The British Academy of Hypnosis

Hay Fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, is a very common condition that affects 20% of people in the UK. It is caused by an allergy to airborne substances such as grass or hay pollens, which affects the upper respiratory passages (nose, sinus, throat and eyes.)

Hay Fever usually occurs during the spring and summer months. Exactly when you get it depends on which pollens you are allergic to. From May to July grass and flowers are in pollen, making these the most common cause of Hay Fever. During spring, from March to May, pollens from trees are the most common cause of Hay Fever. Some people do get Hay Fever into the autumn months. However this is rare and is usually caused by weeds such as nettles and docks, late flowering plants and mould spores.

Hay Fever Symptoms

Hay Fever symptoms can be similar to a cold and include a runny nose, watery eyes and repeated sneezing attacks. As with all allergies, the symptoms happen as a result of your immune system (the body's defence system) overreacting to a normally harmless substance in this case pollen. When the body comes into contact with pollen, cells in the lining of your nose, mouth and eyes release a chemical called histamine that triggers the symptoms of an allergic reaction, this can be controlled through the powers of hypnosis.

You are more likely to get Hay Fever if there is a history of allergies in your family, particularly asthma or eczema.

Hay Fever usually begins in the early teens and peaks when you're in your twenties. Research shows that many people become less sensitive to pollen as they get older and by the time they reach their mid-forties, Hay Fever may no longer be a problem.

Hay Fever suffers benefit from using self hypnosis, reachers say. A Swiss team at Basle University taught 66 people with Hay Fever the art of hypnosis and found it helped them alleviate symptoms such as a runny nose. The study took place over two years and included two Hay Fever Seasons.

During the first year, some of the volunteers with Hay Fever were taught and asked to practise regularly the technique as well as take their usual allergy medicine. The Hypnosis training consisted of one two-hour session with an experienced trainer. The remaining volunteers had no further treatment apart from their normal allergy medication. After a year, the researchers found the volunteers who had been using self-hypnosis had reported fewer symptoms related to Hay Fever than their fellow volunteers.

During the second year, the researchers taught the remaining "untrained" volunteers how to use hypnosis. By the end of the year, these volunteers also reported improvements in their Hay Fever symptoms. (Reported by BBC News. April 2015.)
These finding appear in the medical Journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.