Overcoming allergies
THE inside of the nose is lined with what is called the nasal mucous membrane, which traps and removes incoming dirt particles. This continuous layer is also connected to the eyes, throat, middle ear and sinuses.
Rhinitis refers to the inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane, which produces symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose or congestion.
Allergic rhinitis occurs when the body’s immune system is in a hypersensitive state, causing the nasal mucosal membrane in the nose to be inflamed upon exposure to even harmless allergens present in the environment.
Allergies stem from an individual’s immune system being over- reactive.
When an allergic person’s immune system is in a hypersensitive state, the body mistakes harmless substances present in the environment as germs and mounts an attack against them.
Allergies commonly occur on mucosal areas such as the nose ( nasal allergies or allergic rhinitis), eyes, sinus ( sinusitis), skin ( hives), gut ( stomach upsets) and lungs ( asthma).
Anti- allergy medicines work by treating the symptoms of the allergy after an allergic reaction has taken place.
Anthistamines are commonly prescribed to help dry up a runny nose and alleviate the itchy, sneezy tendency of allergic rhinitis.
Decongestants may help relieve congestion, but they do not cure sinusitis. Antibiotics are often employed when an infection in the sinus sets in.
Steroids help reduce inflammation and allow better drainage of the sinuses besides relieving the allergic tendency of the nasal passages but the longterm use of steroids can lead to nose bleeds and infections and stunt the growth of children who take them.
Symptomatic drug treatments help but they do not address the root problem of the immune system’s hyper- reactive state.
On the other hand, natural alternatives such as vitamin C, echinacea and fish oils have long been expounded to help with allergies.
However, their actions are nonspecific against nasal allergies. Alternative medication has advanced significantly where considerable research has been done on phytomedicines ( plant medicines) to help patients gain better control over their allergies.
In particular, European researchers at the Ruder Boskovic Institute in Croatia have discovered that an activated astragalus root extract known as Lectranal possessed immuneregulating actions to calm the hyper- sensitive nature of the immune system and prevent allergic- prone noses from having allergic reactions in the first place.
Unlike antihistamines, decongestants or steroid sprays that block allergic symptoms, Lectranal works by modulating the immune system to differentiate between what is harmful and harmless in the environment.
By doing so, the immune system learns how to respond discriminately and optimally.
The acclaimed phytomedicine journal Phytotherapy published a study in 2010 on the use of Lectranal, which showed that treatment with Lectranal resulted in an overall improvement of nasal allergies by more than 70% after at least six weeks of treatment ( one dose of one capsule twice daily).
Its novel mechanism of action targeted at the root of allergies has the potential to interfere with the natural course of the disease.
Lectranal presents an opportunity to prevent allergies from becoming more serious health conditions such as asthma as well as prevents the development of new allergies.
This article is brought to you by the Nuvaceuticals Division of Nuvanta Sdn Bhd.
For further information, contact 03- 5636 3758 or e- mail pharmacist@ nuvanta. com