I will start by saying that as a Naturopath, I deal with people who have particular problems accompanied by a particular group of symptoms. It is therefore important that it is understood that while dealing with illness and disease, everyone is different so it is difficult to generalise when talking about disease.

Many people choose to seek the assistance of a Naturopath for either adjunct or alternative treatments for chronic illnesses. While this is a big part of our treatment regime, we are also able to provide primary care for both chronic and acute illness, including diabetes, arthritis, allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, etc.

In this edition, I will use hayfever as an example. Hayfever is accompanied by rhinitis, which is inflammation of the mucous membrane lining of the nasal cavity. There are many triggers that can cause hayfever symptoms including pollens, fungal spores in the air, dust etc.

There are o en dietary components that though may not necessarily cause hayfever, can make a person more prone to the sensitivity that they develop towards certain allergens. An example of this, is that in some people excessive dairy products may increase the production of mucous, therefore increasing the sensitivity to allergens that inflame the mucous membranes. There are also certain foods that assist in the blocking of histamine, which is responsible for the symptoms that develop during an episode of hayfever, for example Vitamin C. Certain digestive enzymes are also beneficial in assisting in the breakdown of proteins and fats.