Homeopathy is a treatment modality developed by Samuel Hahnemann at the beginning of the 1800s, and it relies on the principle that symptoms of a disease can be cured by the same substances that provoke them when they are ultradiluted. The dilution process has to be performed with a specific procedure named succussion. There is no established scientific rationale behind this assumption.
Some studies have shown a weak beneficial effect of homeopathy for allergic conditions such as rhinitis or asthma, but these are only marginal compared to the well established benefits of “allopathic” treatments (conventional pharmacologic treatment).

In some instances homeopathy has been compared to allergen immunotherapy due to a proposed parallelism in the fact that both therapies deliver minute amounts of the causal agent of the disease. Nevertheless, unlike homeopathy, allergen immunotherapy has scientifically demonstrated efficacy for conditions such as rhinitis, asthma and venom allergy.

Some homeopathic therapists recommend discontinuing other medications to ensure the effect of homeopathy. This may pose a risk for patients with serious conditions such as asthma. Therefore we strongly recommend that you discuss with the therapist the following issues before deciding to continue:

• What training, qualifications and experience does your therapist have
• Ask if he/she is registered in any official organization
• What treatment will be recommended
•  What benefits can be expected and which side effects may occur
• Ask for written information to forward to your physicians
• Ask if you may continue to use conventional medication
• Ask for an estimation of the number of sessions, length of treatment and the economic costs