Blog Category
Allergies are one of the most rapidly growing health concerns in the modern world — and in my decades of herbal practice, I have seen this shift firsthand. What was once a relatively uncommon complaint is now something millions of Australians live with daily, whether as hay fever, food sensitivities, skin reactions, or more complex immune-mediated responses. Western herbal medicine has always understood allergy as a problem of immune dysregulation — an overreaction to substances that should be harmless — and our approach addresses both the acute symptoms and the underlying immune imbalance. Herbs like nettle, eyebright, elderflower, and baical skullcap have a long history of use in this area, and the articles here explore them in depth.
Allergies
20 May 2022
Herbal medicine is the rightful medicine of all human beings. Caring for yourself and your family by using herbs is an empowering experience—it allows you to tap into the power of nature and take responsibility for your health and well-being. Over the last thirty years at the ASOHM we’ve collected many rare, out-of-print books on […]
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Allergies
20 May 2019
Eczema can be a great nuisance and can cause considerable discomfort if the skin is scratched and becomes infected by bacteria. Childhood eczema is very common and often begins in infancy. There are many causes – contact dermatitis is common and is caused when an irritant either damages the surface of the skin or penetrates […]
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Allergies
14 March 2019
If you suffer from migraines or are allergic to bees, you should seriously consider planting feverfew in your garden. More about the bees later, but migraine sufferers will be pleased to know feverfew is one of the few medicinal plants to have had the benefit of clinical tests. The tests came about after a newspaper […]
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Allergies
6 September 2017
For thousands of years the humble onion has had a respected and often revered place in the diet of man. Sacred to the Egyptians, it often appears in the art of ancient India, China and Greece, but it probably originated in Central Asia. The onion’s unique properties have ensured its constant popularity throughout the civilised […]
Read article →Managing allergies with herbal medicine involves calming an overactive immune response, reducing inflammation in the affected tissues, and — over time — rebalancing the immune system's tendency toward reactivity. This is a longer game than simply taking an antihistamine, but the results are often more durable.
Nettle leaf (Urtica dioica) is one of the most accessible and well-studied antihistamine herbs — freeze-dried nettle capsules have shown efficacy comparable to over-the-counter antihistamines in some studies, without causing drowsiness. Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) is a traditional herb for the eye and nasal symptoms of hay fever. Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) reduces catarrh and soothes inflamed nasal passages. Baical skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) is a potent natural antihistamine from Chinese medicine increasingly used in western practice.
Quercetin is a flavonoid found abundantly in onions, apples, and herbs such as elderflower and chamomile. It stabilises mast cells — the cells that release histamine during allergic reactions — and inhibits the release of inflammatory mediators. Taking quercetin-rich foods and herbs consistently before and during allergy season can reduce the severity of the reactive response.
True food allergies involve an immune (IgE-mediated) response and require careful medical management. Food intolerances — such as lactose intolerance or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity — are a different mechanism and often more responsive to herbal and dietary approaches. Gut-healing herbs (slippery elm, marshmallow, calendula) can reduce intestinal permeability, which is a factor in food reactivity. If you suspect a food allergy, medical testing is essential.
Increasingly, yes. The "hygiene hypothesis" and more recent research into the gut microbiome suggest that reduced early-life exposure to microorganisms, combined with gut dysbiosis, contributes to immune dysregulation and increased allergy risk. Supporting gut health through diet and herbal medicine therefore has a legitimate role in an allergy management programme.
In the western herbal tradition, allergic conditions have long been linked to liver function, lymphatic congestion, and inherited constitution. Herbs that support liver detoxification and lymphatic drainage — dandelion, burdock, cleavers — are often included in a comprehensive allergy protocol alongside the more directly anti-allergic herbs.
Yes — please see our Skin Disorders category for a detailed exploration of herbal approaches to allergic skin conditions.
Most are, at appropriate doses. Nettle leaf, elderflower, and quercetin-rich foods can be used indefinitely as part of an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle. More potent herbs like baical skullcap or andrographis are better used in defined courses rather than indefinitely. A qualified herbalist can guide appropriate long-term protocols.
Understanding allergy through the lens of herbal medicine — the immune mechanisms involved, the herbs that modulate them, and the lifestyle factors that drive reactivity — is deeply practical knowledge. Our course covers the immune and defence systems comprehensively. View lesson packages and enrol today.