Anyone come across local honey as a remedy for hayfever?

[sethstarkaddersmum]

DH has always had bad hayfever; we were told by someone yesterday that if you eat honey from a 5 mile radius of your local area it can alleviate symptoms.

this sort of makes sense; has anyone got experience of this or know anything more about it?

thanks.

Yes, although have never tried it myself, I now many who have. The pollen that the honey is made, from allows the immune system to recognise it as friendly, not overreact. Its a bit homeopathic in its action. Sorry if that is a very flaky answer. I am sure someone will come along with a more scientific one.
Local honey is fantasic anyway.

thanks minimammoth. not flaky at all! When you say you know many who have tried it, do you mean tried it and it works?

I bought some 2 weeks ago and have been having it on toast for breakfast. It's delicious and my hayfever symptoms have lessened considerably. I ahve noticed that I am slightly worse in the evening so maybe I need a little spoonful at tea-time.

Good, Shockers! How did you hear about it? The fact that it's delicious is good at any rate as even if it doesn't work we won't have lost anything!

My Mum recommended it and I found a beekeepers stall at a local agricultural show (NW). It has a lovely delicate taste. I have the address of one really close to me now, for future supplies.

I was finding that I had to take antihitamines most days but I haven't this last week.... I'm assuming it's down to the honey but it could just be, whatever I'm allergic to has come to the end of it's season. Either way, like you say, it's a delicious experiment which appears to have worked!

Have you found any local to you? Farm shops don't always sell the most local honey.

I know of some within 10 miles though not necessarily 5.

I'd give it a try anyway. Or look for a beekeepers website.

we wiil, thank you

It worked for me too, Seth. Definitely worth a try. And even if it doesn't work, you're supporting a local supplier AND eating delicious honey so your DH doesn't have much to lose

IT is definitely recommended. However, i understand that it works best as a long term solution. Ideally, you should be eating this honey throughout the year, and definitely starting before the hay fever season starts. Your body needs time to build up the antibodies.

right, well we are going to have a nice time exploring local honey then! thanks all.

Another top tip is rubbing a very small amountof vaseline inside the entrance to your nostrils, this helps trap some of the pollen before it can reach you mucous memranes and cause an allergic reaction.

The honey has been shown to work,but as said it is a long term solution i.e. a small amount daily all year.

I've been struggling to find local honey in London, it's all organic from Tasmania/New Zealand or blend from EC at best.

Anyone came across a place to buy local honeys in London? I'd be very grateful to know!!

What evidence that looks at whether honey consumption (be it local or not) has any effect on allergic symptoms, always seems to show no effect.

For example: here. here] and [[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11868925 here.

Heard about it, tried it, didn't work.

But, you know, any port in a storm or something like that.

Well... the worst of anyone I know! But not as bad as some people on MN.

Fits with your theory about being more use for mild hayfever...

"Fits with your theory about being more use for mild hayfever"

Or, as is more likely, fits with the idea of it being no more than a placebo.

DBennett, true.

But I feel I irritate enough people on here without going out of my way to piss them off by telling them their preferred alternative medicine is a load of ole bollocks

Well, actually, I feel it's a wee bit unethical to tell people a placebo-type thing doesn't work, because if they believe you, then it won't work. Which is a bit mean.

"Well, actually, I feel it's a wee bit unethical to tell people a placebo-type thing doesn't work, because if they believe you, then it won't work. Which is a bit mean."

This could be a good point.

But:

There is some interesting evidence that saying something is a placebo does not reduce it's effect.
In least in patients who are highly susceptible anyway.

Honey is quite an expensive, and apparently hard to find, option.
And how ethical is it to endorse a deception?

And we can do better.

Assuming people who are considering honey are happy to consider other herbal options, butterbur (petasites hybridus) looks good.

Equally effective as non-drowsy antihistamines (thus better than placebo).

Pretty safe, can give some people an upset stomach but shouldn't be used if you have liver damage or are pregnant/breast feeding.

1000-150mg root extract a day should do it.

Pixie - if I was an outdoors-y person I might consider it (you had it done this year, right?) but mainly I deal with it by dosing up with antihistamines and staying in the house (air purifer & A/C in bedroom), or in A/C places .
And because I've been basically avoiding summer since I was a kid, it doesn't feel like that much of a loss. Oh dear, I sound like a bit of a saddo now!

Was the desensitisation expensive? (if you don't mind me asking, am assuming it's not NHS)

Hopi ear candling is also effective, you might want to consider this?