Symptoms include:

Sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion, itchy, watery or red eyes, swollen or blue-colored skin under the eyes (allergic shiners), postnasal drip, fatigue.

Hay fever, also known as Allergic Rhinitis, is an allergic condition that affects over 3 million Americans each year. It manifests with cold-like symptoms but is often misunderstood by the medical profession. Ask almost any doctor, and they will tell you that “allergens” such as pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and a host of other nasty substances cause hay fever. However, this explanation is quite superficial. One website identifies hay fever as follows: “When you have hay fever, your immune system identifies a harmless airborne substance as harmful.” This modern medical view suggests that the human body erroneously perceives harmless substances as threats, leading to an unnecessary defensive response. What outlandish nonsense! It’s important to recognize that the body’s reactions are not random, and allergies are not caused by the body misidentifying airborne particles. There is always cause and effect, and allergies are not caused by the body misidentifying airborne particles.

The Real Cause of Hay Fever and Allergies

Hay fever is associated with risk factors such as asthma, dermatitis, sinusitis, and ear infections. What do these conditions have in common? All these conditions are connected to organs that filter our airways in one way or another. Clearly hay fever is not caused by your body mistakenly identifying harmless substances as harmful. Instead, it is caused by intestinal toxemia. Toxins, which are absorbed from the colon and excreted through the lungs, irritate the airways, causing them to contract and spasm. In an individual who does not have a large amount of toxic waste, the body is not affected by pollen and “allergens” because it can eliminate them easily. But in a body burdened with toxins, even mildly harmless “allergens” must be rejected because the body recognizes it is dealing with a toxic load and cannot afford to take on more. So, the body produces effects such as sneezing to expel these substances, relieving the eliminative and cleansing organs of extra burden. All allergies are caused by toxemia. Pollen and dust merely trigger the response due to the body’s heightened sensitivity.

Your body is incredibly smart and knows what it is doing! The reason hay fever is more common in asthmatics is that they also carry a toxic load, with blocked, restricted and/or irritated airways. Both conditions have the same root cause. Often, children born into homes with smokers or numerous pets will contract asthma early in life, making them more susceptible to hay fever and allergies.

Natural Treatment

The internal eliminative organs need to be cleansed. Remove the toxins from the body and the hay fever will disappear. This begins with a thorough bowel cleanse. Herbdoc.com offers a very high-quality bowel cleanse and complete cleanse kit, which are highly effective. Secondly, it’s important to eliminate mucus-forming foods. This includes processed foods like snacks, chips, most crackers, store-bought bread, meat, eggs, all processed sugars, milk, and all dairy products. Flours and grains should be avoided while you cleanse. When consuming grains, choose unprocessed and natural non-GMO grains only.

Why are grains eliminated during this cleanse? Many grain products in the USA contain contaminants and refuse, which the body correctly identifies as toxic. When overwhelmed by toxicity, the body doesn’t take chances and triggers an immune reaction even at the detection of a tiny particle previously associated with toxicity. This doesn’t imply that all grains are toxic; rather, it suggests the need to fully heal the body. Once healed, the body will no longer associate all grains with toxic substances.

Formula
The next step after cleansing the bowels is to rebuild the damaged nervous system. Dr. Christopher created a formula which included Black Cohosh, Cayenne, Hops Flowers, Lady’s Slipper, Lobelia, Scullcap, Valerian, Wood Betony, and Mistletoe. These herbs feed and revitalize the damaged nervous system, strengthen the motor nerve at the base of the skull, and help in rebuilding the frayed nerve sheath as well as the nerve itself.

An alternative formula that may be easier to make yourself: Brigham Tea Herb, Marshmallow Root, Goldenseal Root, Horseradish Root, Burdock Root, Parsley Root, Lobelia Herb & Cayenne Pepper. Some balk at the idea of using Cayenne pepper, but it aides tremendously in moving herbs to where they need to be and enhances their effectiveness. This formula alone has worked wonders for many people with asthma, allergies, and other conditions that impact the airways.

Lastly, we want to add a natural antihistamine that has no side effects—besides effects which are associated with cleansing, which are only temporary. This natural antihistamine formula contains Brigham herb, Marshmallow root, Juniper berries, Golden Seal root, Chaparral, Burdock root, Parsley root, and Lobelia. This formula contains a natural antibiotic to kill infections, a natural source of high-quality calcium for nerve rebuilding, and blood cleansing herbs because the life is in the blood. Additionally, using distilled water is wise, as it acts as a mild blood cleanser, picking up inorganic waste and toxins in the blood and helping to expel them from the body.

Other natural treatments

Chinese Herbal Medicine
In a randomized-controlled trial, 52 patients with hay fever were randomly assigned in a blinded manner to either a semi-standardized treatment of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine or to a control group. The control group received acupuncture applied to non-acupuncture points and a non-specific Chinese herbal formulation. This study, in my opinion, has several flaws. Firstly, its small size. Secondly, it presupposes that acupuncture is ineffective when applied to non-specific points. Thirdly, it assumes that non-specific Chinese herbal formulas have no effect on hay fever. Additionally, this study cannot conclusively determine whether the positive results were due to acupuncture, the herbs, or a combination of both. Despite these shortcomings, the results did indicate a significant it was a “efficacious and safe” treatment option.^[1]Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized-controlled clinical trial

What were the herbs used in the formula? Schizonepeta(sometimes called Japanese catnip), Chrysanthemum, Senna, Plantain, Water Chestnut, Field Mint, Ducksmeat Herb, Chinese Peony, Astragalus, Poor man’s Ginseng (Codonopsitis),

Butterbur

In a comprehensive review of double-blind randomized clinical trials that tested herbal medicine against a placebo or a current drug prescribed for hay fever, Butterbur(Petasites Hybridus) emerged several times as a prominent and effective treatment.  It was statistically superior to placebo and just as effective as current drug antihistamines.^[2]Herbal medicines for the treatment of allergic rhinitis: a systematic review – NOTE: It should be noted that the studies on Butterbur referenced in this review were funded by a manufacturer of this herbal extract, so a possible conflict of interest.

Biminne (Chinese formula) for Allergies and Hay Fever

A study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in 2002 examined another Chinese Herbal formula containing 11 herbs. Each herbal capsule contained 460mg of dried herbal extract. The herbal extract was prepared from the following herbs: Scutellaria baicalensis(Chinese skullcap), Rehmannia glutinosa(Sheng Di Huang), Polygonatum sibiricum(Huang jing), Ginkgo biloba(Yin Xing Yi), Epimedium sagittatum(Barrenwort), Psoralea corylifolia(Babchi), Schisandra chinensis(Magnolia berry or Five-flavor berry), pulp of Prunus mume(Plum blossom), Ledebouriella divaricata(Fangfeng), Angelica dahurica(Wild Celery), Astragalus membranaceus(Huang Qi)

Patients took five capsules twice daily for 12 weeks. At the beginning of the study, before herbal treatment, 81% of the participants in the Biminne group required medications to relieve their symptoms, compared to 69% in the placebo group. After the three-month trial, the need for medications was reduced by 77% (based on VA scores) in the Biminne group, compared to only 13% reduction in the placebo group. This trend continued at the one-year review.  The conclusion of the researchers: “The Biminne formulation was demonstrated to be safe and effective in relieving the symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis. Its effects may be
prolonged as some benefits could still be demonstrated at 12 months.”^[3]The Chinese herbal formulation Biminne in management of perennial allergic rhinitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week clinical trial

Medical Treatment

The usual medical treatment targets symptoms rather than the root cause and should be avoided at all costs. In comparison, herbal formulas are highly effective and do not harm the body. Common medical treatment includes:

Steroids such as:

Flucticasone, sold under brand names such as Aller-Flo, ArmonAir, RespiClick, and Ticanase, is a steroid used for treating itching, swelling, and allergic skin disorders.  Unfortunately, this drug is linked to a serious clinical condition called Glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal problems caused by drugs can be life-threatening and severely impact your health. They often lead to fatigue and a loss of energy. Also, the risk cannot be predicted based on dosage or duration of use. The prevalence of this condition is estimated to be between 50-100% for those undergoing initial treatment.^[4]Why glucocorticoid withdrawal may sometimes be as dangerous as the treatment itself

Triamcinolone Acetonide is used in the treatment of inflammation and some skin disorders. Unfortunately, all these Glucocorticoid drugs have serious side effects, such as adrenal failure and atrophogencitiy, which is skin atrophy (essentially, the loss of youthful skin.)^[5]Topical Corticosteroids and Unwanted Local Effects While the pharmaceutical industry is developing new steroid drugs that supposedly won’t have these negative effects, we won’t hold our breath.

Antihistamines such as:

Loratadine, sold as Claritin and Allerclear, among other names like Allergy Relief and Alavert, is also marketed as Non-Drowsy Allergy. Its side effects include liver damage, chest tightness or difficulty breathing, fainting, seizures, and a low platelet count, which can be very dangerous. A paper published in The Lancet examined the dangers of non-sedating antihistamines. This paper discusses the risks and mentions the banning of terfenadine, which is to all intents and purposes the same drug as Claritin. Terfenadine was banned for life-threatening side effects. It also highlights the prevalence of arrhythmias among antihistamine users and emphasizes the importance of not exceeding the recommended dose due to serious side effects.^[6]Dangers of non-sedating antihistamines While the drug manufacturer claims these incidents are rare, research suggests they are far too common. What concerns me most is the debate over whether doctors should inform patients of these risks, which they claim could “unnecessarily alarm” them. Patients should always be fully informed about potential risks — it is up to the individual to decide what is alarming. The Nuremberg trials emphasized the necessity of informed consent. The idea that doctors might choose not to inform patients about potential side effects due to concerns of causing alarm is unethical and criminal.

Decongestants such as:

Xylometazoline, sold as Otrivin, causes acne, skin sensitivity, burning, dryness, or scaling. In a small study, individuals were given Xylometazoline nasal spray at double the recommended dose twice daily. After using the nasal spray for 30 days, there was no change in symptoms one hour after drug administration compared to before starting the medication. While no rebound swelling was noted in the first 10 days, after 30 days, 90% of the patients experienced rebound swelling.^[7]Sustained use of xylometazoline nasal spray shortens the decongestive response and induces rebound swelling