Ambrosia artemisiifolia

Ambrosia artemisiifolia is an annual herbaceous plant native to North America, belonging to the Asteraceae family. Its finely divided leaves and inconspicuous green flowers produce prodigious quantities of airborne pollen, one of the most potent causes of seasonal hay fever. In homeopathy, the whole plant, gathered during its flowering season, is used in tincture and triturations.

In herbalism, ragweed has been sparingly used for its bitter and astringent qualities in treating certain digestive complaints, though its reputation is overwhelmingly as an allergenic plant. Its pollen is notorious in allergy medicine as a leading cause of hay fever and allergic rhinitis in late summer and early autumn.

While not classically proved in the Hahnemannian sense, its toxicological and clinical effects are well known through repeated natural exposures, with symptoms verified in sensitive subjects and clinical prescribing [Clarke].

• Mucous membranes – nasal passages, eyes, throat, and bronchial tree, with pronounced catarrhal and allergic inflammation.
• Respiratory system – upper respiratory tract hypersensitivity reactions, spasmodic sneezing, and seasonal asthma.
• Skin – urticaria and erythematous eruptions accompanying allergic states.
• Eyes – conjunctivae with profuse watery discharge and intense itching.
• Immune/allergic pathways – heightened histamine-type responses to airborne triggers.

• Rest in closed, dust-free rooms.
• Washing eyes and face with cool water.
• Early frost or first cold weather ending the pollen season.
• Removal from the allergen-rich environment.

• Exposure to ragweed pollen season, particularly in late summer and early autumn.
• Outdoor activity on dry, windy days when pollen is airborne.
• Dust, grass cutting, and dry fields.
• Early morning and evening when pollen counts peak.
• Warm, sunny days with light wind.

• Sabadilla – Violent sneezing with lachrymation and redness of eyes; more marked chilliness and itching of soft palate.
• Arundo – Itching of nostrils and roof of mouth, less watery discharge than Ambrosia.
• Wyethia helenoides – Intense itching and dryness of posterior nares and throat, with constant desire to swallow.
• Euphrasia – Profuse acrid lacrimation with bland nasal discharge; opposite polarity to Ambrosia.

• Complementary: Sabadilla, Arundo, Wyethia
• Antidotes: Fresh air in non-pollen environments, saline nasal irrigation
• Inimical: None noted
• Follows well: Euphrasia in ocular-predominant cases

Ambrosia represents the hypersensitive constitution in acute distress. It mirrors the violent reactivity of the allergic state: streaming eyes, incessant sneezing, raw nasal mucosa, and weary, irritable mental state. It is the seasonal storm that overtakes the sensitive patient each late summer, driving them indoors and away from the sunlit fields.

Especially indicated in seasonal hay fever with intense ocular and nasal symptoms, particularly where attacks are linked to ragweed pollen exposure. Often used prophylactically in low potency before the pollen season begins. Has shown utility in certain cases of asthma precipitated by airborne allergens.

Mind

• Irritability, from constant discomfort
• Aversion to company, prefers solitude indoors

Head

• Pain, forehead, from coryza
• Heaviness, frontal region, during sneezing

Eyes

• Lachrymation, profuse, excoriating
• Itching, lids and margins

Nose

• Coryza, watery, profuse, excoriating
• Sneezing, paroxysmal, violent

Throat

• Scraping, raw sensation, from post-nasal drip

Respiration

• Oppression, chest, during hay fever
• Wheezing, from pollen exposure

Skin

• Itching, urticaria, during allergic episodes

Generalities

• Hay fever, ragweed
• Worse, late summer and early autumn

Clarke, J.H. – A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica: Detailed recording of ragweed’s seasonal aggravations, nasal and ocular symptoms, and respiratory effects.
Allen, T.F. – Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica: Notes on conjunctival inflammation, lachrymation, and nasal coryza in provers and clinical cases.
Hering, C. – Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica: Observations on respiratory hypersensitivity and cutaneous itching during ragweed exposure.