Hayfever is the most common allergic disease in Europe, with a prevalence between 4 and 32% according to the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. According to the 2026 Europe report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change, pollen dynamics are shifting with the season starting earlier and symptoms becoming more severe. 

“We are seeing a prolonged season – an earlier onset of pollination in both the north and the south [of Europe],” Professor Joacim Rocklov of the University of Heidelberg and co-author of the Lancet report stated in an interview with the BBC. 

For millions of hayfever patients, this means weeks of a runny nose, itchy eyes and tiredness, which interfere with sleep, work, and daily life. Left untreated, hayfever increases the risk of developing bronchial asthma and other serious conditions.

How hayfever works

When pollen enters the nose, throat or eyes, the immune system treats it as a threat and produces antibodies in response. In people with hayfever, this response becomes exaggerated and the body becomes imbalanced, leading to inflammation and irritation: sneezing, itching or burning sensation, or cold-like symptoms. 

Conventional hayfever treatments, such as anti-histamines and steroid nasal spray, suppress this immune reaction. While effective, some patients experience side effects like drowsiness or difficulty concentrating, while others wish to avoid long-term medication use. Research has shown that extended nasal steroid use, while generally considered safe, can affect adrenal gland activity, and in children, this may impact growth patterns. 

The anthroposophic approach

Anthroposophic medicine adds an additional perspective on hayfever. Rather than simply blocking the immune response, it recognises that some individuals have more permeable or sensitive boundaries between their inner body and the external environment, making them more susceptible to exaggerated reactions. 

“Hayfever isn’t just an overreaction, it’s the body struggling to find its balance,” says Dr Adam Blanning, anthroposophic family physician. 

Anthroposophic treatments aim to support the body’s natural regulatory processes, helping it respond to pollen in a more balanced way, rather than suppressing symptoms. Many patients find that their symptoms reduce over time, rather than returning once the medication wears off. Anthroposophic hayfever treatment can be used alongside conventional treatment options or alone if the patient feels this is sufficiently effective. 

“Anthroposophic medical products contain elements which can help protect us from feeling overwhelmed, because how sensitive we are to the world is something that can be influenced or changed,” explains Adam Blanning. “Because anthroposophic treatments help the body to efficiently clear out the irritating substance, patients experience faster and longer-term shifts in their allergy symptoms.”

Citrus/Cydonia: A treatment option from Anthroposophic Medicine

Citrus/Cydonia – an extract of lemon and quince – has been used for decades for hayfever and has been demonstrated to modulate the immune response through different mechanisms. It can be administered as a nasal spray or subcutaneous injection. 

Patient experience

16-year-old high-school student Vincent Wolf lives in Berlin. His hayfever symptoms became progressively worse after first being diagnosed at the age of nine. 

“Antihistamines made me feel drowsy, and I found it difficult to concentrate in school. I had developed asthma, and I couldn’t attend school when I was struggling to breathe. I was being prescribed higher doses of medication, and my parents wanted to find a treatment which would tackle the cause of my allergy, rather than treating the symptoms. 

Since I started taking Citrus/Cydonia, my asthma has stopped. My hayfever symptoms are now very mild, and I’ve only needed to take an antihistamine pill once this spring. I’ve got much more energy, and I can concentrate in school again.“

What the research shows

Although the treatment has been used for decades, it is only in recent years that its safety, efficacy, and various methods of administration have been studied in clinical trials. Researchers from the Institute of Complementary and Integrative Medicine (IKIM) at the University of Bern, Switzerland, conducted a systematic review to identify, evaluate, and combine all high-quality studies evaluating Citrus/Cydonia preparations.

Key findings 

• Symptom reduction: The review found that the anthroposophic Citrus/Cydonia preparations demonstrated symptom-reducing effects in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). Patients experienced improvements in nasal congestion, sneezing, itching, rhinorrhoea and their overall quality of life. Symptom reduction increased over a four-week time period.
• Different administration routes: The review evaluated different forms of administration of Citrus/Cydonia. Symptom reduction was greater with subcutaneous injections than with nasal spray, but both preparations were effective. Injections were particularly effective in improving morning symptoms.
• Safety: Only mild, rare side effects (headaches and stomach complaints) were reported. 

Why this matters

The systematic review shows promising efficacy and excellent safety in managing hayfever with Citrus/Cydonia. By combining knowledge from anthroposophic medicine with modern scientific research, this work builds the evidence base for Citrus/Cydonia as a natural, effective and well-tolerated option for people suffering from hayfever symptoms.

Strengthening the evidence base for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) is a core strategic objective of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034. The strategy calls for facilitation and further investment in TCIM to fully leverage its potential for improvements in health and well-being.

“The evidence base for Citrus/Cydonia as a treatment for the millions struggling with hayfever is increasingly promising,” says Dr Tido von Schoen-Angerer, President of IVAA. “Lemon and quince extract is one of the most established anthroposophic treatments, and the preclinical and clinical evidence increasingly support decades of positive clinical experience. Yet the scale of today’s allergy burden means that more research into natural prevention and treatment options is needed.”

Discover IVAA’s new patient leaflet explaining how hayfever develops, why pollen triggers strong immune reactions, the role of environmental factors, and introducing the long-established anthroposophic approach of Citrus/Cydonia (lemon & quince) extract.