Prabha is a 30 year-old East Indian woman who we began treating two years ago for asthma. Lycopodium helped her significantly with her asthma. She came in last spring with hay fever of a two week duration.

It normally lasted all spring, until mid or late summer. She would wake in the morning with a dry cough, congestion in the upper lungs, and slight wheezing. During the day, she complained of terrible itching in the ears and eustachian tubes, and some itching in the throat, nose, and, to a lesser degree, the eyes. She had occasional sneezing, runny nose, and dry eyes. The symptoms lasted throughout the day and were better when she was indoors.

Erik is a 29 year-old man, born in Norway, also suffering from spring hay fever since the age of 5. It was usually worse in the summer, however this year it was bothering him terribly in late March, prompting him to come in to see us for the first time. He reported his symptoms as follows.

His main problem was frequent, violent, paroxysmal sneezing, which occurred in spurts. He had a watery, runny nose, causing him to "run around with a handkerchief all the time". The skin under his nose was red and sore. His eyes were itchy, dry, and irritated. There was no lachyrmation.

His nose was stuffy, whether he was indoors or out. His forehead itched.

With the hay fever, he found himself lethargic and had slept ten hours the night before. This was extremely unusual for him since he was generally a very high energy person. Since the hay fever began, he as irritable and felt victimized by his acute illness. He had a strong desire recently for carrot juice.

Todd, a 26 year-old computer program, was assured by another of my patients that homeopathy could help him with his hay fever. He came in late April of this year, like the two patients described above, in extreme discomfort. He lamented, "I'm allergic to everything that's not food!" His nose ran all of the time. He was using half a box of tissues per day. His eyes were itchy, puffy, and watery. He suffered from a post nasal drip precipitating a sore throat. His sinuses sometimes swelled with the hay fever, causing a pressing headache. His symptoms were definitely worse outdoors. He was generally tired and wiped out with the hay fever. In the past it had lasted on and off for four months. This time he came in after only a few days, however it was his worst bout ever. He reported that he had "tried everything" orthodox medicine had to offer him.

Marilyn is a 40 year-old artist. We have treated her successfully over the past two years for her insomnia and mood swings, first with Arsenicum album, then Sepia, as well as for several acute illnesses. She came in last July, complaining of fits of sneezing, worse on waking, and a runny nose. However, what bothered her most about the hay fever, was annoying itching of the soft palate, and less so, of the eyes.