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.

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Anita Francoeur is a specialist in homeopathy, allergy treatment and practices out of Port Alberni. She can be reached at
(250) 724-0050