Why do so many people have problems with allergies and/or intolerances these days? No-one has a definite answer. It could be toxic chemicals around the house, perfumes, different ways of storing/ preserving wheat, different ways of making bread rise faster, the use of antibiotics and steroids on our livestock to make them grow faster/ prevent/cure illness and so on. It could be all of these reasons and more I haven’t mentioned, or it may not be any of them. What we do know is that there are more people with problems these days than there were say, twenty years ago. Everyone’s reaction is different so you may find one child with multiple allergies/ and/or intolerances in a family whereas the other children do not seem to have a problem. Sometimes these allergy/ intolerance problems develop later on in life: someone who has seemed to tolerate dairy products for 40 years for example getting progressively more ill with hayfever/ fluey like symptoms, eczema and/or problems with bloating then find that cutting out dairy improves the symptoms.
As your homeopath I will be listening to what you have to say about your problems, when they began, what your symptoms are, and trying to work out if something in your life style/ diet could be causing your problems. Being a homeopath can feel a bit like being a detective! I do feel concerned about people restricting their diets however as a balanced diet is very important and the more food groups that are cut out the more likelihood there is of further intolerance/ allergy problems developing so great care must be taken to make sure that a well balanced, varied diet is followed while we are trying to discover the culprit.
Allergies and intolerances generally show themselves in the form of eczema, asthma, hayfever, gastro-intestinal problems, general ill health or physical aches and pains and deterioration in arthritic conditions or auto immune conditions. We want to find the cause of the problems if it can be found, remove it, and then relieve the symptoms alongside the use of constitutional homeopathy, all of which will help to rebalance your health. How long improvement will take depends on how long you have had the condition, finding any cause (if any) and what sort of treatment you have had prior to your homeopathic appointment. The use of steroids can suppress the symptoms of eczema for example, but you may need to use stronger steroids more frequently as your body gets used to them and find that stopping them may cause a severe flare up of your eczema. This needs taking into account in any programme to help heal your eczema. I try to make the process as gentle as possible as I know (from many years ago) what a flare up from withdrawal of steroids feels like. I also make creams to moisturise your skin and to try to reduce the itching; each patient will get a cream made especially depending on their particular symptoms.
Allergic reactions such as hayfever can be managed both acutely, by giving a remedy for the symptoms when the hayfever is in full flow, and constitutionally, which is dealing with your tendency to have hayfever, and is best undertaken before your hayfever season starts. Some people have hayfever in the spring which tends to be a reaction to tree pollens, summer can be grass sensitivity, late summer/ early autumn can be a reaction to moulds, all year round can be house dust mite. Your reaction could incorporate symptoms (all or some of them) such as sneezing, runny nose, sore eyes, scratchy throat, or a cough. As the symptoms of hayfever vary, remedies are prescribed according to how each patient suffers them.
Sometimes people are diagnosed with asthma as part of their allergic reaction and are already on inhalers and medication before asking for homeopathic help. Often people are well unless they get a cough or cold which triggers an asthmatic reaction. The idea with homeopathy is that we track the cause and over time strengthen their constitutions with homeopathic remedies so that hopefully at some point in the future and with their Doctor’s advice, they may be able to reduce safely the medication they are using.
Problems I see more and more involve the gastro intestinal tract, often due to people developing sensitivities to gluten, wheat and/or dairy. This can cause wind, bloating, pain, constipation, diarrhoea, blood in stools and so on. Often patients come for homeopathy after they have had tests to check that nothing serious is causing the symptoms and they are told they have some form of inflammation or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. A look at their diet to see if anything they are eating could be causing the problems alongside homeopathy can help relieve the symptoms.
Whatever your symptoms, part of your programme will also include a discussion on diet, particularly if it seems that something could be making your problem worse, or indeed causing it. I have an allergy and intolerance page on Facebook where I recommend products that I have used that may help, or gluten/wheat/ dairy free recipes that I have tried/ devised, and places I have visited which have a keen interest in their ingredients and an awareness of dietary problems. We will also look at your lifestyle, and what products you use in the house, such as whether toiletries/ washing powders could be contributing or causing the problem. It is important to look at every aspect of your life as the best homeopathic prescription will not be able to work so effectively if the problem that is causing it is not taken away.
What is important is to get you to as best state of health possible as gently and effectively as possible. Being someone with dairy intolerance problems myself, and having family members with problems, I am very keen to research and investigate all possible areas to see if anything else may help alongside homeopathy.