POST-NATAL DEPRESSION

In today’s busy world, giving birth can be treated like having a tooth pulled - in and out with some pain and the mother is expected to bounce back to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Having a baby puts great strain on a woman’s physical well-being and many times, if she does not look after herself, it can be a leading cause of many and varied disorders. It is very necessary to rest after having giving birth and to build up one’s endocrine system with good food and, if necessary, herbal remedies.

Many women feel despondency after the birth of a child. Post-natal depression is most common within days of the birth, but usually lasts only a few days. But for some women, these feelings of depression last many months after the birth.

Exhaustion from the birth, fluctuating hormones and coping with the new situation all contribute to post-natal depression. Fluctuating hormones cause mood changes, while physical exhaustion can cause a psychological low that lasts for days or many weeks. The impact of intense emotions surrounding childbirth should not be underestimated or ignored.

Exhaustion and depression can lead to insomnia and even panic attacks in some individuals. Often post-natal depression is treated with anti-depressants, which may help the depression but do little for the exhaustion.

It is important that the mother, who may be too overwhelmed to prepare adequate meals herself, receive nourishing and appetising meals to rebuild her strength e.g. plain, natural yogurt with cashews or almonds: the calcium and magnesium help calm the nerves. Oatmeal porridge will strengthen and soothe the nerves due to its B-vitamins and fatty acids. Drinking plenty of liquids is essential to facilitate breast-feeding, which is also the best adjunct therapy for post-natal depression. Breast-feeding helps normalise hormonal swings by increasing the endorphin level and allowing the body to regain hormone balance slowly and evenly. It also helps new mothers bond with their children.

Although all nutrients are important, the B-vitamins are essential for relieving stress and depression. Royal jelly and bee pollen are excellent for providing the body with energy.

A number of herbal remedies will help relieve fatigue and post-natal depression. A herb with good results in lifting the mood and helping strengthen the body is Rhodiola root, which was discovered by the Russians to increase the body’s resistance to stress and to increase serotonin levels by 30 per cent, this lifting the mood.

Ginseng is a herb with very important effects on a weakened endocrine system with resulting fatigue and exhaustion. Taking Ginseng along with other herbs to soothe and calm the nervous system - like Rhodiola or Passionflower - along with herbs to feed the body like nettle, wheat or barley grass, will give excellent results in post-natal depression and fatigue.

Taking these remedies will help the mother overcome the effects of post-natal depression while giving her the strength to carry on with her life. It’s important to build one’s strength before becoming pregnant again, as another pregnancy and birth will further weaken her endocrine system, leading to more depression and exhaustion.

It is also important to get plenty of restful sleep and a good balance of exercise and relaxation to help normalise body functions.  

Hayfever

            Hay fever is fast becoming a widespread and common allergy in Western society.  Before the 1800s, it was unknown to the medical world.  Today  in  most  developed  countries,  one  in  6  teenagers  suffers  from  the  disease  and  it  is  increasing.  In  1837,  a  distinguished  physician  observed:  “I  have  now  seen  several  unequivocal  instances  of  it  -  very  few  persons,  in  comparison  with  the  entire  community,  are  susceptible.”

            In  1870  Charles  Blackley  observed  that  hay  fever  was  virtually  unknown  among  the  farming  community.  It  was  remarked  that  “in  Ireland  [a  then-predominantly  rural  community],  hay  fever  is  seldom  heard  of.”  It  also  seems  to  have  been  a  disease  of  the  town  rather  than  the  countryside.  In  a  1920  survey,  a  tenfold  difference  in  incidence  between  town  and  country  was  recorded.    

The sex life of plants is the root cause of hay fever.  Most  people  are  surprised  to  discover  this  because  they  have  no  idea  that  plants,  whose  lives  seem  fairly  dull  and  uneventful,  actually  engage  in  sex.  But  the  fact  that  they  do,  and  that  the  sexual  exploits  of  plants  set  millions  of  people  sneezing  and  sniffling,  is  because  these  plants  produce  pollen,  which  is  the  main  cause  of  hay  fever-type  symptoms.

Hay  fever  or  season  allergic  rhinitis  (rhinitis  meaning  simply  inflammation  or  redness  and  swelling  of  the  nose)  is  the  allergic  reaction  by  the  body  to  pollen.  This  pollen  gets  through  the  normal  protective  covering  of  the  nose’s  internal  lining  (the  mucus  membranes)  and  provokes  an  allergic  reaction  by  the  body’s  protective  cells.  If  it  develops  in  the  spring,  it  is  usually  due  to  tree  pollens,  while  in  the  summer,  grass  and  weed  pollens  are  usually  the  culprits.  Some  people  develop  hay  fever  in  response  to  airborne  fungus  spores.  These  spores  are  most  common  in  mid-March  through  to  late  November.

An  attack  of  hay  fever  often  begins  with  an  unpleasant  itchy  sensation  in  the  mouth,  nose,  throat  and  eyes.  This is a sign of an allergic reaction  to  pollen.  Shortly  after  this,  symptoms  begin  in  the  nose  with  volleys  of  sneezes  and  a  runny  or  completely  blocked  nose. 

Sneezing  is  a  natural  reflex  that  serves  to  remove  bothersome  particles  from  the  nose  by  expelling  them  violently.  The  production  of  large  amounts  of  mucus  in  turn  serves  a  similar  end  -  it  is  intended  to  flush  the  unwanted  items  out  of  the  nose.  The  fact  that  the  symptoms  persist  suggests  that  neither  response  is  of  much  use  in  expelling  the  pollen,  probably  because  each  new  breath  brings  in  a  fresh  supply.  Thus  the  sneezing  and  runny  nose  are  part  of  a  frustrated  and  futile  effort  to  eject  pollen  from  the  nose.  The  blocked  nose  is  due  to  inflammation  of  the  mucus  membranes  inside  the  nose, making  it  very  hard  to  get  a  good  night’s  sleep  or  to  smell  anything, and when  you  can’t  smell,  you  also  lose  your  taste.

The  eyes  also  use  tears  to  try  to  clear  away  pollen,  but  the  tear  duct  passage  -  which  normally  drains  the  tears  away  -  becomes  very  blocked  because  it  flows  into  the  nose,  which  is  possibly  already  blocked  and  full  of  mucus,  leaving  the  tears  flowing  down  the  face.  The  effect  is  similar  to  a  heavy  storm  on  a  house  whose  drainpipes  are  already  blocked  with  leaves.

Homeopathic  remedies  are  very  effective  if  you  find  the  correct  one;  many  times  I’ve  seen  hay  fever  sufferers  get  rid  of  all  symptoms  overnight  upon  choosing  the  correct  remedy.  

Herbalists  would  look  to  the  immune  system,  since  hay  fever  is  due  to  a  malfunction  there.  We  would  look  at  the  lifestyle  of  the  sufferer,  any  symptoms  -  such  as  poor  diet,  over-consumption  of  sugar,  stress,  overwork  -  or  an  inherited  disposition  to  allergies;  these  would  have  to  be  corrected  to  help  the  body  regain  its  healthy  balance.

The  herbs  we  would  use  to  help  the  immune  system  to  regain  its  balance  would  include  Astragalus,  Echinacea,  Ginseng,  Liquorice  and  Garlic.

Second,  we  would  use  herbs  to  help  the  body  heal  itself  and  ease  the  inflammation:  Elderflower,  Eyebright,  Plantain,  and,  of  course, Nettle.  Nettle  juice,  often  on  its  own,  can  ease  all  of  the   symptoms  of  hay  fever,  but  only  the  fresh  nettle  or  its  juice  is  of  use  in  this  instance.

The  second  class  of  herbs  often  strengthens  the  mucus  membranes,  thus stopping  the  pollens  from  getting  through  and  setting  up  an  allergenic  response.

Usually  the  herbs  eliminate  or  reduce  the  symptoms  once  a  combination  is  found  which  suits  the  person’s  constitution.  If  used  for  the  next  season  one  month  before  the  expected  season  starts  and  again  in  the  third  season,  the  hay  fever  often  disappears  altogether.  Vitamins  are  also  helpful  in  restoring  balance  to  the  immune  system.  Vitamin C  is  also  very  helpful  taken  throughout  (the  season  and  month  before,  if  possible).

The  homeopathic  remedies  will  either  work  or  do  nothing:  many  people  get  instant  relief  using  them.  The problem is finding the remedy that works  for  you.

Another  method  of  easing  hay  fever  symptoms  in  folk  medicine  is  eating  local  honeycomb,  which  seems  to  act  like  a  de-sensitizer  for  the  immune  system.

David Foley MNIMH, MRCHM Medical Herbalist