Hayfever
| Hay fever is an inappropriate term commonly used for the seasonal or perennial allergic reactions suffered by many people in temperate climates. Symptoms include sneezing, runny nose and obstruction of the nasal passages, sore throat and watering eyes. In extreme cases it can be severely debilitating.It is caused by an acute hypersensitive reaction to allergens (chiefly pollen) on the nasal mucous membranes, and has nothing to do with either hay or fever.Conventional remedies containing antihistamines are effective but frequently cause fatigue and drowsiness, and care must be taken by sufferers not to drive or operate machinery when so affected.
Herbal remedies can produce relief without the undesirable side-effects commonly associated with antihistamines. A medical practitioner should be consulted before any herbal therapy is tried in order to eliminate any underlying serious medical condition. A course of therapy with Butterbur petasin extract has been scientifically proven to be beneficial in the alleviation of hayfever symptoms. |
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Butterbur comes from the Asteraceae family, and is a fleshy, creeping plant with a short root. Extracts from the leaves and roots have been used, since ancient Greek times, as an anti-inflammatory, a smooth muscle relaxant (anti-spasmodic) and pain reliever (analgesic).These traditional uses are supported by modern science. Butterbur petasin’s main active ingredients are petasin and isopetasin, with the highest concentrations occurring in the root. |
There are two types of Butterbur plant, both looking identical yet very different. One kind of Butterbur contains petasins (Butterbur Petasin) and the other contains only trace amounts (Butterbur Furan). When choosing a brand of Butterbur ensure that it is made from Butterbur Petasin and that it is standardised to at least 7.5mg of Petasin and isopetasin per 50mg butterbur.Their effects are reported to be:-
There are no known drug interactions with Butterbur extract. Butterbur petasin should not be used during pregnancy and breast feeding. Clinical Trials A two-week, randomised double-blind, comparative study of the effects of Butterbur and antihistamines on 131 sufferers of seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever) in Switzerland and Germany was published recently (Schapowal 2002)*. The results showed that the two treatments had similar effects, but that butterbur did not have the sedative and fatigue side-effects reported by two thirds of the patients given the antihistamines. Butterbur was well tolerated, although no data exist on its prolonged use, and the author suggests further research is necessary. However, treatment would be only for periods of peak pollen count in spring and summer, and offers a means of avoiding the side effects produced by antihistamines. *Schapowal, A. 2002. Randomised controlled trial of butterbur and cetirizine for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis, British Medical Journal, 324:144 (19 January). |
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