Introduction

Almost everyone, at some time or the other, suffers from cold, a running nose, blocked nostrils, heaviness in the head and other common respiratory tract problems. By taking care of these acute respiratory problems/infections early, one could prevent more serious respiratory tract illnesses such as bronchitis, bronchial asthma, emphysema etc.

Allergic Rhinitis

Watery nasal discharge, sneezing, itching of eyes and nose, and an increased eosinophil count in the blood are common features of Allergic Rhinitis. Like the common cold, it is self–limiting (does not run a long course in one episode) in nature.

Treatment

The body’s immunity (resistance) is to be improved by cleansing the internal system with a short fast of 3 days or till the symptoms last, along with regular warm water enema early in the morning.

• Warm salt water or warm honey water gargling frequently soothes the throat.
• Drinking plenty of warm water with honey and ginger or tulsi water with honey causes counter irritation providing relief from sore throat.
• Hot foot arm bath, which relieves congestion in the head region, provides relief from heaviness in the head and other symptoms of cold.
• Generally, secretions of the nasal passages are slightly acidic, but during cold they become alkaline. Their acidity can be maintained by inhaling steam. Eucalyptus oil or camphor can be added to the water, which is used for this purpose.
• Throat pack at night till symptoms of sore throat persist is also an effective measure.
• Steam/sauna bath twice a week facilitates elimination.
• Jalaneti and Sutraneti help clear nasal secretions opening the nasal passages.
• To prevent frequent attacks of cold/rhinitis one should regularly take adequate quantities of Vitamin C, which improves one’s resistance. Citrus fruit juices, such as lemon, orange sweet lime and Indian gooseberries are excellent sources of Vitamin C. Fruits such as guava have also fair sources of Vitamin C.