s Polenna, a combination homeopathic remedy containing Allium Cepa, Euphrasia and Sabadilla, three of the most widely effective remedies.
New Era Combination H: tissue salts for allergy relief
Weleda Mixed Pollen 30C: a homeopathic desensitising mix of pollens.
Note: All homeopathic remedies may contain lactose.
(a) Saline: boiled and cooled water, mix in 1 tsp salt per pint, or half tsp in a cup.
(b) Euphrasia = Eyebright: boiled and cooled water with 5 drops Euphrasia tincture per pint.
(c) Cooled chamomile tea. Cover all liquids, keep cool and replace in 48 hours.
(d) Potters make AllerClear drops specially for the eyes, containing Eyebright. They are hygienic, effective, and expensive.
Soothe your nose
With Saline, made as above.
(a) If possible rinse inside the nose to soothe the membranes. A yoga teacher can show you how to do this really thoroughly, they call it Jala Neti. Alternatively ask me for details. Plenty of research eg. a study published in 1999 showed that nasal rinsing does a better job of cleaning and opening the sinuses than standard nebulizers.
(b) Weleda Rhinodoron and Potters AllerClear nasal sprays have a similar effect.
(c) Nasaleze Nasal Spray, a fine vegetable cellulose powder that coats and protects the nasal lining: amazing! Lasts hours. Safe, but only older children will find it easy to apply.
Other natural remedies
Garlic boosts the immune system, fights germs and loosens mucus.
Butterbur has good research evidence for allergies and migraines. Eg. Vogel Petasites.
Various brand name remedies may also help, eg. Vogel’s Luffa, Yamoa, Coleus, Sambucol, Bee Pollen.
REMEMBER ALWAYS check safety guidelines before using. Not all products are suitable for children or during pregnancy. Consult me, or your local health store, if you are not sure. TOP
What’s Global Warming Got to Do With It?
Changes in seasons, in particular warmer winters, mean that many people notice hay fever symptoms as early as February or March, and lasting well into autumn.
Global warming is to blame for the rising numbers of Britons suffering from hay fever, in the first direct impact of climate change on human health in this country (Prof. Emberlin, National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, 2006) TOP
Where to Buy
Your local independent health store CAN HELP!
Please support your local independent health store: here are some South Devon stores.
Ashburton: the Ark
Brixham: Healey’s chemist
(homeopathics)
Dartmouth: Seeds
Kingsbridge: Nicholsons, Healthwise
Newton Abbot: Market Health Foods,
Nature’s Bounty
Paignton: 100% Health
Teignmouth: Poppadums, Nutters,
Fountain of Health
St. Marychurch: Herbs and Honey
Totnes: Seeds, Sacks, Greenlife
Apologies to any I have missed.
Their staff are likely to be knowledgeable and sympathetic to your individual needs. Natural remedies may be available in supermarkets, chain pharmacies like Superdrug, and chain ‘health’ stores like Holland & Barrret or Julian Graves. But in my opinion, these big businesses are not first and foremost concerned with your health. Shop local!
You can buy Viridian products including Quercetin from me here. I do not sell other brands.
Home visits
Available throughout Torbay and South Devon, Contact Me for details.
Short Consultation/Report
Personal advice about safe natural remedies for your hayfever, whether homeopathic, vitamins, or herbs.
Includes a written REPORT.
30 minutes visit, or available online. £20.00 in UK. Read more here.
Full Consultation
Individual and in-depth assessment of your whole health. Homeopathic constitutional prescription to match your personal situation. Also includes remedies for symptom relief where needed, plus safety advice on any supplements.
Also includes follow-up phone support for 2 months. The best long-term results for hayfever are likely from this combination of treatment.
2 hours visit, or available online.
£50.00 (UK) for initial consultation
Children 16 and under, £45.00. Read about homeopathic consultations
Beetroot is one of my favourite vegetables, and I like to flavour them with tarragon. Dried tarragon works perfectly, no worries if you don’t have tarragon vinegar or the fresh herb.
Prepare your beets carefully. If the skin is damaged, they will leach out all their purple juice and end up anaemic, though you can still eat them. Clean gently, and remove the tops by twisting, or cut them a couple of inches from the root.
Boil baby beets for half an hour, or pressure cook larger ones for 20-40 minutes, depending on size. Let them cool slowly, remove all the bits of leaves and dirt, and plunge them into cold water. Peel, taking care not to splash your best white shirt with the juice. The skins should rub off easily. Tidy them up with a sharp knife, and cut into slices or chunks on a plate. Not on your favourite wooden chopping board!
Into a bowl, place the beet with tarragon, salt and pepper, and vinegar of your choice – wine, cider, balsamic or even good old chip vinegar. Leave to infuse for a while before you eat them. You can add sugar to taste. A lovely salad.
Around Easter, you can boil eggs with beetroot to colour the shells pink. Or with onion skins for yellow, spinach for green, or turmeric for yellow. White eggs show the colour best. Did you know, if chickens eat beetroot, it can colour the egg yolks?
Hay fever is a general term used for the respiratory symptoms of an allergy, or sensitivity, to pollen, dust, animal hair, mould or some other substance. It’s not about hay, and it’s not only in the summer. Global warming has made it worse. A more technical term is Allergic Rhinitis.
Take some local honey. This means honey made by local bees – not honey made in Mexico or China! 
Beetroot is one of my favourite vegetables, and I like to flavour them with tarragon. Dried tarragon works perfectly, no worries if you don’t have tarragon vinegar or the fresh herb.