Effectiveness of Homoeopathic Individualized Medicine in the Management of Allergic Rhinitis

Introduction

Allergic Rhinitis (AR) is an atopic condition characterized by symptoms including nasal congestion, clear rhinorrhoea, sneezing, postnasal drip, and nasal pruritus. One in six individuals is affected by AR and is linked to significant morbidity, reduced productivity, and increased healthcare costs.¹

Traditionally, AR has been categorized as seasonal (occurs during a specific season) or perennial (occurs throughout the year). However, not all patients fit into this classification scheme. For instance, certain allergic triggers like pollen can be seasonal in cooler climates but perennial in warmer climates. Additionally, patients with multiple "seasonal" allergies may experience symptoms throughout the year.²

What are the symptoms?

• Nasal congestion

• Sneezing

• Tearing

• Watery "runny nose"

• Itchy eyes, nose, or throat

• Puffy eyes or "allergic shiners"

• Post nasal drip³

As per the physician’s diagnosis, the prevalence of AR is approximately 15%. The prevalence is estimated to reach as high as 30% when accounting for patients experiencing nasal symptoms.¹

AR is often a long-standing condition that frequently goes undetected in primary care. Establishing a diagnosis depends on conducting a comprehensive history and physical examination. Allergy testing is also crucial for confirming that rhinitis is caused by underlying allergies.²

The diagnosis of AR is typically based on the medical history. Additionally, allergy issues often run in families. Some individuals with allergic Ambulatory Care Services AR - 2 - rhinitis also have asthma and/or eczema. But it may take some work to understand what the individual is allergic to.³ 2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J30.9 AR.⁴

It has been avidly acknowledged fact that Homoeopathy can treat AR effectively and without any side effects. In Homoeopathy, not heeding to the nosological levels of diseases is the first priority; the cause of the disease is taken care first followed by its effects.

Homoeopathic management of AR is mainly focused on this aspect and the Homoeopathic medicines deal with the susceptibility thereby improving it and patients can withstand the environmental stimuli even when they are exposed to so called causative allergens.

This study on homoeopathic management of AR taken up here is an earnest attempt to gain a clear understanding of the essential.¹This study aimed to assess the clinical presentation (individualized) of AR and to ascertain the usefulness of constructional homoeopathic remedy in the management of AR.

Materials and Methods

A non-control prospective study was conducted with a purposive sampling procedure for selection of subjects. In this study, a total of 30 subjects, both male and female, in the age group of 10 to 50 years, visiting A.M. Shaikh Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital O.P.D were included. These cases were included only after screening as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. All the cases were observed for the duration of one year and followed up as per the need of the case for a minimum of two months. Statistical analysis was then conducted using appropriate tests and results were concluded. The observations and results were represented in tabular form and as graphs.

The subjects selected for this study were from OPD/ IPD/Peripheral centres of A M Shaikh Homoeopathic Medical College, Hospital and PG Research Centre, diagnosed with AR on the basis of clinical presentation and lab investigations. Patients of both sexes in the age group of 10 to 50 years, confirming to diagnostic criteria of AR were included in the study. Cases with severe epistaxis, sinusitis, asthma and gross pathological changes and complications, patients on immune suppressants and on any other active treatment were excluded from the study.

Statistical analysis

Chi-square test.

Results

The age group of the subjects selected for this study was 10 to 50 years. Among them, 30% subjects were in the age group of 10-20 years, 50% subjects were between 21-30 years of age, and 20% subjects were in the age group of 30-50 years. As per the gender distribution, among the 30 subjects, 16 were males and 14 were females, indicating higher predilection of males for AR (Table 1).

In terms of presenting symptoms, twelve subjects presented with cold, six subjects presented with sneezing, while stuffy nose and sore throat was noted in three subjects each, cough, headache and itching eyes were noted in two subjects each (Table 2). The prescribed treatment for each of the subject included in the study is tabulated in Table 3.

As per the data mentioned in Table 4, 83% i.e. 25 cases demonstrated improvement and 16.6% i.e., five cases did not show significant improvement.

Discussion

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an allergic condition marked by symptoms such as, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, postnasal drip, and nasal itching. It affects one in six individuals and is linked to significant morbidity, reduced productivity, and increased healthcare costs.¹

As per the physician’s diagnosis, prevalence of AR is approximately 15%; however, it may be as high as 30% if all the patients exhibiting nasal symptoms are accounted.¹

In this study, a total 30 subjects in the age group of 10 to 50 years were included. These cases were taken only after screening as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. All the cases were observed for the duration of one year and followed up as per the need of the case for a minimum of two months.

Dewan D et al. in the “Scope of homoeopathic intervention for AR-a comprehensive review” identified 38 articles related to homeopathy in AR. Out of these, 17 studies (10 observational studies, 07 randomised controlled trials) were included in their review. Studies reviewed in this analysis demonstrated that homeopathy is effective in managing and preventing acute episodes of allergic rhinitis.⁵

In the present study, 12 subjects presented with cold, six subjects presented with sneezing, while stuffy nose and sore throat was noted in three subjects each, cough, headache and itching eyes were noted in two subjects each. According to Akhouri S et al., AR is associated with symptoms such as, sneezing, rhinorrhoea, and watery eyes, while patients with chronic AR often complain of postnasal drip, chronic nasal congestion, and obstruction.¹

Bosnic-Anticevich S et al. in their study "Impact of allergic rhinitis on the day-to-day lives of children: Insights from an Australian cross-sectional study" indicated that children with allergic rhinitis were notably more prone to various medical conditions (such as asthma, cough, eczema, sinusitis, and food allergy) compared to children without AR.⁶

Kavishwar VN et al. reported that AR is a common disorder that can significantly impact patient’s quality of life.²

A study conducted by Kavishwar VN et al. aimed to assess effects of homeopathic medicine in AR. A total of 30 cases were included in the study with 18 male and 12 female patients. Different homeopathic medications were administered to the selected patients, with Arsenic being prescribed most frequently compared to other drugs. The study noted that homeopathic treatment provided beneficial effects for patients with allergic rhinitis, leading to a rapid recovery period.⁷ Similarly, in the present study, six subjects were prescribed Allium cepa; five subjects were prescribed Arsenicum album; and Gelsemium and Sabadilla were prescribed for four subjects each. Euphrasia, Natrium muriaticum, Nuv vomica, Sanguinaria, and Sulphur were prescribed for two subjects each.

The strength of this study lies in the beneficial effects seen in the patient with AR and quick recovery achieved. Homoeopathic mode of treatment for AR proved to be better and safer. No new symptoms or complications were noted among the patients during the study period. However, the conclusion drawn in this study cannot be generalized to large population, as the sample size was small.

Conclusion

Allergic rhinitis is an allergic condition marked by symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, postnasal drip, and nasal itching. It impacts one out of every six individuals and is linked to substantial morbidity, reduced productivity, and healthcare expenditures.

The following conclusion can be drawn from this study. A prospective, single arm, interventional study was conducted for a duration of one year involving 30 subjects of both sexes diagnosed with AR. The subjects presented with symptoms such as cold and crazy, sneezing, stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, headache and itching eyes. The role of individualized Homoeopathic remedies given in AR is notable with significant results observed in most of the cases. The incidence of AR was found to be predominant in the age group 21 to 30 years.

Thus the study demonstrated the effectiveness of constructional homoeopathic remedy in the management of AR.

Recommendation for further studies

• Identification of abnormal immune responses in the aetiology of AR.

• Reasonable explanation for the epidemiology of AR.

Conflict of interest

None