Spring is sprung! For sufferers of allergies, the beauty of the trees and flowers coming into full bloom can be tinged with suffering. Allergies make life miserable and many people use antihistamines, puffersʼ and other drugs to help manage their symptoms but still have lots of problems leading a normal life. Allergic reactions and intolerances to foods, chemicals, pollens, dust (and a thousand other things) are part of many diseases, including asthma and hay-fever, eczema and other skin diseases and irritable bowel syndrome.

Then thereʼs the poor souls with peanut allergy! What on earth do they eat? Everything you buy seems to have come into potential contact with nuts.

The week of April 13th to 20th is International Homeopathy Awareness Week and the theme of this week is allergies. Most homeopaths work successfully with people who suffer allergic reactions and intolerances. The immune system can be strengthened using homeopathic remedies, and the natural self-healing of the body will take care of the disease.

It brought to mind a case of a young woman called Katy who was treated with homeopathic remedies a few years ago. Katy gave permission to publish this case. She was a teenager when she came for homeopathic treatment, with asthma, hayfever, eczema and allergies and she used homeopathy for about two years.
Katy was prescribed homeopathic treatments that were designed specifically for her - and she healed. With individual treatment like this, many people can regain their health no matter how long they have suffered.

When she was first treated, Katy wanted her eczema sorted. She had used lots of different treatments but still her skin was bad, and it was often on her face (which made it much worse for a teenager, of course). Sheʼd had skin problems since she was a month old, and mum had eczema when she was pregnant with Katy; Katyʼs dad also has this disease so there may have been a family susceptibility. Katy also suffered hay fever and asthma with intolerances to pollens, dust, horses, cats. She often got a cold and her asthma would flare up then her skin would erupt after the asthma. She didnʼt get on well with milk and her skin was awful when she got hot. She had sore inflamed patches of skin that often kept her awake at night. The eczema was on her face and for a long time Katy had inflamed and weepy patches that were scarlet and hot. This was becoming a serious drain on her social life!

Katy was initially treated with a number of different homeopathic approaches,as we tried to find a way to get her immune system to respond. It was a few months before she was reacting well, but Katy and her mum stuck with it. When her skin eventually calmed down and the patches began to reduce in size, she was very happy. Katy said at first she didnʼt like homeopathy. She had to answer a lot of questions and really think about herself and the way she suffered, and it was difficult to stick with it because not much changed for a month or two. However, after another couple of meetings with the homeopath, the treatments began to have very positive effects. Katy was happy, and began to take more part in the consultations and then things really improved.

A homeopathic remedy made from the plant cicuta virosa was very good at dealing with Katyʼs skin symptoms, and it began to stimulate a strong healing process. Everyone has their own type of remedy, and when Katyʼs symptoms matched the remedy that was given, things improved. She started to develop colds without the asthma kicking off, and she started to sleep well. Mum said ʻfor the first time in Katyʼs life she can sleep!ʼ. Another remedy called rhus tox was also very useful for Katy when she had an acute illness. Initially Katy lost her chronic, allergic problems. As her body changed, she began to develop colds and recover from them without any long-term cough or wheezing. As time went along, with further deep-acting treatments that helped her immune system, gradually Katy stopped being ill. The last time we met her chest was good and her skin was good and she was off all her drugs and puffers.

Constitutional treatments suit your whole nature as a person; this type of treatment can stimulate the whole body and mind to heal itself. We all have this ability to self-heal within us. It took time for Katy to recover her health because self-healing is a slow steady process that does not produce instant relief like orthodox drugs. When you have suffered an illness for a long time, healing will be a process that takes time. We often say for general guidance, allow a month of healing time for every year you have had the illness, but everyone is different and we will all respond differently.

Katy does not have eczema at all now, but even more importantly, her asthma, hay-fever and the allergies also healed. Katy had given up using all her inhalers, creams and other drugs and was completely healthy the last time she came for treatment. That was in Spring 2006 and she has remained well ever since.

Now the legal bit: Treatment in no way promises or implies cure. The homeopath will analyse your case and provide suggestions for an indicated homeopathic remedy.

If you want to know more about homeopathy, local homeopaths Elaine Cairney and Neil Spence are offering free workshops during homeopathy awareness week. Come along and speak directly with the homeopaths, learn about more people like Katy, and see if they can help YOU.

Contact Neil Spence for more information

Press release document as a pdf file