Tackling allergies
THE incessant haze in the last couple of months has had an adverse effect on those with nasal allergies. Besides sneezing uncontrollably, they often suffer from runny or blocked nose and headaches. These symptoms actually point to a medical condition called allergic rhinitis. Triggered by allergies, it causes inflammation of the mucous lining.
Essentially, the nose produces mucous to clean the air before it enters into the lungs. Those with nasal allergies actually have hypersensitive immune system, which gets provoked by even harmless elements in the environment such as dust. The effects include sneezing, a runny, congested and/or itchy nose which extends to the eyes (red, teary eyes), ears (feeling of fullness) and throat (phlegm and dry cough).
Sinusitis is another outcome of a sensitive nose. It refers to the swelling or inflammation of the sinus mucous membrane which blocks the sinus openings through which mucous normally drains out from. Mucous then stagnates and that leads to facial pain and headaches as well as viral or bacterial infections. Doctors refer to sinusitis as rhinosinusitis because inflammation of the sinuses (pockets of air in the cavities of the face) nearly always occurs simultaneously with inflammation of the nose (rhinitis). This is because nasal and sinus passages are so closely inter-related.
ROOT OF SENSITIVE NOSE It is said, 30% of the world’s population suffer from nasal allergies. Not only is it a constant source of discomfort, it often compromises productivity and is an economic burden. Patients with nasal allergies visit the doctor almost twice as often and spend two times more on medication compared to non-sufferers. Other hidden costs of nasal allergies include the treatment of other co-existing conditions such as chronic sinusitis, airway infections, middle ear infections, sleep disorders, snoring, nasal polyposis and asthma.
The journal Allergy & Asthma Proceedings 2002 confirms that one in every three people with uncontrolled allergic rhinitis goes on to develop asthma. Once it is diagnosed, it is generally permanent. As asthma ranks as one of the top five most expensive conditions in the world to treat, early recognition and treatment of allergic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis is crucial. The key to treat nasal allergies so it doesn’t worsen is to address the hypersensitive nature of the immune system. ALTERNATIVE REMEDY Conventionally, drug options such as antihistamines, decongestants, nasal sprays and steroids have been employed to treat nasal allergies. However, none of the conventional drug treatments have been able to address a hypersensitive immune system which is the root cause that triggers an allergic reaction.
An alternative treatment is now clinically proven to offer patients with sensitive noses a viable option of dealing with their condition. Research onto the natural, activated astragalus root extract called Lectranal has shown its effectiveness in patients with nasal allergies, acting on the root of hypersensitive immune systems. Treatment with Lectranal resulted in an overall improvement of nasal allergies by over 70% after two months of treatment.
Unlike other therapies, Lectranal aims specifically at the root of the problem instead of merely blocking symptoms after they have appeared. Explains Dr Silva Pecanic, one of the researchers of the studies, “Instead of blocking histamine as what antihistamines do, Lectranal helps calm the immune system from acting angrily each time it encounters an allergen in the environment. It does not matter whether the allergen is dust or chalk or temperature changes, Lectranal enables the immune system to cope in a safe and effective way. When immune systems are ‘calm’, it will be able to differentiate between what is harmful and what is not and therefore perform optimally. In addition, Lectranal aids the immune system to acquire a memory to help it to recognise harmless allergens so nose allergies are under control”.
This article is brought to you by the Nuvaceuticals Division of Nuvanta Sdn. Bhd. For further information, please contact 03-5636 3758 or email pharmacist@nuvanta.com