Orthodox medicine describes hay fever, or pollinosis, as a symptom complex characterized by seasonal sneezing, nasal congestion, nasal discharge, itching, sore throats, and conjunctivitis and says the onset may occur in the spring due to tree pollens (in the Northwest, the omnipresent Scotch broom and alder are two of the most common triggers), summer due to grass and weed pollens, and fall due to weed pollens such as ragweed. Treatment includes avoidance of the allergen (which is generally next to impossible), antihistamines, and cortisone for stubborn cases of hay fever.

We have found naturopathic medicine to be quite successful in treating these an- noying symptoms. Our most reliable method for bringing relief to hay fever suf-ferers is homeopathy. As many of you know, this is a system of using very, very dilute preparations of the same substance which, in a much stronger dose, would cause a certain set of symptoms, to relieve those same symptoms. Homeopathy has received considerable international press over the past year and is becoming increasingly more widely accepted. These medicines are very easy to take, inexpensive, taste great, and are perfectly safe during pregnancy, lactation, and for infants and children. To arrive at a correct homeopathic prescription, it is necessary to elicit all of the hay fever symptoms in the greatest detail possible. Whereas orthodox medicine bases its prescriptions on the name of the disease diagnosed, we, as homeopaths, may prescribe ten different remedies for ten of our patients who walk in the door complaining of hay fever.

Take, for example, the person who comes in with streaming eyes, nose running like a faucet, and sneezing on entering a warm room. Think, for a moment, what you could possibly do in your own kitchen to bring on these symptoms and you will soon discover the correct homeopathic remedy which relieves them. It is homeopathic onion, Allium cepa. Another common hay fever picture is similar, but the sneezing is more marked and often spasmodic. The nose runs, but not with the faucet-like intensity of the onion picture, and there may be a severe headache in the forehead and redness and running of the eyes. There may also be a sore throat which feels better after warm foods or drinks. These symptoms can be helped by homeopathic cevadilla seed, known as Sabadilla. Then there is the person whose nose, mouth, palate and eyes itch so intensely that they feel they want to scratch themselves to oblivion. This corresponds to the homeopathic remedy Arundo, or reed. Another patient with hay fever complained to us of of waking in the middle of the night with a feeling of choking, a dry throat, and a general feeling of dullness . We treated her, successfully with Naja, a homeopathic preparation of cobra venom! Another form of hay fever concentrates itself primarily in the eyes. The person experiences a constant, profuse, burning discharge from the eyes and may also feel a blinking of their eyes which they can't control, as well as a runny nose and, sometimes, blocked sinuses. Homeopathic Euphrasia, or eyebright, can take care of these symptoms. Finally, someone may describe a hay fever with a thick yellowish, green nasal discharge, itching and burning in the eyes (sometimes with a thick, yellowish discharge and eyelids stuck together on waking), and a stopped up nose, especially in the evening. If you question this person further, they may tell you that they are crying lately for no apparent reason, that their usual thirst has diminished considerably, and that the only thing that seems to make them feel better is to go out-side and walk in the fresh air. This person's hay fever symptoms will go away quickly if they are given homeopathic Pulsatilla, the wind flower.