Streaming eyes, a blocked nose, sneezing fits and an itch you cannot reach. Hay fever affects a large share of the population, and for many people antihistamines only take the edge off.
It seems an unlikely target for hypnosis. Pollen is real, and so is the immune reaction to it. Yet in 2005 a Swiss research group reported that people who learned self-hypnosis had an easier pollen season.
The trial
Researchers at the University of Basel studied 79 adults, average age 34, with moderate to severe hay fever caused by grass or birch pollen.
The study ran over two consecutive pollen seasons.
- In the first year, participants were randomly assigned either to learn self-hypnosis or to act as controls. Everyone continued with their usual anti-allergy medication.
- In the second year, the control group was taught self-hypnosis too.
Teaching took very little time: on average just over two sessions. People were then asked to practise at home, using imagery of a place free of allergens, such as a snowy mountain or a beach.
What it found
Symptom ratings. Looking back over the season, people who had learned self-hypnosis rated their hay fever symptoms about 29 points lower on a 100-point scale, and the restriction on their wellbeing about 26 points lower. Both changes were statistically significant.
The second year. When the control group learned self-hypnosis, they showed similar improvements: around 25 and 24 points.
An objective test. In a laboratory test, increasing amounts of pollen extract were applied inside the nose and airflow was measured. After learning self-hypnosis, participants were markedly less likely to reach the point at which their nasal airflow dropped to a set level. In other words, their noses reacted less.
The caveats
This study is often reported more enthusiastically than it deserves, so the limits should be stated.
- Daily symptom diaries did not show a significant improvement. The benefit showed up in people’s overall retrospective ratings, which are more open to expectation.
- Nobody was blind to having learned self-hypnosis.
- The control group got no comparable attention or alternative technique.
- Pollen levels differ from one year to the next.
- It is one study of 79 people.
A fair summary: self-hypnosis made people feel their hay fever was less troublesome, and there was a suggestion of a real effect on the nose. It was not shown to reduce symptoms day by day.
How could it work?
Several routes are plausible.
- Blood flow. Nasal congestion is partly a matter of swollen blood vessels in the lining of the nose. Hypnotic suggestion can influence blood flow in the skin, and the same may apply to the nose.
- Stress. Stress worsens allergic symptoms, and relaxation eases them.
- Attention. An itch attended to grows. An itch ignored fades.
- Expectation. People who expect a miserable season notice every sneeze.
- Earlier research had shown that suggestion can alter skin reactions to allergens in some people, though findings are inconsistent.
None of these has been proved to be the mechanism.
What hypnosis will not do
- It does not cure allergy. The immune system still recognises pollen.
- It is not a substitute for medication. In the trial, everyone kept taking theirs.
- It has no place in serious allergic reactions. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency needing adrenaline and an ambulance. Asthma needs inhalers.
What works for hay fever
- Antihistamines
- Steroid nasal sprays, which are the most effective treatment for most people and work best started before the season
- Eye drops
- Reducing exposure: windows closed at peak times, sunglasses, showering and changing after being outdoors, drying washing indoors
- Immunotherapy for severe cases, through a specialist
Self-hypnosis is something to add to these.
A routine for pollen season
Start two or three weeks before your season usually begins, and practise for ten minutes a day.
- Sit comfortably and breathe slowly through your nose if you can, or your mouth if you cannot.
- Relax your body, and especially your face: forehead, eyes, cheeks, jaw.
- Imagine a place where the air is clean and free of pollen. A snowy mountainside. A beach with a sea breeze. A cool forest after rain.
- Feel the cool, clear air on your face.
- Imagine that air flowing easily through your nose, the passages wide and open.
- Imagine your eyes cool, clear and comfortable.
- Tell yourself: “My nose is clear and my eyes are calm. My body stays settled.”
- Add a cue: “Whenever I take one slow breath and think of the mountain, this clear feeling returns.”
- Count from one to five and open your eyes.
Use the cue when symptoms start, along with your usual treatment.
For itching
Rubbing itchy eyes makes them worse. When the urge comes:
- Rest your hands in your lap
- Breathe out slowly
- Imagine a cool, damp cloth across your closed eyes
- Let the urge rise and fall
Who might benefit most
People whose symptoms flare with stress, people who respond well to imagery, and those who find the season miserable despite medication. As with other uses of hypnosis, responsiveness varies.
See a doctor or pharmacist
- If over-the-counter treatment is not controlling your symptoms
- If you wheeze, feel tight-chested or short of breath
- If symptoms continue all year
- If you are unsure what you are allergic to
The bottom line
One trial found that people taught self-hypnosis felt their hay fever was less troublesome, with a hint of a real effect on the nose. It will not replace a nasal spray, but as a ten-minute addition to proper treatment it costs nothing and may make the season easier.
Next in the series: Hypnosis During a Breast Biopsy: Calmer, and Quicker
This article is for general information and is not medical advice.