Hay Fever Site

Hypnotherapy has been described as psychotherapy using hypnosis. There is, however, still no acceptable definition of the actual state of hypnosis. It is commonly described as an altered state of conscious­ness, lying somewhere between being awake and being asleep. People under hypnosis are aware of their surroundings, yet their minds are to a large extent under the control of the hypnotist. Subjects also seem to pass control of their actions, as well as a chunk of their thoughts, to the hypnotist. We have all seen people under hypnosis on TV, acting out a role. At the time they are absorbed in what they have been ‘told’ to do – often instigated by a specific ‘trigger’ word – but immediately afterwards they wonder what on earth they were doing. It’s clear that their behaviour has been dictated, to a certain extent, by the hypno­tist. Hypnotherapy, however, is about the hypnotist using the power of hypnotism for therapeutic purposes.

Hypnotherapy is performed by putting the patient into a ‘trance’ state. You may have heard that in the early nineteenth century some surgeons actually used hypnotism – then called ‘mesmerism’ – to per­form pain-free operations. At the time, however, the majority of the medical profession were highly sceptical of this practice, believing that patients had been schooled or paid to show no pain. It is only in the last two decades that hypnotism has become an accepted form of therapy.

Nowadays, a hypnotherapist will take a full psychological and physiological history of each patient before slowly talking them into a trance state. The therapist can use either direct suggestion – intimating that the patient’s symptoms will notably lessen – or will begin to explore the root cause of any tension, anxiety or depression. Of course, the exact nature of the therapy depends largely on the problem for which treatment is being sought.

One common fear is that the therapist may, while the patient is in a trance, implant dangerous suggestions or extract improper personal information. However, I would stress that patients can come out of a trance at any time, particularly if they are asked to do or say anything they would not contemplate when awake. And malpractice would only have to be brought to light once to ruin the therapist’s career. You may prefer to visit a hypnotherapist recommended by your doctor.

Some hypnotherapy experts believe that the main purpose of hyp­notherapy is to promote relaxation, reduce tension, increase confidence and make a person more able to cope with problems. However, there has been at least one study into the effects of hypnotherapy on hay fever symptoms. The study of 66 volunteers with hay fever took place over two years and encompassed two hay fever seasons, and the sub­jects continued to take their normal allergy medications throughout.8 After a year, during which one section of the volunteers were taught to practise self-hypnosis, it was found that they had fewer symptoms than the volunteers who had not practised self-hypnosis. The ‘untrained’ vol­unteers were then taught how to self-hypnotize during the second year, and they also reported an improvement in their symptoms. Most of the volunteers were also able to reduce their hay fever medication. Scientific checks were made of the volunteers’ air-flow, and it was found that they could exhale more forcefully through their nose, even when exposed to substances that triggered their symptoms.

Professor Langewitz, who conducted the study, says that hypnosis could work by altering the speed of blood flow through the tissues in the nose, helping to alleviate stuffiness and congestion.

There are many anecdotal reports of improvements from using hyp­notherapy, but experts generally state that there is not enough scien­tific evidence for this type of treatment to be promoted. It is definitely an area worthy of further research, and it is to be hoped this takes place in years to come.