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chapter

06 allergic

rhinitis

What
Allergic rhinitis is an inflammatory disorder of the nasal passages a natural response that occurs when your immune system overreacts to substances that you may have inhaled, such as pollen.
Did You Know?
Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, affects 20 per cent of the

There are two types of allergic rhinitis general population. seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and perennial allergic rhinitis, which occurs all year-round. While hay fever is precipitated by outdoor allergens, perennial allergic rhinitis is triggered by household allergens, such as house dust mites (HDM), pet dander and mould.

How & Why

Allergic rhinitis can affect people of all age groups; twothirds of allergic rhinitis patients develop it before age 30 Though the male-female ratio for adults remains equal, among

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Healing with homeopathy

children, boys seem to be more often affected than girls Our bodys immune system is designed to battle injurious substances like bacteria and viruses In allergic rhinitis, the immune system overreacts to substances that are not actually harmful. These include pollen, mould and pet dander. These can cause sneezing bouts, or assaults. The outcome is famously labelled as allergic response.

Diagnosis
Allergic rhinitis is easily diagnosed because the person has a stuffy or runny nose, constant sneezing, post-nasal drip, red, itchy, watery eyes and swollen eyelids. There may also be itching in the mouth, throat, ears, and face, accompanied by sore throat, dry cough and headache.

A history of allergic rhinitis is usually enough to diagnose the condition. Physical examination may provide tangible clues, along with certain skin tests, such as needle prick, or scratch, to confirm diagnosis. If there is an allergy, a hive which is a swollen, reddened area, may emerge within 20-25 minutes. Sometimes, a blood test may be considered to detect allergens that could be causing the reaction. Children with allergic rhinitis may squirm and wriggle their nose, or push it upwards with the palm of their hand. Your doctor will ask about your family and personal history of allergies, including some of the following questions: What time of the day, or season, do the symptoms tend to get aggravated, or wane, and why? Any plants, carpets, or pets at home? Have you made any new changes in your diet patterns in the recent past?

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Are you on any medication?

Healing with Homeopathy

Consistency of nasal discharge Thick Thin Transparent Watery Colour of discharge Bloody Grey Green White Yellow Type of discharge Bland Cold Excoriating Hot Precipitating factors Dust Strawberries Solanum Lycopus Fragaria Vesca Pulsatilla Phosphorus Allium Cepa Sanguinaria Nit Ammonium Carb Ambra Grisea Mercurius Sol Natrum Mur Kali Bich Medicine Arsenic Alb Sulphur Aconite Nap Bryonia

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Case study 1
Neelima (29), a computer professional, is a go-getter. Her breakfast is usually fast-food. She watches TV, while eating her quick bite, just before she rushes off to work. She was prone to nasal allergies, and her nasal discharge resembled egg whites. She took anti-histamine pills to keep the problem at bay. When her nose felt blocked, she would pump a hormonal nasal spray for relief. When she returned home, she used to be totally exhausted. If at all she developed a mild fever, she would swallow an anti-flu pill, or aspirin, which provided some relief, while causing hyperacidity, including tummy upsets. Neelima was given Nux Vomica based on her overall symptoms, her type A personality and tendency to be a pill-popping go-getter. A few weeks later, she returned with a big smile for she had gotten over her allergic distress.

Experts View:
Neelima never allowed her body to fight bacteria and viruses, or used her mind to cope with her daily stress. She always suppressed her allergic response with anti-histamines. Also, she did not give her inner resources the strength to break the barrier, the nasty nasal cycle. Her body was always in a state of preparedness to beat the offender, but what actually hampered her immunity was overmedication. Homeopathy lowers ones susceptibility and increases ones immunity. In other words, it gently stimulates our immune defences; the result is enhanced immunity and relief from allergies.

Case study 2
Ramesh (25) was diagnosed with allergic rhinitis by an ENT surgeon. He came to us with severe episodes of sneezing and a runny nose. He was allergic to a number of agents in the air as

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well as in food. His immunoglobulin E, or IgE levels, in blood tests, were found to be high. On analysing his medical history, we found that his sneezing would erupt suddenly, especially with dust particles in the environment. Based on this symptom, we gave him Pothos Foetidus, a great homeopathic remedy for dust allergy. This not only relieved him of his present episode of sneezing and runny nose, but also took care of his recurrent attacks and his sensitivity to dust and other allergens. His IgE levels also came back to normal.

Experts View:
An allergy is an exaggerated response to certain substances that normal people dont react to. Homeopathic medicines act like immune-modulators; they desensitise the person against allergens.

Self-Help
Keep your house as dust-free as possible by damp mopping, or vacuum cleaning, with a special filter designed to trap fine particles. Fine dust can trigger an allergic reaction Avoid triggers certain food, drinks, perfumes, smoke, paint and chemicals Keep your plants and carpets as dirt-free as possible, and pets bathed and well-groomed; because, dust particles and animal or pet dander can trigger an allergic reaction.