The debilitating conditions of both asthma and hay fever have their roots in allergic reactions to a wide range of common substances. Here is expert guidance on how to identify the causes of your condition and on setting up a drug-free self help programme for tackling them. There are two major reasons for grouping these two quite separate conditions together. These are that both have roots in allergic reactions, and both to a large degree involve the respiratory organs of the body. To the extent that there are common factors, there are also similarities in the methods which are available for self-help, both in coping with these conditions, and in attempting to achieve freedom from their periodic recurrence. It is also well established that a high proportion (between 30 and 40 per cent) of children who are hay fever sufferers will develop asthma. In order to understand the reasons for some of the methods of self-help which will be outlined in these chapters, it is necessary, from the outset, to understand something of the mechanics of allergic reactions.