Allergic rhinitis is the commonest allergy encountered
in clinical practice and constitutes more than 50% of all allergies seen in
India. In fact, 1 in 6 people suffer from rhinitis which makes it’s the
commonest chronic disease of man today, and even now its incidence is steadily
increasing. Nasal symptoms are often deemed, however, their prevalence and
effect on the quality of life, justify an aggressive but rational approach. It
must also be acknowledged that rhinitis appears first in about 45% of patients.
Besides, it is now well documented that adequate nasal treatment can improve
pulmonary functions. The incidence of allergic disease has
dramatically increased all over the world over recent decades. Although
childhood hay fever tends to be more common, this condition can occur at any
age and usually occurs after years of repeated inhalation of allergic
substances. Homoeopathy has a significant role in the treatment of
allergic rhinitis. The properly taken detailed case history, concept of
susceptibility, individualisation helps in treating allergic rhinitis.
Homoeopathic medicines work by optimising the overactive immune system.
Homoeopathic medicines provide a stimulus to the body like that of the trigger
or allergen leading to the gradual desensitization of the immune system. Clinical Types: 1) Seasonal: Hay fever due to pollen
grains occurs at the time of pollination. 2) Perennial: Affects the patient
throughout the year. Symptoms: 1.
Irritation
in the nose is the initial symptom. 2.
Paroxysmal
sneezing of recurrent type is usually present which exhausts the patient. In
chronic cases sneezing may be less. 3.
Rhinorrhoea
is watery and copious. 4.
Nasal
obstruction due to venous stasis is often present. 5.
Anosmia
may be present intermittently or continually. 6. Headache can be present. Signs: 1. Acute Stage: The mucosa appears to be pale
with excessive mucoid or watery secretions. 2. Chronic Stage-The nose may appear to be
normal or the mucosa is bluish or purplish due to venous stasis. 3. Infection may be superimposed. 4. Polyps may be present. 5. Allergic Salute-Itching in the nose and
rhinorrhoea may lead the patient to lift the tip of his nose upwards with his
palm which appear like a salute. 6. Darrires line- Repeated allergic salute
may result in a horizontal crease on the dorsum of the nose a little superior
to the tip of the nose. Diagnosis: It consists of diagnosing allergic rhinitis and
detecting the allergen. 1) Diagnosing
Allergic Rhinitis: i) Clinical features and the paroxysmal
attacks reveal the diagnosis. ii) Nasal secretions may contain
eosinophils.3 Cytological examination of swab taken from
the mucous membrane of inferior turbinate reveals that many patients have
marked eosinophilia, i.e. eosinophils accounting for more than half of the
aggregate number of blood cells.5 As rare (0-3 whole slide),
moderate(0-3hpf), or many (more than 3hpf). iii) Haemogram may show eosinophilia. i.e.
more than 440cells/cmm iv) Stools are examined to exclude
helminths. 2) Detection
of Allergens It is not possible to detect the allergen in all the
cases as it is impossible to test against all the allergens because a person
may be allergic to multiple allergens. Following tests are useful. a) History
may suggest the nature of allergy. b) Skin
tests by intradermal injections. c) Inhalation
of allergens- Nasal provocation tests. d) Elimination
tests for food. RAST (Radio allegro sorbent test) is a new sensitive
in vitro test for the assay of reaginic (IgE) antibodies specific for
particular antigens. Complications: Nasal allergy may cause:- 1) Recurrent sinusitis because of obstruction
to the sinus ostia. 2) Nasal Polypi. 3) Serous otitis media. 4) Orthodontic problems and other ill-effects
of prolonged mouth breathing especially in children. Bronchial asthma- Patients of nasal allergy have four
times more risk of developing bronchial asthma. Treatment: Avoiding the allergen or desensitisation against the
allergen is the ideal treatment, but it is not always possible. 1) Avoidance of the allergen is ideal but is
not always practical 2) Desensitisation 3) Symptomatic General-Vitamin C and calcium are often recommended
but are of doubtful value. Allopathic treatment can provide
only temporary relief to allergic conditions and the patient suffers time and
again from the symptoms whenever exposed to the triggers. Whereas, homoeopathic
treatment has proven to cure the problem from the roots, by strengthening
body’s own immune system. Homoeopathy is safe, effective
system of natural healing that is based on the principal that “like cures likeâ€
when it comes to allergic rhinitis, Homoeopathic treatment boosts a person’s
immune system and eliminates their propensity for hay fever and allergies.
Homoeopathy is very effective in managing all the symptoms of allergies and
also plays an important role in preventing relapse of the condition and
improving the general health of the person.
Hence,
taking all these factors into consideration it is a sincere effort to study the
role of homoeopathic medicines in treatment of allergic rhinitis. |