Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, is a condition in which your nose strongly reacts to other substances, such as dust, pollen, or pet hair. The immune system overreacts to these harmless particles, and the nasal lining gets inflamed. This causes you to sneeze continuously, have a blocked or running nose, and get itchy eyes, which can get you down over time. Others may experience it only at certain times of the year or year-round because of dust or pollution in their surroundings at home or at work.
Dr. Rajeev Keloth Nambiar (BAMS, MD) is a highly experienced doctor who specializes in allergic rhinitis treatment in Pune. With over 26 years of experience, he deals with respiratory illnesses and immunological disorders at Dr. Nambiar's Advanced Ayurveda, Aundh. In this case, the emphasis is not only on taking the short-term measure of alleviating the sniffling but also on quieting the immune system and clearing the root cause.
Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis symptoms can make it feel like you have a cold all the time, but a regular cold medicine can't cure them. Common signs include:
- Sneezing often, particularly when you get up first thing in the morning
- A blocked or runny nose that won't clear up
- Nose, throat or mouth itching
- Watery, red or itchy eyes
- Often having thick mucus in the back of the throat that results in a dry cough.
- Fatigue from inadequate sleep, due to difficulty breathing at night with a blocked nose.
If these symptoms recur over and over in a couple of weeks or persist for months, it isn't just a flu.
Common Causes and Risk Factors
Allergic rhinitis is caused by an allergic reaction that occurs when your body's immune system considers a common substance to be a threat. There are some factors that increase the likelihood of it:
- The most serious triggers are the pollen, dust mites, mould and pet dander.
- Air quality: Smoke, strong perfumes, and pollution in cities, such as Pune can trigger symptoms.
- Genetics: If you have a family history of allergies, you may be more likely to develop an allergy.
- Poor digestion and immunity: Ayurveda considers that poor digestion and immunity are huge contributing factors to the body's inability to withstand allergens.
- Work exposure: Dust, chemicals, or fumes may cause symptoms to appear sooner in individuals who are exposed at work
Prevention of Allergic Rhinitis
While you may not be able to eliminate all allergens around you, you can minimize symptoms by reducing their frequency:
- Nothing to dust and clean bedding frequently
- Do not have cold drinks, ice cream or greasy, fatty food, which promotes the production of mucus.
- Do steam inhalation if your nose is stuffy
- Practice basic breathing techniques such as pranayama to build up the respiratory system.
- Don't shrug off persistent bouts of sneezing, seek help early rather than waiting for the antihistamines to take effect.
About Dr. Nambiar's Allergic Rhinitis Treatment in Pune
Dr. Nambiar's Advanced Ayurveda approach to allergic rhinitis is not limited to just a problem with the nose; it sees it as an indicator of compromised immunity and internal balance. Common treatments involve herbal remedies that help alleviate inflammation of the nasal passage and Nasya therapy (application of medicated nasal oils) to unclog nasal congestion and improve the condition of the mucous membranes inside the nose. Food therapy also a part of the plan, and foods that worsen symptoms, such as dairy, cold foods and fried foods, should be avoided.
With more than 26 years of experience in treating respiratory and immune diseases, Dr. Rajeev Keloth Nambiar, BAMS, MD, sees many of his patients stop sneezing and congesting within the first couple of weeks of beginning therapy. This clinic for allergic rhinitis treatment in Pune is for those who have been suffering with nasal allergy for years without any relief and want long term correction rather than short term relief with the help of anti-histamines and nasal sprays.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's):
This is often due to the dust mites accumulating in the bedding during the night and causing inflammation in your nasal passages when you get up and start moving around.
No, allergic rhinitis is triggered by the sensitization to allergens and leads to continuous sneezing and itching whereas sinus infection is more often of bacterial or viral origin and is accompanied by more facial pain and thick mucus.
It can get worse with time, because the airways remain sensitive and inflamed, so treatment early in the disease is important.
Absolutely, by reducing the amount of cold and oily foods, you can start to decrease the mucus buildup and relieve congestion in just a few weeks.
As the Ayurvedic treatment focuses on balancing the immune system, many patients experience a reduction in the number of flares after the treatment, not just relief from them.
It should be done under the supervision of a qualified doctor; otherwise the wrong technique or oil can irritate the nasal lining instead of benefiting it.