Nature’s Allergy Treatment

Butterbur: Nature’s Allergy Treatment
Many allergy sufferers find relief in traditional medicine, such as oral decongestants, antihistamines, topical steroid sprays, and desensitization. However, more and more people are turning to natural medicine. Mary Hardy, MD, director of integrative medicine at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said, "Using natural-based products can be a very useful way to handle mild allergies and a useful addition to more significant allergies, and there are many types of treatments you with safe to try. "

According to Dr Hardy, among them the treatment to produce the loudest buzz right now is the European herb Butterbur (Petasites hybridus), which "has had some very impressive results of clinical trials."

In a study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers showed that Switzerland Butterbur one tablet four times daily is as effective as a popular antihistamine drug in controlling symptoms of fever, without the drowsiness that sometimes happens with traditional antihistamines. In another study, British researchers have been approved Butterbur to quell symptoms of grass allergy.

In yet another study, Butterbur cetrizine compared with an antihistamine in patients with allergy season. One hundred and twenty-five patients from four outpatient clinics in Switzerland and Germany participated in a randomized controlled trial, 61 received and 64 accepted cetrizine Butterbur. After two weeks, the groups are comparable on measures such as physical functioning and emotional and physician assessment of symptom severity and overall improvement.

Butterbur is an annual shrub found throughout Europe and also in parts of Asia and North America. Butterbur Plant can grow to a height of three meters and is usually found in wet, marshy ground, in damp forests and adjacent to rivers or streams. The main active ingredient in Butterbur is petasin and isopetasin, which is believed to reduce smooth muscle spasms and has anti-inflammatory effects. Factory Butterbur also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which is associated with liver toxicity. However, the extract of Butterbur has akaloids pyrrolizidine deleted.

Butterbur has been used medicinally for centuries to treat pain, fever, convulsions, cough, and asthma. Greek physicians used Dioscurides Butterbur leaves to treat skin ulcers. Today, it is mainly used for prevention and to treat migraine headaches and asthma.

Other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments for seasonal allergies include: freeze-dried stinging nettle, quercetin, a tonic made of goldenseal, a saline (salt water) nasal wash, homeopathy, and acupuncture.