Allergic Rhinitis
- Overview
- Introduction
- Symptoms
- Causes
- Complications
- Homoeopathic Treatment
- Do's and Don'ts
- Diet and Nutrition
What is Allergic Rhinitis?
Allergic rhinitis is the inflammation of nasal passage, usually associated with watery nasal discharge and itching of nose.
Allergic rhinitis can occur at any age and usually occurs after years of repeated inhalation of allergic substances. View Causes of Allergic Rhinitis.
What happens in Allergic Rhinitis?
- Sneezing in bouts
- Copious, watery nasal discharge
- Itching in nose
- Itching, redness and watering from eyes
Know more about Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis
What can Allergic Rhinitis lead to?
If not treated, Allergic rhinitis can complicate into:
- Sinusitis : Where the air sinuses around the nose can get infected.
- Asthma : Where allergy can begin to affect airways of the lungs and cause breathlessness and wheezing.
- Otitis Media : Where there is infection in the middle ear.
How well homeopathy works in Allergic Rhinitis?
- Homeopathic Treatment for Allergic Rhinitis has more than 200 preventive and curative medicines that work very well for persons of all ages.
- Every remedy is carefully prescribed on the basis of the patient’s history and the correct homeopathic medicine can even prevent spread of infections.
Few of our amazing remedies include:
- Allium cepa: Indicated in copious, watery and extremely acrid discharge form nose and bland tears from the eyes, worse in warm room and better in open air.
- Hepar sulph: Suited to people who are extremely sensitive to cold dry wind, with running thick, offensive discharges from the nose.
- Sabadilla : For violent, spasmodic sneezing with intense itching, tingling and an obstructed sensation in the nose.
- Pulsatilla: In cases of thick yellowish discharge from the nose with dry mouth without thirst and sensitive to cold air.
How often do you suffer from bouts of sneezing or an itchy running nose? Does your day begin with bouts of severe sneezing? Are you always affected in any particular weather?
If YES, then you are suffering from nasal allergy or Allergic Rhinitis.
Allergic rhinitis is an allergic reaction of the body to certain substances allergens that we breathe in.
Our immune system protects our body from harmful viruses, bacteria and other substances that enters our body. Allergic reaction is when our immune system overreacts to these allergens producing a cluster of distressing symptoms.
Homeopathy has the potential benefit of relieving a large number of patients from the misery of allergic reaction in general and allergic rhinitis (nasal allergy) in particular. It focuses on the body’s immune system by reducing hypersensitivity to the allergens.
Over a period of time, the patient reacts less aggressively to the triggers and gets better adapted to his environment. 90% of patients who are suffering from allergies can become normal with correct homeopathic treatment.
- Sneezing in bouts
- Copious, watery nasal discharge
- Itching in nose
- Itching, redness and watering from eyes
Know more about Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis
Causes of allergic rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis is caused by an allergic reaction to an allergen, such as pollen, dust and certain animals.
Oversensitive immune system
If you have allergic rhinitis, your immune system (your natural defence against infection and illness) will react to an allergen as if it were harmful.
If your immune system is oversensitive, it will react to allergens by producing antibodies to fight them off. Antibodies are special proteins in the blood that are usually produced to fight viruses and infections.
Allergic reactions don't occur the first time you come into contact with an allergen. The immune system has to recognise and "memorise" it before producing antibodies to fight it. This process is known as sensitisation.
After you develop sensitivity to an allergen, whenever it comes into contact with the inside of your nose and throat, it will be detected by antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE).
These antibodies cause cells to release a number of chemicals, including histamine, which can cause the mucus membrane (the inside layer of your nose) to become inflamed and produce excess mucus. This is what causes the typical symptoms of sneezing and a blocked or runny nose.
Common allergens
Allergic rhinitis is triggered by breathing in tiny particles of allergens. The most common airborne allergens that cause rhinitis are described below.
House dust mites
House dust mites are tiny insects that feed on the dead flakes of human skin. They can be found in mattresses, carpets, soft furniture, pillows and beds.
Rhinitis isn't caused by the dust mites themselves, but by a chemical found in their excrement. Dust mites are present all year round, although their numbers tend to peak during the winter.
Pollen and spores
Tiny particles of pollen produced by trees and grasses can sometimes cause allergic rhinitis. Most trees pollinate between early to mid-spring, whereas grasses pollinate at the end of spring and beginning of summer.
Rhinitis can also be caused by spores produced by mould and fungi.
Animals
Many people are allergic to animals, such as cats and dogs.
The allergic reaction isn't caused by animal fur, but flakes of dead animal skin and their urine and saliva.
Dogs and cats are the most common culprits, although some people are affected by horses, cattle, rabbits and rodents, such as guinea pigs and hamsters.
However, being around dogs from an early age can help protect against allergies, and there's some evidence to suggest that this might also be the case with cats.
Work-related allergens
Some people are affected by allergens found in their work environment, such as wood dust, flour dust or latex.
Who's most at risk?
It isn't fully understood why some people become oversensitive to allergens, although you're more likely to develop an allergy if there's a history of allergies in your family.
If this is the case, you're said to be 'atopic' or to have 'atopy'. People who are atopic have a genetic tendency to develop allergic conditions. Their increased immune response to allergens results in increased production of IgE antibodies.
Environmental factors may also play a part. Studies have shown certain things may increase the chance of a child developing allergies, such as growing up in a house where people smoke and being exposed to dust mites at a young age.
If not treated, Allergic rhinitis can complicate into:
- Sinusitis : Where the air sinuses around the nose can get infected.
- Asthma : Where allergy can begin to affect airways of the lungs and cause breathlessness and wheezing.
- Otitis Media : Where there is infection in the middle ear.
How well homeopathy works in Allergic Rhinitis?
- Homeopathic Treatment for Allergic Rhinitis has more than 200 preventive and curative medicines that work very well for persons of all ages.
- Every remedy is carefully prescribed on the basis of the patient’s history and the correct homeopathic medicine can even prevent spread of infections.
Few of our amazing remedies include:
- Allium cepa: Indicated in copious, watery and extremely acrid discharge form nose and bland tears from the eyes, worse in warm room and better in open air.
- Hepar sulph: Suited to people who are extremely sensitive to cold dry wind, with running thick, offensive discharges from the nose.
- Sabadilla : For violent, spasmodic sneezing with intense itching, tingling and an obstructed sensation in the nose.
- Pulsatilla: In cases of thick yellowish discharge from the nose with dry mouth without thirst and sensitive to cold air.
- Identify the cause or allergen and try to avoid it.
- Keep a diary and try to trace a pattern or relation between your allergic reaction and the allergen. For instance – Constant sneezing while doing housework indicates that a person is allergic to house dust.
- Allergens can be avoided by choosing unprocessed food and checking food labels for additives.
- Try to avoid stress, anxiety and tension as these can influence the frequency and severity of symptoms
- In case of severe breathlessness, giddiness or feeble pulse, visit your nearest physician
- Breastfeed your baby for the first 6 months to strengthen their immune system and prevent them from infections
- Warm fluids like tea or chicken soup, will help to clear the airways by aiding liquefication of mucus.
- A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids which is found abundant in fish, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin, and flax seeds will lower the risk of developing allergies in kids and adults.
- Certain foods like yogurt are naturally rich in healthy bacteria. They are called probiotics and help to boost immunity and reduce chances of infections.
- Kids and adults who are sensitive to certain food products like egg, milk, peanuts should avoid consuming them to prevent the body from developing hives and swelling.