If you suffer from hayfever then you know how irritating and unbearable it can be. Itchy eyes and throat, runny nose and stinging, bloodshot eyes are just some of the symptoms you have to put up with, not to mention all that sneezing. Combined with not being able to enjoy the sunshine and the likelihood of your sleep being affected, certain times of the year can make you pretty miserable.

If it’s one of those times, you probably know already that hayfever is an allergy. When your body comes into contact with a substance to which it is allergic, it’s either your liver or part of your involuntary nervous system that responds, resulting in the release of histamine. And because histamine is transported to every part of the body via the bloodstream, it’s your whole body that suffers.

As well as histamine, your vagus nerve, part of your involuntary nervous system, also plays a role in producing allergic responses. Together, they form part of your body’s defence systems, but when you have an allergy, these systems over-react, causing all too familiar symptoms.

There are sprays, tablets and pills to relieve the symptoms, but those things don’t address the root cause of the problem. Herbal medicine does though – it treats your whole body, not just symptoms, to knock hayfever on the head for good. It’s rich in vitamin A and other essential nutrients to help strengthen your mucous membranes and withstand attacks from the pollen, dust mites, cat fur or whatever your trigger is.

Herbal medicines: