Mark Bevan asked:

What is hay fever?

Hay fever is a common form of allergic reaction. It is also known as allergic rhinitis where rhinitis comes from ‘rhino’ meaning nose and ‘itis’ meaning inflammatory. Hay fever in layman’s terms can be described as inflammation of the nose caused by an allergic reaction. The other parts of the body affected by hay fever include eyes, sinuses, throat and ears. Many times hay fever is mistaken for common cold because it is marked by cold like symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, congestion and sinus pressure. However, unlike cold which is caused by a virus, hay fever is caused by an allergic response to indoor or outdoor airborne allergens, such as pollen, dust mites or pet dander. In some people hay fever may also be triggered by pollution such as cigarette smoke and car exhaust fumes.

There are two categories of hay fever or allergic rhinitis -

Seasonal hay fever – A large number of people are affected by seasonal hay fever that occurs during spring, summer, and in early fall mainly because of the high levels of pollens present in the atmosphere during these seasons. Perennial hay fever – People who experience hay fever all year round are said to be suffering from perennial hay fever.

Hay fever symptoms

Hay fever symptoms vary from person to person. While some people are fortunate to have only mild symptoms that do not last long, some hay fever victims are severely affected and show symptoms every day during the pollen season. In such cases, people may have difficulty attending school or work.

Common hay fever symptoms include – stuffy or runny nose, itchy nose, throat, or ear canals, sneezing, watery red eyes and ear congestion. Less common hay fever symptoms include – inability to taste or smell food, ‘nasal’ voice, face pain, sweats, and headache. Asthma symptoms – some people may also experience shortness of breath, especially with exercise or exertion, coughing and wheezing. Symptoms can worsen in people who already have asthma.

Medicine used for the treatment of hay fever

Anti-histamine medicines are commonly used for the treatment of hay fever this is because symptoms are caused due the release of a chemical in the body called histamine in response to the allergen. Anti- inflammatory drugs and decongestants may also be given to relieve patients of the symptoms. A doctor may suggest stronger prescription drugs in severe cases of hay fever.

These days, many people who are constantly affected by hay fever are going in for drug-free alternate therapies such as Qu-Chi bands. Based on the Chinese knowledge of acupressure, the Qu-Chi band provides fast relief from hay fever as it works directly on the acupressure points that relieve hay fever symptoms. Since it is natural, Qu-Chi band does not cause any side effects. The band is easy to wear and can be worn when the symptoms start or as a preventive measure when the symptoms are about to start so that fast and effective hay fever treatment becomes possible. The Qu-Chi band can be used round the year; it can be safely used in conjunction with other medications also.

Rajesh Nair asked:


Allergic rhinitis is used to describe an inflammation of the lining of the nose caused by an allergy. The symptoms include a ‘runny’ nose and sneezing, nose, roof of the mouth, and the ears, may be itchy.

Ayurveda believes in three doshas, which are vata, pitta, and kapha, an imbalance in which results in a disease. Ayurveda has the faith that allergy or Sheetpitta is variety of unwholesome condition of pitta. In this condition the pitta loses its natural warmth.

It can occur when you eat spices or hot food, drink caffeine, or are exposed to irritant chemicals, such as tobacco smoke or perfume. It also occurs due to airborne allergens, such as pollen of all types, house-dust mites and their faeces, mould spores, animal dander and feather and household sprays.

Allergic rhinitis can best be taken care of by taking certain dietary and lifestyle precautions. Some of them are:

Certain foods are more mucous producing and Ayurvedic medicine recognizes those foods as Kapha foods thus aggravating allergies like dairy, wheat, sugar, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, bananas, oranges, and grapefruits. Food additives like artificial dyes and different preservatives also play major factors

Home environment such as forced air, gas heat, pets and carpet which harbors dust mites, molds, bacteria along with many chemicals are certainly aggravating factors.

Dry grains like chickpeas, kala channa, corn, fish like salmon, trout, cod are better choices. Tea with cardamom, pepper and ginger, lemon juice and honey work effectively. Diet rich in lots of fruits and vegetable of different colors are recommended.

Carpets are one of the major contributors to allergies as they breed dust mites. The best choice is to remove the carpet, which eliminates the area for the dust mites to breed also use pillows with micro fiber.

Yoga -The Sheetpitta of respiratory system like Rhinitis can be cured by the regular practice of certain type of Pranayamas like Bhastrika, ujjai.

Panchakarma-Vaman (the emesis therapy) and Virechan therapy (the laxatives therapy) are very effective to detoxify the body.

Allergic Rhinitis from an Ayurvedic perspective is due to the toxins present in the body (ama) and due to the low immunity. Ama aggravates the levels of Pitta and Kapha in the body, giving rise to different symptoms of allergies. Ayurveda considers this as a Kapha-Pitta disorder.

Ayurveda believes in balancing the three doshas present in the human body thus treating the disease on the whole. Therefore it suggests the following approaches to get rid of allergic rhinitis:

1. A slice of ginger, pepper and cardamom can be added while preparing tea. Dried ginger can be also added to coffee without milk and taken.

2. Mix honey with half the amount of lemon juice and take the mixture early in the morning for few weeks.

3. Take two spoons of Apple cider vinegar and a bit of honey to a glass of cooled boiled water and take it early in the morning.

4. Have a diet rich in vitamin C and vitamin B.

5. Take chamomile tea twice a day.

6. Take one cup of Indian gooseberry and mix with two tsp of honey. Have it twice a day.

7. Pouring two to three drops of coconut oil into the nostrils at bedtime could provide relief.

8. Ayurvedic treatment procedure involves inducing therapeutic vomiting which helps in balancing Kapha.

9. Herbs like santalum, cardamom and licorice can be boiled in water (ratio 1:4) and reduced to quarter of the quantity. Drinking this often will help in preventing the aggravation of Pitta dosha.

10. Taking two tablets of guduchi thrice a day or consuming tea made of camphor, cloves and basil for about two weeks will help prevent the aggravation of Kapha.

11. Consuming herbs like Evening Primrose, nettle and Butterbur are also useful in treating allergic rhinitis.

12. Amrutharishta, Sudarsanasava, Dasamoola kaduthryam qwath, Indukantham qwath, Amruthotharam qwath, Septilin tablet and syrup, Step syrup and tablet etc are the commonly used medicines.