How to naturally treat allergic rhinitis

The term rhinitis indicates a inflammation of the mucosa that lines the inside of the nose.

In the case of allergic rhinitis, the inflammation is caused by a reaction hypersensitivity of the immune system against certain allergens present in the air: pollen, mold, chemical fumes or animal dander, for example.

may be seasonalwhen it appears for a period of time (in spring, generally), or perennialif it lasts all year.

In this article we tell you what allergic rhinitis is and how to treat it naturally. One of the keys, as you will see, is food. You can see a summary of it in this video:

Symptoms of allergic rhinitis

The symptoms that characterize allergic rhinitis are well known: nasal itching, runny nose with removal of mucus, sneezing and feeling of difficulty in passing air through the nostrils.

As it is common for rhinitis to appear itchy and watery eyessometimes one speaks in medicine of “allergic rhinoconjunctivitis“, a chronic inflammation of the nasal and conjunctival mucosa that is often accompanied by other symptomsas headache, tiredness, irritability and insomnia.

Incidence of allergies among the population

The incidence of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in the countries of the European Union is situated around the 10-20% of the population and it results significantly higher in urban areas than in the rural There is also evidence of a drastic increase in the last 25 years.

Although officially the causes of such an increase seem to be unknown, environmental pollution and urban development are factors that clearly contribute to their more frequent appearance.

On the other hand, the increase in allergies seems to be related to environmental pollution (chemical and electromagnetic), the industrialized foodhe drug abuse and vaccines, as well as psychophysical stress.

All this makes the defensive system is altered. That is why it sometimes overreacts to natural stimuli (humidity, dust, food) that in principle should not trigger the allergy alarm.

Why are there so many children with allergies? How to protect them?

Allergic rhinitis can start at any age, but in most cases it occurs in children, adolescents and young adults.

It is very common among children. It is estimated that one in five children will present allergy symptoms between the ages of 2 and 3up to 40% will suffer from it when they are 6 years old and 30% will continue with this problem during adolescence.

One wonders about the reasons for this high incidence among the child population. In recent years, numerous studies seem to indicate two main factors: maternal allergic inheritance and repeated administration of antibiotics in early age. Exaggerated use of these drugs would prevent the child’s immune system from maturing.

For this reason, It is recommended to use during childhood the immunostimulant potential of homeopathy and intestinal flora restoring probiotics, which increase the body’s defenses.

During the pollination season children with seasonal allergic rhinitis should keep the windows closed from the bedroom, or from the car if they travel. are preferable vacations in pollen-free places, such as beaches.

Children with permanent allergic rhinitis should avoid contact with pets and use pillow and mattress coverss. Their houses should be cleaned frequently and thoroughly and your sheets, wash with hot water.

Avoid and stop the allergic reaction

In 75% of cases the symptoms of allergic rhinitis coincide with pollination and the remaining 25% has its origin in sensitization to domestic allergens or the work environment.

When you know what the allergen is causing the reaction, it is best to avoid it or expose yourself less to it. If, for example, a person is allergic to house dust, he can remove the carpets and curtains, which accumulate it, as well as clean the rooms with a damp cloth and quite frequently.

Since some allergens cannot be avoided, especially those that are airborne, there are drugs that block the allergic response and relieve symptoms.

In this sense, they are common antihistamineswhich improve the condition (sneezing, itching, runny nose, not congestion) but usually have some unwanted side effects: drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness or constipation.

are also used decongestants (ephedrine, pseudoephedrine)which constrict the vessels of the mucosa of the nose.

Likewise, the corticosteroids nasally exert a decongestant effect and stop itching and runny nosebut it is not convenient to use them for a long time (in this case, periodic examinations of the nose should be carried out).

Natural treatment against rhinitis

The usual pharmacological treatments have their reason for being, especially when the person sees their quality of life greatly affected, but deal only with symptoms and not the causes of the problem.

For his part, the so-called natural therapies they do not combat the symptoms of rhinitis so drastically, although they also seek relief, but rather They try to improve the adaptive capacity of the organism. Because it is a fact that, before certain potential allergens, some people react and others do not.

So it is interesting to have the help of phytotherapy, oligotherapy, homeopathy or traditional Chinese medicine. The latter, for example, maintains that health is based on the correct flow of energy through the meridians. It is not strange that a blockage in any of them can manifest itself in the form of rhinitis.

Natural therapies do not drastically combat symptoms, although they also seek relief, but rather improve the body’s adaptive capacity.

The diet that helps allergy sufferers

A healthy and vegetarian diet seems to be the most indicated in cases of allergies.

It is convenient to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables. It has been proven that vegetables rich in vitamins C, B, E and bioflavonoids (pigments that give vegetables their color) help prevent allergies.

Also, it is recommended include garlic and onions in food because they contain a powerful flavonoid, quercetin, which helps reduce allergic reactions.

deserve special mention probiotics, which are used to restore the balance of the intestinal flora, for example after the use of antibiotics. But in addition, numerous studies indicate its Positive influence on the immune system.

In this sense, an Italian study (published in 2007 in the journal Pediatric Research) on 187 children between 2 and 5 years who suffered from allergic rhinitis, asthma, or both problems at the same time, indicates that who received probiotic-enriched milk saw the severity of their rhinitis symptoms significantly reduced versus those who drank regular milk.

It is known that the well-developed intestinal flora stimulates the maturation of the lymphoid tissue of the intestine. If this is not the case, the immaturity of the intestinal barrier can lead to an aberrant transfer of antigens, which would explain the tendency -especially in children- to allergic responses.

it suits avoid cow’s milk, because due to the homogenization of its fats, tiny particles capable of passing through the intestinal wall are created without undergoing the necessary enzymatic processes, which would cause symptoms in the respiratory mucosa.

Other foods that should be avoided or reduced would be hydrogenated fats (margarine), chocolate, sugar and products that carry pollen in its composition (honey, royal jelly and the pollen itself). Likewise the tobacco and the alcoholic beverages.

Black currant and manganese for allergies

Yemotherapy is a branch of phytotherapy that uses the shoots or buds of plants. One of its remedies stands out for its mild antihistamine action, no side effects: Its about black currant.

The remedy is prepared to the first homeopathic decimal dilution: Ribes nigrum 1 DH, MG (glycerinated macerate). The dosage, as a preventive measure during the pollination season, for an adult (in children it is decreased proportionally) is 50 drops a day, 3 weeks a month, from 1 to 3 months.

Against allergic rhinitis, complements well with the trace element manganeseat the rate of one vial (you must leave it in the mouth for 1 minute before swallowing), three to six times a week, also for 1 to 3 months.

Regulate the allergic response with homeopathy

From a homeopathic point of view, the allergen is just the triggerso instead of just treating allergy symptoms, it is preferable to regulate the immune system.

With this objective, classical or unicist homeopathy is characterized by the search for the so-called “constitutional remedy” specific to the psychophysical picture of each person. Three great typical constitutions are considered:

Phosphoric. He is long-lined, sensitive, emotional, communicative, and easily exhausted. You will more easily have seasonal rhinitis, sneezing or asthma. The constitutional remedy: Calcarea phosphorica.Carbonic. Robust, eater with a tendency to be overweight, as he likes sweets and fats. He usually has a sensitive liver and hypertrophic tonsils. It is slow to react and has a tendency to suffer from skin conditions. Your remedy: Calcarea carbonica.Fluoric. The symptoms are usually changeable and appear suddenly. They are easy for cross allergies. Your Constitutional Remedy: Calcarea fluorica.

Relatively low potencies are used in acute crises. (5, 7, 9 or 15 CH) repeated with some frequency throughout the day or week; while in background treatments the power of homeopathic remedies is highest (30 CH, 200K, 1000K) and the doses, more spaced in the time.

Homeopathic remedies for allergic crises

When allergic rhinitis flares up, homeopathy offers a first help to alleviate and overcome those critical moments. Then the root causes leading to the immune imbalance will need to be addressed.

At first, whatever the type of allergic reactionsome doses of histamine 9CH, which decreases the production of histamine, the biochemical substance responsible for part of this symptomatology.

Then it will look for remedy that corresponds to the symptoms and characteristics of the person. Some of the main ones against rhinitis are:

Allium cepa. The common onion, homeopathically prepared, is a suitable remedy in cases of profuse, watery nasal discharge, which irritates the nasal passages and worsens in a closed room. She is accompanied by tearing and red eyes with photophobia. Also itching in the nose and violent sneezing.Arsenicum album. tearing and nasal discharge with right-sided predominance. Frequent and violent sneezing. Symptoms are worse after midnight, with restlessness at not being able to breathe well. whopping people They improve with heat. They are usually very thirsty but they drink at…