Croup

     An affliction of young children, usually between six months and two years of age, croup is an inflammation and obstruction of the larynx that often follows a viral infection of the respiratory tract. A painful, honking cough, harsh breathing, rising pulse rate, restlessness and irritability are common but alarming symptoms.

      So is cyanosis, a bluish tint in the skin caused by oxygen deprivation. In orthodox medicine, croup is treated with humidification and mild sedatives.

      The herbal therapy is similar. A steam vaporizer containing a few drops of eucalyptus, tea tree, sage or thyme essential oil helps bring relief, especially if left on overnight. Warm lemonade, fresh juices diluted with water and chamomile tea are all recommended. Lobelia is a powerful muscle relaxer that can be added in tea or tincture form to any liquid the child will take. In fact, any of the relaxing nervines will help, including chamomile, oatstraw and valerian. Massaging the chest with an aromatic balm is also recommended

cough syrup for colds, flu and other respiratory problems

        First, blend equal parts wild cherry bark, licorice root and burdock root, then add a smaller amount (1/4 to 1/2 part) osha root.

       In a quart jar place 2 tablespoons of this herbal blend, cover with boiling water, close the jar and let the tea steep for at least 4 hours or overnight.

       Next, blend equal parts of dried mullein leaf, sage, coltsfoot and comfrey leaf, then add a small amount (1/4 part) peppermint and, for adults, an equal amount of horehound. Place 2 tablespoons of this tea in a quart Mason jar, add boiling water, close the lid and let the tea stand for 2 hours. Strain and combine these two teas in a large sauce pan and simmer, uncovered, until the tea is reduced to 1/2 or (for a stronger syrup) 1/4 of its volume. For every cup of tea add 3 to 4 tablespoons honey or a combination of 2 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons black cherry concentrate. Add a splash of brandy as a preservative and use as needed to soothe a sore throat.

Coughs

     Coughing is a reflex response to anything that interferes with the passage of air to the lungs. In most cases, the cause is mucus secreted by membranes lining the respiratory tract.

    The breathless cough of an asthma attack can be treated with mullein, including the smoke of a burning mullein leaf. When anxiety contributes to asthma, relaxing nervines such as oatstraw, chamomile and lobelia help prevent spasms and coughing. As noted in the section describing bronchitis, dry, hacking, irritating coughs respond well to relaxing expectorants like lobelia and coltsfoot, while wet coughs need more stimulating expectorants such as horehound and elecampane.

    Any cough can be soothed by chewing on osha root  or, especially recommended for smokers, calamus root. When an illness such as a cold or the flu causes coughing, the use of cough-suppressing herbs interferes with the body's cleansing mechanisms, for coughing helps the body rid itself of waste products. In that case, expectorant herbs such as horehound and coltsfoot are effective, for they make coughing more productive. Infection-fighting herbs such as echinacea and the culinary herbs sage and thyme are also helpful, for they help remove the cause of the illness.

   Whenever coughing produces blood or does not respond to treatment and lasts more than a week, it should be checked by a medical professional

The Allergic Connection.

      No matter what conditions trigger an asthma attack, naturopathic physicians believe that asthma's underlying causes are food sensitivities or food allergies, insufficient hydrochloric acid (even among children), leading to incomplete digestion, and exposure food additives and other chemicals that overburden the immune system, causing it to malfunction.

     Diets that eliminate common allergens have been effective in treating asthmatic adults and children. Double-blind food challenges in children have shown that sensitivities resulting in immediate symptoms are most likely to involve eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts and peanuts, while those resulting in the delayed onset of symptoms are most likely to involve milk, chocolate, wheat, citrus fruits and food coloring. Of course, every person is different, and the best way to tell what foods may be triggering your or your child's symptoms is to keep a food diary, experiment with food groups and rotation diets, try applied kinesiology's muscle testing or see a health care professional who specializes in nutrition. In someone whose production of hydrochloric acid is insufficient for complete digestion, discovering the causes of food allergies and eliminating them is only part of the solution, for unless the low stomach acid is corrected, new food sensitivities will develop as new foods replace old ones.

     According to Jonathan Wright, M.D., one of the diseases associated with low stomach acid is childhood asthma. This deficiency is easy to diagnose and the cure is inexpensive. Digestive supplements containing hydrochloric acid are sold in health food stores.

Asthma

      A full-blown asthma attack is a nightmare: you can't catch your breath. Add coughing, rattly wheezing, a choking sensation and the light-headed feeling that accompanies a lack of oxygen and you get the idea. Asthma is worse than inconvenient; it can be fatal.

     In the United States, asthma has become an epidemic, especially among children. Orthodox physicians treat it with steroids, antihistamines, bronchiole dilators and other drugs, all of which have adverse side effects and none of which address asthma's cause. "Extrinsic" or "atopic" asthma is related to allergies and brings a characteristic increase in the blood serum immunoglobulin IgE. ''Intrinsic" asthma does not involve allergies; it is triggered by chemicals, exposure to cold air or water, active physical exercise, infection or emotional upset.

      Recent research by Michael Burr at the Center for Applied Public Health Medicine in Cardiff, Wales, found that industrial pollution with sulfur dioxide and smoke does not cause asthma but appears to increase its severity. The study blamed diesel exhaust fumes and ozone for increasing the allergic effects of inhaled allergens and noted a rise in asthma cases in areas with decreasing industrial pollution but increasing automobile traffic. Until hydrogen replaces petroleum as a fuel, large cities and busy roads will make life more difficult for asthma patients.

Other Approaches.

       The food supplement quercetin, a bioflavonoid, has been shown to relieve or prevent hay fever and allergy symptoms, and the nutritional support offered by vitamin/mineral supplements is important as well.

       Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine, and large doses during hay fever season may bring relief. Orothomolecular physicians recommend as much as 5 to 20 grams of vitamin C taken in 4 to 8 doses over 24 hours for this condition.

      Salt is another decongestant. To treat hay fever symptoms, drink an 8-ounce glass of water followed by a pinch of salt on the tongue every 15 to 30 minutes until symptoms subside. The same strategy will work for asthma. Mechanical aids make a difference, too.

      Breathe Right nasal strips are a familiar sight in professional football games, where players use them to keep nasal passages clear when plastic mouth guards interfere with normal respiration. Advertised as a drug-free way to relieve snoring as well as nasal congestion due to allergies, colds and deviated septums, these strips are sold in drugstores and in health supply catalogs. A simple way to break the hay fever cycle without drugs is to go on a week-long cleansing juice fast, drinking only water and freshly prepared raw fruit and vegetable juices and eating no solid food at all. If you're like most hay fever sufferers, your sneezing symptoms will diminish or disappear, suggesting a link to food sensitivities.

Herbs That Can Help.

      If you don't have high blood pressure, the Chinese herb Ma huang (ephedra vulgaris) may be helpful. The active ingredient in most commercial allergy preparations made from herbs, Ma huang or Chinese ephedra is a powerful decongestant. It clears bronchial passageways, dries sinuses, helps relieve sneezing and makes breathing easier. It also speeds the pulse, raises blood pressure, makes it difficult to relax and feels like caffeine. The more you take, the more dramatic these side effects, so start with a small amount, don't take Ma huang in the evening (it may keep you awake) and, if brewing a tea with this herb, make a weak infusion to start. Nettle (Urtica dioica) may sting when you touch it, but nettle tea soothes the system.

     In "A Randomized Double-Blind Study of Freeze-Dried Urtica dioica in the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis," published in the journal Planta Medica (February 1990), P. Mittman reported significant hay fever relief from capsules containing freeze-dried nettle. The therapy had few side effects and improvement came within a week for those who found the treatment effective. Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Spontaneous Healing, controls his own hay fever with this therapy. Nettle tea and fresh nettle juice are used in Europe for a variety of conditions, including several respiratory problems.

     Echinacea and goldenseal are a favorite combination for hay fever therapy. In fact, many herbalists consider goldenseal the most effective botanical treatment for acute sinus infections because it fights bacteria and viruses while soothing mucous membranes.

     Both herbs support the immune system. Teas and tinctures made with red clover, sage, burdock root or licorice root are often recommended for hay fever prevention and treatment and all have much to recommend them.

    Gail Ulrich, herbalist and director of the Blazing Star Herbal School recommends an infusion of dried mullein leaf (2 tablespoons or 1 ounce by volume of the dried herb per quart of boiling water) steeped 2 to 4 hours and given in [1/2] cup doses 4 times daily for 6 weeks to eliminate allergies to pet dander and relieve other allergy symptoms. Rosemary Gladstar has an unusual recipe for garlic-ginger syrup that helps prevent allergies and hay fevers. See page 41 for the recipe.

Homeopathy

      The bee pollen approach to hay fever resembles homeopathy, for both strategies introduce small amounts of allergenic substances in hopes that the body will respond and overcome the illness. The difference is in the dosage.
      Homeopathic hay fever preparations are extremely dilute solutions of the yeasts, molds, grasses, tree pollens, fungi, animal dander, dust mites and other airborne allergens that typically cause reactions. Respiratory illnesses such as hay fever are among the conditions homeopathy is best known for treating. A similar strategy is used by people who take ragweed tincture in the spring and early summer, before this plant flowers.
     The Heritage Store in Virginia sells products recommended by Edgar Cayce, the American psychic whose well documented medical insights cured thousands during the 1930s and '40s. Edgar Cayce recommended ragweed to over a hundred individuals as a liver tonic and nonhabit-forming laxative and prescribed it to help desensitize pollen-sensitive systems when taken ahead of pollen season. Users have reported relief from other allergies after taking ragweed tincture for several weeks.

       The Heritage Store's product contains only ragweed and grain alcohol. Inspired when I read this at the peak of ragweed season as I was sneezing my head off, I gathered blossoms from the inconspicuous common ragweed (Artemesia artemisifolia) and the tree-tall great or giant ragweed (A. trifida), covered the pollen-rich flowers with vodka and made my own tincture. The following spring I began taking half a dropperful daily. All through ragweed season, which lasts to the end of October, I continued the ragweed experiment and seldom sneezed, even when pollen counts hit record highs.

Herbs that can help cold and flu

      Mention colds and flu to most herbalists and they will recommend echinacea. The purple cone flower,  Echinacea purpurea, and its narrow leaved relative, E. angustifolia, have been shown to increase T-cell activity and related immune system activity. When taken in the early stages of illness, echinacea wards off viral infection and is most effective when taken frequently, in large doses, for brief periods. Echinacea is often combined with goldenseal or Oregon grape root, both of which contain berberine, a strong antibiotic substance. Goldenseal enhances immune function by stimulating circulation to the spleen, toning the lymph system.

      Echinacea and goldenseal work well with licorice root, an herb that supports the immune system through its effect on the adrenal system. Tinctures containing these combinations are widely sold, or make your own for even better results. I learned to appreciate echinacea and goldenseal when a wet blizzard soaked me to the skin. My teeth chattered so loudly my husband said they sounded like castanets, my bones felt frozen and I sneezed and coughed all over everything.

     Most unpleasant! Beginning in the afternoon, I took 1/4 teaspoon of a combined echinacea and goldenseal tincture every half hour plus a gram of vitamin C every hour until I fell asleep at midnight. The next morning, not only had every trace of illness disappeared but I felt better than I had in months. This strategy works best if used on the first day of cold symptoms. Astragalus root is an increasingly popular Chinese herb used to flavor soups and rice dishes. Chinese research has shown it to increase activity of the immune system, and it's easy to add a piece to whatever you're cooking to boost winter immunity.

Colds and Flu

     We associate these viral diseases with winter or with a change of season, but you can catch a cold or the flu any time.

     What's the difference? Both cause respiratory distress, fever, coughing, headaches, sore throats, aching muscles and fatigue, but the flu (short for influenza) is usually more severe, faster developing and involves more of the body.

    Vomiting and diarrhea are common flu symptoms. If you're serious about staying well, it makes sense to improve your diet, reduce the stress in your life and avoid the foods, drugs and pollutants that suppress immunity. These include sugars, junk foods and cigarettes, as well as chemicals, pesticides and air pollutants. Left alone, most colds go away by themselves within a week, but with the help of certain herbs, your symptoms should disappear much faster.

Bronchitis Bronchitis

       Bronchitis Bronchitis is defined as an acute (intense and sudden) or chronic (longstanding) inflammation of the mucous lining of the bronchial tubes, the main airway to the lungs. Acute bronchitis often develops after an upper respiratory infection, such as a cold or the flu. The resulting cough is at first very dry but it becomes less painful and rasping as the lungs produce mucus, which lubricates the bronchi. In some cases, bronchitis may be followed by pneumonia.

      If a fever persists for more than a few days, complications are likely. Statistics show that smokers are more likely to die from chronic bronchitis than from lung cancer, so for smokers, the best strategy is to quit. Foods such as wheat (especially white flour), refined carbohydrates, sugar and dairy products often exacerbate chronic bronchitis. By experimenting with diet, eliminating processed foods, dairy products and wheat while increasing the consumption of raw foods, many have reduced or eliminated their bronchitis symptoms. Garlic is often recommended as a food supplement, along with vitamins, minerals and "green" foods such as wheat grass, barley grass, spirulina or chlorella.

       Expectorant herbs are important for relief of the exhausting cough that comes with bronchitis, but the type of herb depends on the type of cough. For relief from a dry, hacking, irritating cough, use a relaxing expectorant such as coltsfoot or lobelia; for a wet cough, use a stimulating expectorant like horehound or elecampane.

        The Austrian herbalist Maria Treben recommended breathing the steam from coltsfoot flowers and leaves to relieve bronchitis. Pour boiling water over fresh or dried coltsfoot, then drape a towel over your head and the bowl to retain the resulting steam. Treben also recommended taking coltsfoot syrup (see recipe on page 64) and bathing the feet in warm coltsfoot tea. See page 64 for information on the safety of coltsfoot. In An Elder's Herbal, David Hoffmann recommended osha (Ligusticum porterii), a plant native to the American Southwest, as "an excellent specific in cases of tracheobronchitis." Osha root, which has a sharp and pungent taste, can be chewed for relief from coughs and sore throats.

     For all bronchitis symptoms, Hoffmann recommended a tea made of equal parts mullein, coltsfoot, marshmallow and aniseed; pour 1 cup boiling water over 2 teaspoons dried herbs and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Drink several cups daily.

Herbs That Can Help Asthma

       Proponents of raw food diets claim that the elimination of most cooked or processed foods and the substitution of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables can cure asthma or at least reduce its most severe symptoms. Green beverages such as freshly pressed wheat grass or barley juice and the supplementation of green or blue-green algae and similar foods may also bring relief.

     Herbs have a vital place in asthma therapy. The most frequently prescribed include echinacea, horsetail, juniper berries, licorice root, mullein and Ma huang. Lobelia tincture may be helpful during asthma attacks, as it relaxes bronchial muscles. Ginkgo, which contains the active ingredient ginkgolide B, has shown good results in many studies.

      The Chinese herb Ma huang (Ephedra vulgaris) has been used to treat asthma for more than 5,000 years. It stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and relieves bronchial spasms, making it among the most widely used herbal asthma medications. However, its common side effects include rapid pulse, increased blood pressure, nervousness and irritability. These can be reduced by taking the herb in small doses several times a day in combination with calming herbs.

     According to the herbalist Christopher Hobbes in the September 1992 issue of Natural Healing, teas or extracts of the expectorant herbs grindelia and yerba santa are best for asthma accompanied by a heavy white sputum, while the moisturizing herbs coltsfoot, marshmallow root, mullein and licorice are better for dry types of asthma.

Supplements

     For many asthma sufferers, relief comes from nutrition. In addition to vitamins and mineral supplements that repair tissues and boost immunity, many physicians recommend bioflavonids, quercetin, bromelin and coenzyme Q10, all of which may help reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Vitamins A, B complex, C and E are considered most important, along with magnesium, selenium, and beta carotene. In fact, vitamin C may be more significant than previously realized.
     In 1995 The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a report showing that a diet low in vitamin C is a risk factor for asthma, particularly in environments containing tobacco smoke and similar oxidants. According to this article, 7 of 11 studies on vitamin C have shown significant improvement in respiratory measurement within two hours after the patients took 1 to 2 grams of vitamin C. These studies are the first to show such a positive correlation and the first to use large doses of the vitamin. Previous trials using 500 mg or less were less conclusive.
    Vitamin C has been shown to have antihistamine properties; it inhibits experimentally induced bronchial constriction in normal and asthmatic subjects, and in double-blind controlled studies, doses of 1 gram per day have been shown to be an effective, though not curative, preventive measure for some patients with bronchial asthma.

The Allergic Connection.

       No matter what conditions trigger an asthma attack, naturopathic physicians believe that asthma's underlying causes are food sensitivities or food allergies, insufficient hydrochloric acid (even among children), leading to incomplete digestion, and exposure tofood additives and other chemicals that overburden the immune system, causing it to malfunction. Diets that eliminate common allergens have been effective in treating asthmatic adults and children. Double-blind food challenges in children have shown that sensitivities resulting in immediate symptoms are most likely to involve eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts and peanuts, while those resulting in the delayed onset of symptoms are most likely to involve milk, chocolate, wheat, citrus fruits and food coloring. Of course, every person is different, and the best way to tell what foods may be triggering your or your child's symptoms is to keep a food diary, experiment with food groups and rotation diets, try applied kinesiology's muscle testing or see a health care professional who specializes in nutrition. In someone whose production of hydrochloric acid is insufficient for complete digestion, discovering the causes of food allergies and eliminating them is only part of the solution, for unless the low stomach acid is corrected, new food sensitivities will develop as new foods replace old ones. According to Jonathan Wright, M.D., one of the diseases associated with low stomach acid is childhood asthma. This deficiency is easy to diagnose and the cure is inexpensive. Digestive supplements containing hydrochloric acid are sold in health food stores.
      In 1993, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reported on a respiratory technologist who developed occupational asthma after being exposed to sterilizing agents in her work. Whenever she cleaned bronchoscopes, her asthma worsened.

      The sterilizing agent glutaraldehyde may be unusual, but most American homes have their own share of asthma-aggravating allergens. In 1993 The American Journal of Epidemiology reported on a study of 457 asthmatic Canadian children ages 3 to 4, which compared them to 457 control subjects. Independent risk factors for asthma included heavy smoking by the mother, the use of a humidifier in the child's room and an electric heating system in the house. Less important but still significant were the presence of other smokers in the home, a history of pneumonia, the absence of breast-
feeding and a family history of asthma. Other studies have shown that smoke from a fireplace or wood stove can aggravate asthma, as can a host of common household cleansers, paints, paint thinners, perfumes and some types of incense.

      The problem with humidifiers, which are supposed to help relieve respiratory congestion, is that they are breeding grounds for molds, bacteria and other germs. To prevent these problems, add liquid grapefruit seed extract to your humidifier's water reservoir. Grapefruit seed or citrus seed extract, which kills viruses, bacteria, yeasts, molds, parasites and other pathogens on contact even when greatly diluted, is sold in health food stores.

      Tea tree oil has similar properties, in addition to a sinus-clearing antiseptic fragrance reminiscent of eucalyptus oil and turpentine. In fact, some people relieve sinus congestion by placing a drop on the upper lip, just under the nose, at bedtime. Unlike liquid grapefruit seed extract, tea tree oil is not water-soluble, so for best results, dissolve a teaspoon of tea tree oil with an equal or larger amount of vodka or other alcohol before mixing it with water.

     To disinfect a humidifier that is used daily, add 1/8 teaspoon of liquid grapefruit seed extract or tea tree oil/vodka solution to the water reservoir once a week, and add several drops of either solution to the reservoir daily. 

Asthma

       A full-blown asthma attack is a nightmare: you can't catch your breath. Add coughing, rattly wheezing, a choking sensation and the light-headed feeling that accompanies a lack of oxygen and you get the idea. Asthma is worse than inconvenient; it can be fatal. In the United States, asthma has become an epidemic, especially among children.

    Orthodox physicians treat it with steroids, antihistamines, bronchiole dilators and other drugs, all of which have adverse side effects and none of which address asthma's cause.

 "Extrinsic" or "atopic" asthma is related to allergies and brings a characteristic increase in the blood serum immunoglobulin IgE. ''Intrinsic" asthma does not involve allergies; it is triggered by chemicals, exposure to cold air or water, active physical exercise, infection or emotional upset.

      Recent research by Michael Burr at the Center for Applied Public Health Medicine in Cardiff, Wales, found that industrial pollution with sulfur dioxide and smoke does not cause asthma but appears to increase its severity. The study blamed diesel exhaust fumes and ozone for increasing the allergic effects of inhaled allergens and noted a rise in asthma cases in areas with decreasing industrial pollution but increasing automobile traffic. Until hydrogen replaces petroleum as a fuel, large cities and busy roads will make life more difficult for asthma patients.
 

Other Approaches

      The food supplement quercetin, a bioflavonoid, has been shown to relieve or prevent hay fever and allergy symptoms, and the nutritional support offered by vitamin/mineral supplements is important as well. Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine, and large doses during hay fever season may bring relief. Orothomolecular physicians recommend as much as 5 to 20 grams of vitamin C taken in 4 to 8 doses over 24 hours for this condition.
      Salt is another decongestant. To treat hay fever symptoms, drink an 8-ounce glass of water followed by a pinch of salt on the tongue every 15 to 30 minutes until symptoms subside. The same strategy will work for asthma.
     Mechanical aids make a difference, too. Breathe Right nasal strips are a familiar sight in professional football games, where players use them to keep nasal passages clear when plastic mouth guards interfere with normal respiration. Advertised as a drug-free way to relieve snoring as well as nasal congestion due to allergies, colds and deviated septums, these strips are sold in drugstores and in health supply catalogs.
    A simple way to break the hay fever cycle without drugs is to go on a week-long cleansing juice fast, drinking only water and freshly prepared raw fruit and vegetable juices and eating no solid food at all. If you're like most hay fever sufferers, your sneezing symptoms will diminish or disappear, suggesting a link to food sensitivities.

Herbs That Can Help You

      If you don't have high blood pressure, the Chinese herb Ma huang (ephedra vulgaris) may be helpful. The active ingredient in most commercial allergy preparations made from herbs, Ma huang or Chinese ephedra is a powerful decongestant. It clears bronchial passageways, dries sinuses, helps relieve sneezing and makes breathing easier. It also speeds the pulse, raises blood pressure, makes it difficult to relax and feels like caffeine. The more you take, the more dramatic these side effects, so start with a small amount, don't take Ma huang in the evening (it may keep you awake) and, if brewing a tea with this herb, make a weak infusion to start.

      Nettle (Urtica dioica) may sting when you touch it, but nettle tea soothes the system. In "A Randomized Double-Blind Study of Freeze-Dried Urtica dioica in the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis," published in the journal Planta Medica (February 1990), P. Mittman reported significant hay fever relief from capsules containing freeze-dried nettle. The therapy had few side effects and improvement came within a week for those who found the treatment effective. Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Spontaneous Healing, controls his own hay fever with this therapy. Nettle tea and fresh nettle juice are used in Europe for a variety of conditions, including several respiratory problems.

      Echinacea and goldenseal are a favorite combination for hay fever therapy. In fact, many herbalists consider goldenseal the most effective botanical treatment for acute sinus infections because it fights bacteria and viruses while soothing mucous membranes. Both herbs support the immune system. Teas and tinctures made with red clover, sage, burdock root or licorice root are often recommended for hay fever prevention and treatment and all have much to recommend them.

     Gail Ulrich, herbalist and director of the Blazing Star Herbal School recommends an infusion of dried mullein leaf (2 tablespoons or 1 ounce by volume of the dried herb per quart of boiling water) steeped 2 to 4 hours and given in [1/2] cup doses 4 times daily for 6 weeks to eliminate allergies to pet dander and relieve other allergy symptoms.

     Rosemary Gladstar has an unusual recipe for garlic-ginger syrup that helps prevent allergies and hay fevers.

Homeopathy

      The bee pollen approach to hay fever resembles homeopathy, for both strategies introduce small amounts of allergenic substances in hopes that the body will respond and overcome the illness. The difference is in the dosage. Homeopathic hay fever preparations are extremely dilute solutions of the yeasts, molds, grasses, tree pollens, fungi, animal dander, dust mites and other airborne allergens that typically cause reactions. Respiratory illnesses such as hay fever are among the conditions homeopathy is best known for treating.

      A similar strategy is used by people who take rag weed tincture in the spring and early summer, before this plant flowers. The Heritage Store in Virginia sells products recommended by Edgar Cayce, the American psychic whose well documented medical insights cured thousands during the 1930s and '40s. Edgar Cayce recommended rag weed to over a hundred individuals as a liver tonic and nonhabit-forming laxative and prescribed it to help desensitize pollen-sensitive systems when taken ahead of pollen season. Users have reported relief from other allergies after taking rag weed tincture for several weeks.

      The Heritage Store's product contains only rag weed and grain alcohol. Inspired when I read this at the peak of rag weed season as I was sneezing my head off, I gathered blossoms from the inconspicuous common rag weed (Artemesia artemisifolia) and the tree-tall great or giant ragweed (A. trifida), covered the pollen-rich flowers with vodka and made my own tincture. The following spring I began taking half a dropperful daily. All through ragweed season, which lasts to the end of October, I continued the ragweed experiment and seldom sneezed, even when pollen counts hit record highs.

Honey and Bee Pollen.

      Honey contains pollen, and some hay fever sufferers swear by honey from local bees. Their strategy is to eat comb honey or raw, unheated, unrefined, unfiltered honey from local bees in three-day cycles for several weeks before hay fever season. This exposure acts like a vaccination and makes the local pollens less irritating.
     Bee pollen is a popular food supplement, but I have misgivings about recommending it to those who have hay fever. Some seriously adverse reactions have been reported among people with severe allergies who took bee pollen, probably because the dose is so concentrated compared to what you would ingest in a spoonful of honey. A better approach is to start with a single grain per day three to four months before hay fever season and slowly increase the dosage, adding one grain every three days.
Discontinue if you experience any adverse symptoms, such as sinus congestion, throat irritation, fatigue, headaches, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, itchy skin or memory problems, all of which may occur when someone allergic to pollen takes bee pollen capsules daily for several weeks. The physician who reported these symptoms noted that bee pollen capsules, despite manufacturer's claims, do not contain only pollen from plants that are pollinated by bees but also contain allergenic airborne pollens such as ragweed. For best results, never experiment with more than a single grain of bee pollen or a tiny amount of raw honey if you are trying this approach for the first time. Of course, for honey "vaccinations" to work, the raw honey or bee pollen must come from local hives and contain local pollens.

Allergies and Hay Fever

    The word "allergy" did not exist in Shakespeare's time or even a hundred years ago. It's a modern term for a modern illnessor, more accurately, an assortment of illnesses. Allergy is a catchall word for a variety of reactions made by the body when it detects something foreign. The offending substances may be foods, animal dander, house dust, pollens, mold, smoke, air pollution, medicines or chemicals. The ability of the immune system to identify individual substances and react to them is crucial, but overreaction creates uncomfortable symptoms such as sneezing, sinus congestion, itching or watery eyes, headaches, indigestion, skin rashes, hives and other symptoms.

     At any time of year, it can be hard to tell the difference between allergies and cold symptoms. Either can produce sneezes, a runny nose, nasal congestion, an itchy throat and irritated cough. If a "cold" lasts for several weeks, and if your symptoms seem more severe in certain locations (less intense outdoors in winter, for example, and worse in certain rooms or buildings), it's probably hay fever.

    According to allergy researchers, indoor or year-round allergies are almost always due to three sources of irritation: the droppings of microscopic dust mites that live in house dust, mold spores and animal dander. In many households, the causes may also include cockroach parts, rodent urine or the smoke from a wood-burning stove or fireplace. All of these irritants are associated with asthma as well. 
    The orthodox treatment of allergies includes the use of decongestants, antihistamines and steroid drugs. Some allergists specialize in desensitization shots, in which small quantities of allergenic substances are injected into the body over a period of time. Desensitization therapy for bee stings and other insect venoms is generally effective, according to Philip S. Norman in his 1980 overview of immunotherapy published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, while scientific studies on the effectiveness of desensitization to pollen, molds, house dust and animal danders are "generally inconclusive or lacking."
     The link between diet and allergies is important, and anyone hoping to relieve hay fever symptoms and allergic reactions to dust mites, pet dander and other common irritants will do well to explore food sensitivities.

Stop Smoking

      For many Americans, this is easier said than done. Smoking is a chemical addiction that those who don't smoke find incomprehensible. It takes more than will power, resolutions, good intentions, pleas from friends and relatives, public ordinances, medical problems and high cigarette prices to stop smoking.

     If you have a respiratory illness, smoking will make it worse. If you live with someone who does, secondhand smoke will do the same. People still argue about the links between smoking and heart disease or breast cancer, but the links between smoking and emphysema, asthma, lung cancer and other respiratory problems are well-documented. Chewing tobacco, which has gained in popularity in recent years, has its own adverse side effects, including cancers of the mouth and throat.
    Of all the approaches to quitting, and there are many, two of the most effective may be acupuncture and orthomolecular medicine. Acupuncture has an impressive record in treating all kinds of addictions, not just smoking, as does orthomolecular medicine, which treats illness with nutritional supplements.

      In the Winter 1993 issue of The Herb Quarterly, herbalist Elizabeth Phillips reviewed plants that help smokers quit. "These herbs will regulate a smoker's mood (no more irritability)," she wrote, "and the accompanying urge to overeat as nicotine intake stops, and they will cleanse the system of nicotine and the lungs of tar sediment. And they will do all that simply, easily and safely."

      The herbs in Phillips's program are the sedative herbs valerian root, chamomile and skullcap; licorice root and comfrey, which reduce the symptoms of drug withdrawal; black cohosh, burdock root and red clover for blood cleansing; slippery elm bark and fenugreek, which help remove mucus from the lungs; catnip, magnolia and peppermint, which aid the smoker in quitting; and echinacea to support the immune system. These herbs are alternated during the program so you use slightly different combinations every day.

       To brew each tea, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small, pan (the recipes are for 4-ounce teacups), add the required amount of dry herbs, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain and serve.

    Phillips advised starting the day with a 4-ounce cup of tea made with 1/2 teaspoon each of chamomile (or scullcap) and valerian root. At mid-morning, mix 1/2 teaspoon licorice root with 1/2 teaspoon comfrey leaf. At noon, brew 1/2 teaspoon black cohosh with 1/2 teaspoon burdock root or red clover. In the early afternoon, combine 1/2 teaspoon slippery elm bark with 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek. Discontinue this tea when you stop coughing up mucus. In the late afternoon, mix 1/2 teaspoon magnolia with 1/2 teaspoon peppermint or catnip. Just before dinner, brew a cup of echinacea tea using 1 teaspoon echinacea leaf. Sweeten any of these teas with honey or add a pinch of the herb stevia, a popular alternative to sugar. In addition, Phillips recommended taking 500 mg of vitamin C, a vitamin E capsule and one tablet of goldenseal root daily, although goldenseal, like untreated licorice root, is not recommended for those with heart disease.
     Since Phillips's article was published, comfrey has been removed from many health food stores because of its alleged toxicity (see page 65). I would not hesitate to take the small amount of comfrey called for here, but you should study the evidence and make your own decision. If you decide not to use comfrey, substitute burdock root or red clover.

    In addition to the herbs recommended above, here are three that can be real friends to anyone who is trying to quit smoking. The first is lobelia or Indian tobacco; the second is calamus root. Because both of these herbs come with FDA warnings, please read their descriptions carefully before using. The third helpful herb is oat grass or oatstraw, a tonic for the nerves.

    It is easy to become discouraged if you try to quit smoking and fail. But there are so many approaches to this project that if you really want to stop, you will find one that works.