6. / Brief resume of the intended work
6.1 / Need for the study:
1)Allergic rhinitis is a common disorder, which is characterized by spasmodic attacks of severe sneezing and rhinorrhoea.
2)Allergic rhinitis may be seasonal or perennial.
3)Allergic rhinitis tends to occur between 10 to 20 years of age affecting slightly more men than women.
4)Allergic rhinitis affecting approximately 20% of the population.
5)The frequency of Allergic rhinitis is on the rise because, the people are more exposed to the inhalants like the pollens, smoke, animals excreta etc which are the precipitating factors.
6)Complications like, Recurrent Sinusitis, Nasal polyps, Serous Otitis media may be caused.
7)There are many modes of treatment for allergic rhinitis but each of them has got its own side effects. Although the commonly used antiallergic medicines do provide some relief from the symptoms of Allergic rhinitis, they do have side effects such as drowsiness etc which can hinder, One’s daily routine. They do not prevent or build up resistance to subsequent attack of Allergic rhinitis, further, when taken continuously the body stops responding to smaller dose, and in order for the medicine to work, the dosage has to be increased with concomitant increase in the side effects.
8)Homoeopathic mode of treatment appears to be more efficacious due to individualistic approach.
9)So, this study is an attempt to understand the essential nature of allergic rhinitis and it’s Homoeopathic management.
6.2 / REVIEW OF LITERATURE :
  1. Allergic rhinitis is an IgE mediated Hypersensitivity disease of mucous membrane of the nasal airways characterized by sneezing, Itching, watery nasal-discharge and a sensation of nasal obstruction.1
  1. Allergic rhinitis may be seasonal or perennial, but depending between the two. The main clinical features of allergic rhinitis are sneezing, watery rhinorrhea and nasal blockage. Itching of the eyes, nose and throat is associated with seasonal rather than perennial rhinitis. All these symptoms however are simply manifestations of a normal defense mechanism. Allergic rhinitis tends to occur between to 10 and 20 years of age affecting slightly more men than women.2
  1. In the seasonal type there are frequent sudden attacks of sneezing, with profuse watery nasal discharge and nasal obstruction. These attacks last for a few hours and are often accompanied by smarting and watering of the eyes and conjunctival infection. In the perennialvariety the symptoms are similar but more continuous and generally less severe.3
  1. A family history of allergic rhinitis increases the chances of the patients having an allergic disorders.4
  1. a) usually early onset(1 to 20 years)
b) strong familial tendency
c)often elevated serum levels of total IgE antibody (usually greater than 100 units/ml),
d)tendency for elevated specific IgE antibody levels demonstrable by positive results of skin tests, nasal challenges, and in vitro procedures(for example,radioallergo sorbentest)(RAST).5
  1. Many animals produce an allergic reaction in their owner. They include budgerigars, cats, cows, dogs hamsters, guinea pigs, horses, rabbits and sheep. Feathers particularly duck, goose and chicken are also implicated as a cause of allergic rhinitis.6
  1. You may know that the true nature of hay fever is not generally understood, it is really only an explosion of chronic disease, that is it is a manifestation of psora and can be eradicated only by antipsoric treatment.7
  1. In the worst forms of hay fever, where there is much sneezing, and with much local trouble, we find it often depends on the tubercular taint with an acquired latent sycosis in grafted of course psora is greatly magnified in all of these cases, but purely psoric cases are easily cured by the homoeopathic remedy.8
  1. The condition occurs in individuals having a sensitive mucous membrane in the nose, a sensitive nervous system and an individual allergic reaction to proteins.Alliumcepa 1x-sneezing with acrid nasal discharge, which is worse in the morning and better out of doors. There is marked photophobia.9
  1. Ambrosia, a remedy for hay fever, lachrymation and intolerable itching of the eye lids. Other remedies for hay fever are Sabadilla,Wyethia,Succin, Ars.iod,Arundo.10
  1. Alliumcepa-Hay fever in august every year, violent sneezing on rising from bed, from handling peaches.11
  1. Allium cepa. Profuse discharge of bland water from eyes with burning water from eyes with burning water from the nose indicated this remedy,terrible Laryngeal cough may also be present in some cases.Euphrasia indicates discharges of burning water from eyes and bland, thin discharges from the nose.12
  1. Gelsemium; Sneezing, watery excoriating discharge. Acute coryza, slowness of breathing with great prostration.Ambro: watery coryza; sneezing; watery discharge, wheezy cough.13

6.3 / AIMS AND OBJECTIES OF THE STUDY
1)To study the clinical presentation of Allergic rhinitis.
2)To study miasmatic presentation of Allergic rhinitis.
3) To study the homoeopathic management of Allergic rhinitis.
7. / Materials and methods:
7.1 / PRIMARY SOURCE:
The subject for this study will be collected from OPD/IPD/Rural OPD’s and camps of Dr. B.D. Jatti Homoeopathic Medical College, Hospital and Post Graduate Research Centre, Dharwad.
7.2 / METHOD OF COLLECTION OF DATA (including sampling procedure, if any,)
Definition of study subject:
  1. By Interrogation and physical examination of the patient.
  2. By routine Laboratory investigations where ever necessary.
  3. By x-ray of the Para nasal sinuses.
  4. Sampling size 30 cases are to be studied.
  5. Sampling procedure: the sample collected using random sampling technique.
Following are Inclusion criteria:
  1. Patients of all age groups and sex are studied.
  2. Seasonal rhinitis and Perennial rhinitis.
Following are Exclusion criteria :
  1. Vasomotor rhinitis
  2. Chronic hyper tropic rhinitis
  3. Rhinitis Sicca.
  4. Rhinitis caseosa.
  5. Atrophic rhinitis.
  6. Rhinitis medicamentosa.
  7. Acute and chronic rhinitis
Study sampling design:
Prevalence rate of Allergic rhinitisin our hospital is 4%, considering the 95% confidence interval at 5% permissible error sample size works out to be 61 cases, since, so many cases, considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria may not be available. Since it is a time bound study all admitted and OPD cases are included in mystudy period.
Study design :
Simple random method, Hospital Based time bound study.
Follow up :
Cases are followed periodically. Examinations (clinical and investigations) are done periodically.
Parameters used are :
a)Clinical examination.
b)Investigations.
Study period: December- 2007 to June- 2009.
Statistical tests:
Appropriate test will be used depending upon the data available at the end of the study.
7.3 / DOES THE STUDY REQUIRE ANY INVESTIGATIONS OR INTERVENTIONS TO BE CONDUCTED ON PATIENTS OR OTHER HUMANS OR ANIMALS? IF SO DESCRIBE BRIEFLY.
The study requires any following investigations to be conducted on patients, wherever necessary.
  1. Total and differential count.
  2. Absolute eosinophil count.
  3. Skin tests.
  4. Radioallergosorbent test
  5. X-ray of the Para nasal air sinuses.

7.4 / HAS ETHICAL CLEARANCE BEEN OBTAINED FROM YOUR INSTITUTION IN CASE OF 7.3?
Yes, Ethical clearance has been obtained from the institution.
8. / LIST OF REFERENCES:
1)Allen G. Kerr, Scott- Scott-Brown’s Otolaryngology-Rhiniology sixth edition 1997.Butter worth Heinemann Linacre house,Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP. A division reed educational and professional publishing ltd. Pp.no 4/6/1.
2)Arnold G.D Moran, Clinical Rhinology,Valerie J. Lund, edition 1990, Thieme medical publishers,INC New york,pp.np89.
3)Haslett Christopher, Chilvers Edwin R, Hunter John A. Boon Nicholas A. Davidson’s principle and practice of Medicine.19th edition, u.k: Churchill Livingstone; 2002.
4)John Jacob Ballenger, James B.Snow, Jr, Otorhinolaryngology. Head and Neck Surgery 15th edition. Williams and Willkins, Rose Tree Corporate Centre, North. Providence Road, Building second, Suite 5025 media, P.A.19063-2043 USA, pp.no 141.
5)Charles J. Krause, Otolaryngology Head and neck surgery vol-1 The C.V Mosby company 11830 west line Industrial drive S.T Louis Missouri 63146, pp.no 651.
6)Logan Turner’s Disease of the nose, Throat and ear 10thedition. Reprinted 1992.Publisher’s K.M Varghee Company 104-105 Hindu RajasthanBuilding Dada saheb phalke Road Bombay 400014 India, pp.no51.
7)James Tyler Kent. A.M, M.D Lectures on Homoeopathic materia medica secondedition Calcutta Roy publishing House 1966, pp.no 54.
8)J. Henry Allen, M.D, The Chronic miasms, psora and pseudopsora. Vol first and second. B. Jain publishers pvt ltd, New Delhi 110055, pp.no 191.
9)Joseph. F. Clay, M.D,F.A.C.S. Homoeopathy Treatment of Diseases of the nose and throat, Reprint edition 1998,B.Jain publishers pvt ltd, pp.no 84-87.
10)William Boericke,M.D Pocket manual of Homoeopathic Materia medica and Repertory edition- August -2002.B.Jain publishers pvt ltd . New Delhi 110055, pp.no 38-39.
11)H.C.Allen,M.D, Key notes and Characteristics with Comparisons of some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia medica with Bowel Nosodes. 8th edition B.Jain publishers pvt ltd, pp.no 22.
12)Kichlu and Bose, Descriptive medicine with Clinical methods and Homoeopathic therapeutics, Reprint edition 1993.B.Jain publishers (p) ltd, Pp.no246.
13)Sayeed Ahmad.D.I HOM (London) Allergy and its Cure.
B.Jain publishers (p) ltd, New Delhi, pp.no 35.