ABSTRACT
Background: Homeopathy is one of the most popular of complementary and alternative therapies
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine in the treatment of allergic rhinitis in children
Methods: A prospective follow up study was conducted in National Research Center [NRC] from the first of March till the end of February, Patients aged between 6 and 12 years with allergic rhinitis were treated by homeopathic remedies. Pediatric Rhinoconjuntivitis Quality of life questionnaire [RQLQ], Allergic Rhinitis Nasal Symptoms Score [ARSS], drugs usage and nasal smear eosinophils were done for all Patients at baseline and again after three months
Results: Fifty- three patients were screened, of whom 30 met the study eligibility criteria [average age 8.30+/- 2.322]. The mean RQLQ score was 4.44+/- 1.3 at baseline, after 3 months of treatment, the mean had fallen to 2.10+/- 1.66 [P< 0.001]. The mean overall total symptoms score decreased significantly from 9.23+/- 2,07 to 5.57+/- 4.07 [P< 0.001], Also, significant reduction in number of patients with positive nasal smears to 43.3% after homeopathic treatment [P< 0.001]
Conclusions: After homeopathic treatment, patients reported an improvement of their symptoms of allergic rhinitis as reported in Pediatric Rhinoconjuntivitis Quality of life questionnaire [RQLQ], Allergic Rhinitis Nasal Symptoms Score [ARSS] and nasal smear eosinophils
Recommendation: A formal randomized clinical trial is required