Allergic Rhinitis is a common problem causing sneezing, runny nose and watery discharge from the eyes.

Understanding Allergic Rhinitis

Allergic Rhinitis is an allergic disorder causing inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the nasal cavity. This inflammation occurs when one comes in contact with something that one is allergic to. These could be pollens or moulds or dust or smoke or any strong odour. This problem occurs more often in the autumn and spring season as the pollens are widespread at this time.

Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis

The common symptoms of allergic rhinitis are sneezing, runny nose and watery discharge from the eyes. There is irritation in the nose which causes sneezing to start and then watery discharge from the nose begins. There is discharge from the posterior nares that drains into the throat. Post-nasal drip is the name for this. One tends to lose the sense of smell. In chronic cases, the nose stuffs up. One cannot breathe through the nose easily. Such patients have to breathe through their mouths and keep their mouths open. Nighttime is the most difficult for such patients as they find it difficult to sleep. The mouth dries up as they breathe through the mouth instead of the nose. Sometimes, ears also tend to get blocked.

Allergic Rhinitis Treatment-Allergic Rhinitis Home Remedies

The conventional treatment of allergic rhinitis is to keep giving anti-allergic medicines or antihistaminics like Cetirizine or Levocetirizine. In fact, these anti-allergic medicines are used to treat all sorts of allergies, whether nasal or skin. They tend to provide temporary relief. You take an anti-histaminic and you are fine for some hours. The sneezing stops and the running nose stop. The itching in the nose and eyes disappears. But the effect lasts only for some hours. Once the effect wears off, the problem returns in full force. I have had patients coming to me who had been taking these anti allergic medicines for years together.

These antihistaminics are sleep-inducing and often people tend to feel sleepy or dizzy during the daytime, which can be dangerous at times. The easy availability and low cost make these anti-allergic medicines easily accessible. In fact, they have become sort of home remedies for allergies and people just keep taking them without even a prescription from a qualified doctor.

Homoeopathic treatment of Allergic Rhinitis

Homeopathy is best for treating all sorts of allergies or allergic disorders. The reason for this is that it does not try to treat the symptoms of allergies. Instead, it works to root out the cause of these allergies. The root cause of allergies happens to be hyperactivity of the immune system. This hyperactive immune system goes into overdrive when it comes in contact with certain things. These things may be harmless in themselves. But the immune system tends to look at them as offenders and tries to react in a defensive manner. It tries to wash them off by producing excess mucous. Homeopathic medicines repair the immune system, and the hyperactivity is corrected. Then the body reacts normally to the same things that used to cause the allergies.

5 best Homeopathic medicines for Allergic Rhinitis

I have been in Homeopathic practice for the last 2 decades. I have had the most satisfactory results in the treatment of Allergic Rhinitis or Hay Fever. In fact, I can say with the greatest confidence that I have had the best results in the treatment of this problem. Although there are many homoeopathic medicines that are used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis or hay fever, some of the medicines are more frequently used or indicated.

Here are the 5 best Homeopathic medicines for Allergic Rhinitis as per my experience-

1. Allium Cepa – best medicine for Allergic Rhinitis with watery eyes
2. Arsenic Album – best medicine for allergic rhinitis with intense thirst
3. Natrum Mur – best remedy for Allergic Rhinitis with sneezing
4. Merc Sol -best treatment for allergic rhinitis with sensitivity to heat and cold
5. Arundo – best Allergic Rhinitis medicine with intense itching

I need to add here that this is not at all an exhaustive list. This means that depending on the symptoms of the patients, some other medicines might be indicated. A brief description of the symptoms indicating each individual medicine is being given below-

 1. Allium Cepa

When there is watery discharge from the eyes along with running nose, Allium Cepa is one of the best Homeopathic medicines for Allergic Rhinitis or Hay Fever. The watery discharge from the nose is thin and acrid. At the same time, the discharge from the eyes is bland. The eyes become red and are sensitive to light. There is burning in the nose and eyes as from the cutting of onions. This medicine is in fact made from onions and it mimics the symptoms that occur when one cuts onions. There is the same burning in the eyes that we get when onions are being cut nearby in our presence. The patient feels better in the open air.

2. Arsenic Album

In cases where there is intense thirst and the patient feels worse in open air, Arsenic Album is one of the best Homeopathic medicines for Allergic Rhinitis or Hay Fever. There is copious watery and excoriating discharge from the nose. There may be restlessness and anxiety with the other symptoms of hay fever. Intense thirst is present though the patient drinks a little bit of water at one time. The symptoms are likely to be worse at night. There is an increased sense of weakness which is often disproportionate to the disease.

3. Natrum Mur

In cases where there is a lot of sneezing and in fact, the symptoms start with sneezing only, Natrum Mur does wonders and is one of the best homeopathic medicines for hay fever or allergic rhinitis. There is intense dryness of the mouth and the mucous membranes. The discharge from the nose is thin and watery and resembles the white of an egg. There is an increased desire to eat salt or salty food.

4. Merc Sol

When there is increased sensitivity to both heat and cold and the patient cannot tolerate either, Merc Sol is very effective and is one of the best homeopathic medicines for allergic rhinitis or hay fever. There is a lot of sneezing and watery discharge from the nose. The patient is worse even in damp or wet weather. Increased sweating is another indication for this medicine. There is profuse salivation in the mouth. At times the salivation is so much that it keeps the mouth wet most of the time. Despite this increased salivation, the patient keeps on feeling thirsty. There may be foul smell from the mouth.

5. Arundo

When the episode begins with intense itching in the palate and the nose, Arundo is very much suited to the case and is one of the best homeopathic medicines for allergic rhinitis or hay fever. There is a lot of burning and itching in the nose, the eyes and the roof of the mouth. Sense of smell  diminishes.