Addressing nasal allergies
WHENEVER 17- year- old Sandra Lee is in a dusty place or when she encounters changes in temperature or even just out of the blue, she would sneeze non- stop before her nose becomes blocked – her nose is just so sensitive. Her mother has tried different ways to help her, but her runny nose problems persist. Due for major exams soon, her mother fears she will not be able to give her best.
A sensitive nose, or sinus, is known medically as allergic rhinitis and affects up to 30% of the world’s population regardless of age or ethnicity.
Quite often, allergic rhinitis sufferers also suffer from sinusitis – the swelling or inflammation of the sinus mucus membrane that causes the sinus openings that normally drain mucus to be blocked. Globally, it has been established that about 51% of rhinosinusitis cases are caused by allergies.
Sinusitis will almost always happen after rhinitis and rarely occurs alone. As the nasal and sinus passages are so closely inter- related, otolaryngologists now refer to sinusitis as rhinosinusitis.
Research now shows that chronic inflammation in the nose increases the risk of asthma. As the nose forms the entry point to the lungs, prolonged inflammatory reactions in the nose will eventually affect the lungs.
Seen in this light, clinicians now view allergic rhinitis and sinusitis as a legitimate medical problem and significant burden on quality of life.
Unfortunately, the public’s awareness about nasal allergies is poor – most people just live with a sensitive nose, hoping it will disappear by itself.
However, unless the hypersensitive nature of the immune system is addressed and managed, nasal allergies are likely to worsen to inflammatory conditions in the lungs or asthma.
The primary rule to managing a sensitive nose and sinusitis seems simple – avoidance. However, this is easier said than done.
Conventionally, drug options such as antihistamines, decongestants, nasal sprays and steroids have been employed to gain relief from nasal symptoms. For all its usefulness, conventional drug treatment is not able to address the hypersensitive state of the immune system – the root of sensitive noses.
Seeking new leads from nature, scientists at the Ruder Boskovic Centre in Zagreb, Croatia, have discovered that a herbal, activated astragalus root extract known as Lectranal displayed benefits for people with hypersensitive immune systems. This herbal medicine has been rigorously tested and found to be able to calm hypersensitive noses and sinusitis.
Published in the journal Phytotherapy Research in 2010, treatment with Lectranal resulted in 70% of sensitive noses becoming desensitised after at least two months of treatment.
Lectranal aims precisely at the hypersensitive nature of the immune system, which triggers nasal symptoms to appear in the first place. With Lectranal, the immune system is guided to normal functioning each time it meets an allergen.
This patented herbal extract has also been shown to impart a memory to the immune system so it recognises allergens in future without irritating nasal symptoms appearing – the nose remains calm and non- hypersensitive. Avoidance must still be practised but patients find Lectranal certainly helps them cope better.
After taking Lectranal for a few weeks, Sandra found a significant decrease in her symptoms. Soon, she discovered that those sneezy, runny, itchy nose symptoms had all gone. She is also eating better now and waking up fresh as she no longer needs to rely on antihistamines to get her through the night.
This article is brought to you by the Nuvaceuticals Division of Nuvanta Sdn Bhd.
For further information, contact 03- 5636 3758. DO you envy people who go to bed, close their eyes and drop off two seconds later? If you have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep, consider these two simple changes.
Buy a set of foam earplugs
Even if you don’t consciously notice it, it’s very likely that there are lots of sounds around you. All sounds register even if you’re not aware of it, meaning that your brain is kept busy. By blocking out these sounds you cut out activity and settle much faster. Foam earplugs are sold in hardware shops, pharmacies and also some discount shops. They’re usually quite long, a design that helps you put them in firmly and take them out easily.
Seal off all light
If you switch on a light at three in the morning, most people wake up. This is part of a natural reaction to light. We wake up at dawn because the light sends a signal that it’s time to swap sleep for action. The thing is, even small amounts of light can trigger this. To figure out what light may be creeping in, stand in your room after dark and switch off the lights. Mark where light comes in and seal. For example, you may want to hang an extra set of curtains over your windows or over your door.