Allergic rhinitis in children and liliaceae family in its management

Dr Sudipta Paul

ABSTRACT:
Allergic rhinitis is a very common disease in paediatric age. In this the symptoms are appearing just like common cold e.g. itchy nose, watery eyes, rhinorrhea, sore throat. But like viral infection it is not communicable disease. It has a significant impact on health and affects sleep quality, work productivity and school performance.

KEYWORDS: Allergic rhinitis, liliaceae family, homoeopathy

INTRODUCTION:
We are living at 21st century, but the incidences of diseases which are from allergy like bronchial asthma, coryza, anaphylaxis, drug allergy, insect allergy are increasing day by day. Allergic rhinitis is highly increasing throughout the world. It is one of the top most cases which comes in primary visit to physician. But it is often overlooked or sometimes it remain undiagnosed by physician instead of its highly increasing prevalence rate. In India, the allergic rhinitis are becoming on a rising trend in terms of prevalency as well as severity. The incidence rate is high in between paediatrics age group. Some disease conditions are always corelated with allergic diseases. So, allergic rhinitis also follows the similar way.

Homoeopathy treat the sick individual, not the single disease entity. It is seen that the liliaceae family has a mechanism of action over catarrhal group i.e. these group of remedies mainly affect the mucosa or serosa, membranes lining of upper respiratory tract, gastro intestinal tract and synovium joints. So, liliaceae family is found effective for controlling allergic rhinitis.

DEFINITION:
Allergic rhinitis is a type of inflammation in the nose which occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens such as pollens, dust or animal dander. Approximately, 10% -30% of adults & 40% of children are affected by it. Many people with allergic rhinitis also have asthma, allergic conjunctivitis or atopic dermatitis.

TYPES AND CAUSES:

It is of 2 types-

1. SEASONAL ;
2. PERENNIAL.

1. SEASONAL:

· TIME OF OCCURANCE: Spring, Summer, Early fall,

· CAUSE:

1. Airborne mold spores,

2.Grass: Ryegrass, Timothy

3.Tress: Pine, Cedar, Hazel, Hornbeam, Horse chestnut, Willow, lime, Olive etc.

4.Weeds: Ragweed, Plantain, Mugwart etc.

2. PERENNIAL:

· TIME OF OCCURANCE: All the years

· CAUSE: Dust mites, Pet hair or dander, Cockroaches.

Some people experiences both types and there are also non allergic causes for rhinitis like

a.Cigarette,

b.Perfumes,

c.Toiletaries products,

d.Strong odours.

Beside these factors inherited genetics also helps in development of allergic rhinitis.

SYMPTOMS:
The common symptom of allergic rhinitis –

• Rhinorrhea,
• Itching,
• Sneezing fits,
• Itchy nose,
• A sore or scratchy throat,
• Itchy eyes,
• Watery eyes,
• Frequent headaches,
• Hives,
• Excessive fatigue,
• Nasal congestion,
• Nasal obstruction.

Sometime there are –

• Conjunctival swelling and erythema,
• Swollen nasal turbinates,
• Middle ear effusion.

Worldwide, many studies shows that allergic rhinitis and asthma often co-exist in the alike patient. So, for coexistence of these 2 diseases the patient get lack of suitable treatment, moreover the treatment focus only on asthma not on allergic rhinitis.

RISK FACTORS :
Allergies can effect anyone at anytime but if there is history of allergies in family, then patient is more prone to develope allergic rhinitis. Atopic eczema and asthma also increases the risk of allergic rhinitis. Some factors can also triggers or worsen AR, such as like-

• Chemicals,
• Cold temoaratures,
• Humidity,
• Air pollutions,
• Hair spray,
• Cologens,
• Wood smoke,
• Fumes.

MANAGEMENTS:
By taking some simple steps we can decrease the severity of the allergic rhinitis:

• Stay indoor when pollen counts are high,
• Take showers immediately after coming back from outside,
• During humid and cold weather, tries to shut windows and doors,
• Tries to keep mouth and nose covered when going outside,
• Don’t rake leaves or mow the lawn,
• If there is any pet in house, it is must that at least twice per week have to bath your pet to minimise the dander,
• If there is allergy from dust mites remove carpet from bedroom.

INVESTIGATION:
Allergy testing may reveal the specific allergens to which an individual is sensitive.

1.SKIN TEST: Most common method of allergy testing; it includes:

• Skin prick test
• Intradermal test
• Skin patch test

2.BLOOD TEST: Blood test are not as sensitive as skin test but are often used for people who are not able to have skin tests. The most common types of blood tests are:

• ELISA:
• RAST,
• ImmunoCAP.

EPIDEMIOLOGY:
In the world 60 million people are suffering from allergies and asthma. The burden of allergic rhinitis is enormous, constituting about 55% of all allergies. In India, 20% -30% of people suffers from allergic rhinitis.

LILIACEAE FAMILY AND ALLERGIC RHINITIS:
The therapeutic value of liliaceae family are :
Coryza, Spring catarrh, Cough, Sneezing, Conjunctivitis, Hay fever, Laryngitis, Headache, Diarrhoea, Nasal polyps, Abdominal colic, Piles, Skin diseases, Injury, Varicose vein, Flatulence etc.

Above all these symptoms 1st eight symptoms are the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. So we can use liliaceae family as a treatment of allergic rhinitis.

1. Allium cepa,
2. Asparagus officinalis,
3. Scilla maritima,
4. Colchicum autumnale,
5. Sabadilla,
6. Paris quadrifolua,
7. Veratrum album.
8. Sarsaparilla smilax

These remedies mainly affect the mucosa or serosa, membranes lining of the upper respiratory tract and produces profuse discharges like coryza.

Now below the indications for these medicines in allergic rhinitis are given:

1. ALLIUM CEPA : Spring coryza: after damp northeasterly winds; Discharge burns and corrodes nose and upper lip. Hay fever : in august every year; Violent sneezing on rising from bed; from handling peaches; profuse, bland lachrymation; Sneezing: especially when entering into warm room; Catarrhal headache, mostly in forehead; worse in warm room towards evening;

2.ASPARAGUS OFFICINALIS: Coryza with profuse, thin fluid; Aching in forehead and root of nose; nasal catarrh, with profuse secretion of thin, whitish fluid from left nostril, afterwards right; Frequent violent sneezing; Copious discharge of tenacious moucous from the throat, not easily loosed, but brought up by hawking or paroxysm of cough.

3.SCILLA MARITIMA: Lachrymation and sneezing; Violent, constant sneezing and fluent coryza; Sneezes during cough; eyes water,rubs eyes and nose; Acrid, corrosive,fluent coryza in morning; Coryza with ulcerated nostrils; Nostrils painful as if sore, with violent coryza in morning; Humid eruptions under nose, with stinging itching.

4.COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE: Lachrymation worse in open air; Obstinate coryza, with snuffling of a great quantity of visid mucous proceeding from the nose.

5.SABADILLA: Spasmodic sneezing with running nose; Coryza with several frontal pains and redness of eyes and lachrymation; Copious watery nasal discharges; Violent spasmodic sneezing (shaking the abdomen, then lachrymation; Fluent coryza with altered features and bewildered head (influenza; hay fever);Great masses of white and transparent mucous are blown from nose, without coryza.

6.PARIS QUADRIFOLIA: Occipital headaches; Stuffed condition and fullness at root of nose; Cough as from vapor of sulphur in trachea; Burning pain in eyes, with lachrymation, especially after rising in morning; Sensation of obstruction in upper part of nose; Obstruction of nose in the morning, with discharge of thick and sanguineous mucus when it is blown; Dry alternately with fluent coryza; Discharges of liquid mucus from nose and eyes, which excites a panting respiration.

7.VERATRUM ALBUM: Lachrymation with redness; Much mucus in the bronchial tubes, that cannot be coughed up; Profuse lachrymation, often with burning, incisive pain and sensation of dryness in the eyes; Violent and frequent sneezing;

8.SARSAPARILLA SMILAX: Dry coryza and obstruction of nose; Right nostril stopped up and scabby;

Medicines will be choosen by the method of careful case taking, tracing the relationship to seasons, time of occurance, history family, modalities etc.

REFERENCES:

1. Immunotherapy for environmental allergies” : National Institute of allergy and infectious diseases; 17th June, 2015; available website: http://www.niaid.nih.gov.
2. Wheatley LM , Togias A , “ Clinical practice allergic rhinitis” : The New England Journal of medicine 2015; 372 (5) : 456-63.
3. “Hay fever, Symptoms & treatment”: American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2014; Available website: https://acaai.org>allergies>types.
4. Valet RS, Fahrenholz JM. “Allergic rhinitis: update on diagnosis”,UBH Medica LLC 2010; 49(10): 610-3.
5. Prasad R, Kumar R. “Allergy Situation in India : what is being done”: Indian journal chest disease allied Science 2013, 55(1): 7-8.
6. H.C. Allen – Keynotes & characteristics with comparisons Materia Medica added with other leading remedies & bowel nosodes.
7. William Boericke- Homoeopathic materia medica.
8. John Henry Clarke – A dictionary of practical materia medica.
9. Moore Kristen “allergic rhinitis”:healthline.com

Dr Sudipta Paul
M.D (Hom) Paediatric 1St Year Student
Guru Mishri Homoeopathic Medical College And Hospital
E.Mail: spaul.sp16@gmailcom