| Homeopathy is not like any other medical practice. | | | | discomfort to alleviate and more than a few triggers |
| Even its name states the difference right up front: | | | | for allergy sufferers. The most recent data from the |
| "Homeo" is derived from the Greek word "homoios," | | | | Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America estimates |
| meaning similar. Allopathy-or the common, Western | | | | that more than 50 million Americans suffer from one |
| form of disease treatment-is derived from the root | | | | or more allergies. That's more than 20 percent. This |
| "allos", meaning other, different, opposite. | | | | number has been growing every year. |
| The words are only the beginning of the difference. | | | | It is the fifth leading chronic disease in the United |
| They define the manner of practice and often the | | | | States for all ages and the third most in children |
| results one can expect. | | | | under 18 years of age. |
| Allopathic practitioners treat their patients by inducing | | | | There are indoor allergies, outdoor allergies, skin |
| a "different disease" in the patient's body in the | | | | allergies and chemical (or food and drug) allergies. |
| hopes of warding off those symptoms that are | | | | Traditional medicine considers all allergies (see aafa.org |
| afflicting them. Another way of saying it is that they | | | | documents) "incurable" and that they are just |
| introduce the "opposite" force, thereby suppressing | | | | "manageable" with certain medications. For the 40 |
| the presenting symptoms, but not effectively curing | | | | million Americans who suffer from air-born allergy |
| the disease. An example is the use of an aspirin to | | | | triggers (trees, grasses, mold spores, dander, etc...), |
| force down a fever. It accomplishes the task of | | | | that does not offer much help or hope. |
| eliminating the symptom, but does not cure the | | | | Homeopathy takes a different view and offers |
| disease process or heal the predisposed weakness of | | | | considerable hope of relief from the oppressive |
| the organism. Another common occurrence is the | | | | symptoms of allergies. |
| suppression of a rash with cortisone. It may make | | | | Allergena products, for instance, offer allergy relief in |
| the rash disappear for a time, but it does not cure | | | | combination homeopathic form that is tailored to |
| the cause for it. | | | | meet the needs of individuals with allergies in each of |
| Homeopathic practitioners treat disease in a way that | | | | the nine geographic zones in the United States. |
| intends to facilitate a natural healing of the individual | | | | Let's say you live in the Southwest. That would be |
| at the most elemental level and as gently as possible | | | | zone 6 and would include Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and |
| by using infinitesimally minute doses (often | | | | New Mexico. It's hard for some people to imagine |
| imperceptible to the microscope) of a substance. The | | | | what could give someone allergy symptoms in a |
| way a practitioner chooses a remedy is via the | | | | desert...but there are over 120 different extracts of |
| principle of "like cures like." What that means is that | | | | trees, weeds and grasses that Allergena has |
| the remedy is composed of a substance or group of | | | | homeopathically prepared to minimize a person's |
| substances in very minute doses. When the remedy | | | | sensitivity to any or all of those triggers. And there |
| is given to a healthy person in a process called | | | | are a great many allergies (and allergy |
| "proving," it will produce a set of symptoms-such as | | | | sufferers!)-even in the deserts of the southwest. |
| tearing, sneezing, itchy eyes and a scratchy throat. | | | | According to pre-market testing of these |
| When that remedy is given to a person WITH those | | | | homeopathic allergy remedies that have been crafted |
| symptoms, those symptoms clear up. It is a practice | | | | for use by region, people are experiencing relief |
| that was esteemed as far back as Hippocrates, the | | | | during the first two weeks of use, while others |
| father of modern medicine. | | | | experience relief during the first six weeks. |
| One fellow, Brett Brunner, who runs a website on | | | | How Do Homeopathic Allergy Remedies Work? |
| word etiologies, describes the beautiful ease of the | | | | Very simply. You would start either with a private |
| law of similars with a personal story: | | | | practitioner for a classical remedy prescription based |
| "Homeopathy is a way of treating a disease or | | | | on a comprehensive constitutional assessment or you |
| ailment by etymologically giving a "similar disease" but | | | | could choose an allergy remedy over the counter like |
| in very small doses to the patient, in the hopes that | | | | Allergena which is prepared for use by geographic |
| the patient will develop a healthy immune response, | | | | region. When using combination remedies like |
| and thereby be able to ward off the disease; for | | | | Allergena, the process usually involves taking the |
| instance, I was once highly allergic to cats, and so, | | | | remedy repeatedly over a course of weeks. For |
| before I visited people's homes who had cats, I used | | | | severe and long-term allergy sufferers, |
| to ingest drops that mimicked cat dander to allow | | | | manufacturers recommend that you begin two |
| my immune system to build up a homeopathic | | | | weeks prior to allergy season taking 15 drops under |
| response. At times this appeared to be highly | | | | the tongue, three times a day. Two weeks after the |
| effective, and it is true that I am no longer allergic to | | | | season has ended, they recommend reducing intake |
| cats!" | | | | to 15 drops under the tongue, twice daily. Some |
| Homeopathic allergy remedies are quite different than | | | | experts recommend year-round usage for people |
| the typical allergy vaccination even though on the | | | | living in more temperate, milder climates who are |
| surface they may appear the same. Regular vaccines | | | | sensitive to plants growing and therefore pollinating all |
| introduce a gross quantity of the offending material | | | | year. In colder climates where plants go dormant, the |
| into the system and, as a result, overwhelm rather | | | | allergy remedies can be stopped during the winter. |
| than strengthen the organism. | | | | The allergy remedy, chosen properly for your region |
| Homeopathic allergy remedies, such as the ones now | | | | and needs, should begin to show results fairly quickly. |
| introduced by Allergena, use such radically diluted and | | | | For some extreme sufferers, a heightened allergic |
| succussed substances that they are able to gently | | | | response may immediately ensue following |
| induce the desired response in the individual and | | | | administration of the product. Manufacturers and |
| promote overall health without the overload on the | | | | practitioners of combination homeopathic remedies |
| immune system. | | | | assure users that the response can be normal and |
| Statistics for Allergies and Hope With Allergy | | | | that there is no reason to be alarmed. If a person |
| Remedies Prepared by Region | | | | experiences a headache after taking an Allergena |
| The principle of the treatment of the individual is | | | | allergy remedy, he may reduce his dose to a |
| critically important in homeopathy and equally so | | | | tolerable level (fewer drops, fewer times given over |
| when it comes to alleviating the discomfort of | | | | the course of the day), then slowly increase over a |
| allergies. What ails someone in New York is not the | | | | period of a couple of weeks. It's always advisable to |
| same as what discomfits a fellow in Houston. The | | | | read the label carefully and remember that tinctures |
| triggers are different, thus the remedies must be | | | | contain alcohol. |
| different. For instance, junipers grow all over the | | | | These regional allergy remedies may be taken along |
| country. Just as cedars and shrub oaks do. But the | | | | with any allopathic medication you are required to |
| specific species are different. Thus the pollen | | | | take. There are no known adverse reactions when |
| produced in a New Mexico juniper is not the same as | | | | taking Allergena remedies along with other |
| the pollen produced in New York. A geographical | | | | medications for allergies so that people can feel safe |
| approach is not just neat and tidy. It is good science. | | | | as they move toward feeling overall more vital and |
| And, as the statistics show, there is a great deal of | | | | healthy. |