Perhaps the strongest scientific research backs up homeopathy’s efficacy in treating respiratory allergies, which makes sense given its shared approach with conventional allergy treatments, says Dana Ullman, MPH, author of The Homeopathic Revolution (North Atlantic, 2007). Ullman coauthored a research review published this spring in Alternative Medicine Review that highlighted the benefits of homeopathy. For example, in four published clinical trials conducted in Scotland, half of 253 allergy-sufferers were given homeopathic remedies and half a placebo. Researchers found a 28 percent improvement in homeopathic subjects versus a 3 percent improvement with the placebo.
Self-treatment for allergies tends to be more effective for acute, short-lived attacks, whereas chronic allergies are best treated under the guidance of an experienced homeopathic practitioner. Self-treatment should be done using low potencies such as 6X, 6C, 12X, 12C, 30X, and 30C. (To learn about doses, see “What About Potency?") “Try a combination remedy that contains a pollen mix for your area,” says says Jody Shevins, ND, of Boulder, Colorado.