Hay Fever
Hay fever is roaring in its ugly head again. We remember Allium cepa, Sabadilla, Nux vomica and ...? Here is a list of the most frequently indicated medicines for hay fever. If the list seems a bit long it is because differential diagnosis of medicines is paramount.
The Most Frequently Indicated Symptomatic Medicines
Allium cepa
- Abundant watery coryza, excoriating
the nostrils and the upper lip
- Sneezes “like a machine gun”
- Conjunctivitis with stinging and burning pains
- Photophobia
- Headache
- Aggravated in the evening and by stuffy heat
- Improved in open air and by coolness. Ammonium muriaticum
- Aqueous, abundant and irritating coryza, excoriating the nostrils and upper lip
- Frequent sneezing
- Anosmia
- Hoarseness, dry cough, tickling in the larynx and sensation as if the nose was blocked despite the rhinorrhea.
Kalium Iodatum
- Aqueous coryza that is very abundant and burning but not excoriating
- Accompanied by tearing
- Frontal headache
- Pains at the root of the nose
- Anosmia
- Aggravation in a warm room
Apis mellifica
- Scant nose discharge
- Pale and pink edema of the mucous membranes of the nose.
- Edema of the eyelids
- Important tearing that is burning and/or very intense pruritis of the eyes (as if by sand)
- Improved by cold Arsenicum album
- Aqueous and burning coryza excoriating the upper lip with sensation of intense burning.
- Conjunctivitis, edema of the eyelids, intense photophobia, tearing that is acid, burning and excoriating.
- Can complicate itself with asthma.
- Improved by hot applications and heat in general
Arsenicum Iodatum
- Aqueous coryza excoriating the nostrils
- With sneezing
- Aggravation by extremes of temperature
- Improved by temperate weather
Dulcamara
- Nose blockage in rainy weather of cold humidity
- Followed by an abundant, non irritating coryza
- Pollinosis around the end of August when the weather becomes cooler in the evening
- Possible concomitant conjunctivitis with in flammation of the eyelids and abundant yellow discharge
- Dry and spasmodic cough and asthma
- Induced and aggravated when the weather is cold and humid
- Improvement by dry weather and by breathing in warm air.
Euphrasia
- Abundant, aqueous and non irritating coryza
- Sneezing “like a machine gun”
- Conjunctivitis, stinging and burning pains, photophobia, constant blinking
- Irritating and excoriating tearing
- Headache
- Aggravation in open air and in stuffy heat
- Improvement in darkness
Galphimia glauca
- To be given systematically
- Pruritis of the eyelids and corner of the eyes
- Tearing
- Sneezing, nasal pruritis, rhinorrhea
- Dry cough, asthma due to pollen
Kalium Iodatum
- Aqueous coryza that is very abundant and burning but not excoriating
- Accompanied by tearing
- Frontal headache
- Pains at the root of the nose
- Anosmia
- Aggravation in a warm room
Naphtalinum
- Irritating rhinorrhea, close to Allium cepa
- The conjunctival symptoms are the same as for Euphrasia and the tearing is irritating
Improved in open air
Nux Vomica
- Dry coryza and blocked nose at night
- Running during the day, non-irritating
- Spasmodic sneezing on awakening, followed by a coryza that can be abundant or not
- Conjunctivitis sometimes, blinking, photophobia aggravated in the morning
- Aggravation in a warm room
- Improved in open air
Sabadilla
- Aqueous, abundant and non-irritating coryza
- Sneezing “like a machine gun”
- Abundant tearing
- Itching of the soft palate making the patient scratch it with his tongue to no avail
- Hypersensitivity to the smell of flowers, fruits and garlic
- Cold sensitivity and aggravation by coolness.
- Improved in open air and in warm air
Sanguinaria Canadensis
- Abundant, liquid and corrosive coryza
- Frequent sneezing
- Burning pains at the root of the nose “sensation as if the mucous membranes were cracking”
- Nose polyps
- Dry and violent cough with tickling in the larynx
- Aggravation by humid weather
- Improved by breathing in cool air.