What ethical, complementary products are available for hayfever?
Much has been made of a new vaccine for hayfever.
Clinicial trials show the treatment, called the Pollinex Quattro injection, significantly reduces the symptoms of hayfever, including runny eyes, itchy nose throat and face and sneezing.
It works by putting small doeses of pollen into the body and therefore encouraging a milder reaction in sufferers.
An estimated 15 million people in the UK suffer from hayfever. Hayfever is caused by an allergy to pollen. Grass pollen is the biggest problem, with over 90% of hayfever sufferers allergic to it.
In a hayfever sufferer, the body reacts to pollen by producing histamine which causes the nasty symptoms of hayfever.
Many people resort to medication including antihistamine drugs or even steroids to cope with the symptoms, which can be virulent. Some peoples’ hayfever season runs from as early as March to as late as October or September.
Tree pollen can start as early as March followed by grass pollen and then weed pollen in August-September.
But when the vast majority of research shows that taking one kind of medication just isn’t enough, what about trying a more ethical alternative?
There are a range of complementary hayfever products on the market. These include herbal products, like Butterbur – the best is Butterbur Petasin which takes out many of the bad things that are left in other versions. Also there’s the Qu-Chi band, an acupressure band that works in a similar way so a sea sickness band. And HayMax – a drug-free nose barrier balm which traps the pollen before your body starts to react.
These complementary therapies are all made by small independent firms, who may be considered more ethical on a number of grounds than larger conglomerates, including drug manufacturers and pharmaeutical companies.
So why not give a complementary hayfever product a go? You’ll be safe in the knowledge that you’re being more ethical. And you can even try it alongside other therapies.
HayMax Limited is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more
Tags: complementary therapy, hayfever