Homeopathy Works For Allergies

Homeopathy Awareness Week focuses on helping those who suffer from allergies including hay fever, allergic asthma and eczema, and it couldn't come at a better time. Homeopathy is an effective treatment for allergies. European researchers have found that homeopathy is as good as conventional medicine (which often produces unwanted side-effects) in the treatment of eczema in children.1

The number of hay fever sufferers in Britain has almost doubled in the past 20 years and allergies are increasing at a rate of 5% per year. Approximately one in four of the population of the UK will suffer from an allergy at some point in their lives.2 Allergies are a heightened response of the immune system to external substances or 'allergens', including house dust mite, pollen from flowers, trees and grasses, animal hair and a range of foods.

To date, 13 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in the peer-reviewed literature have studied the effect of homeopathic medicines in allergic conditions and nine had a positive result. Four systematic reviews concluded that homeopathy has an effect in the treatment of allergies such as hayfever.3

Dr Sara Eames, President of the Faculty of Homeopathy, says it's high time homeopathy was considered as a serious option for treating allergies, which often present in complicated cases. "Allergic eczema is often linked with other conditions such as asthma. Whilst the pharmaceutical industry has warned about the dangers of over-prescription of steroidal treatments4, homeopathy offers a wide choice of safe medicines and creams as well as different treatment models".

Homeopathic medicine stimulates the body's own defence system to cope with exposure to allergens, rather than suppressing symptoms. As in most homeopathic treatment, there are a number of treatment strategies that can be used to tackle allergies. Some offer simple symptom relief and must be repeated frequently, whilst other medicines aim to correct the underlying susceptibility to allergens.

The British Homeopathic Association helps the public access fully qualified medical homeopathic doctors and other health professionals and provides advice on how to request an NHS referral from their GP.