ABSTRACT
Allergic rhinitis impairs social life, but it is not known whether quality of life may be improved when patient are treated with H 1 blockers. The present study evaluated the comparative efficacy and safety of cetirizine, loratidine and astemizole in patients of allergic rhinitis. The design was open, randomized, parallel group comparison of three active treatment groups over a six week period. Sixty patients of either sex in the age group of 16 - 45 years, suffering from allergic rhinitis were selected randomly. The effect of cetirizine, loratidine and astemizole were observed on various parameters i.e., sneezing, nasal obstruction, watering of eyes, sedation and overall well being of the patients over a period of six weeks. The Visual Analogue Scale [VAS] was utilized as a quantitative measure of symptom relief. An improvement in patient's discomfort as assessed by VAS was observed in all treatment groups, with cetirizine 10mg daily being significantly more effective than loratidine 10mg and astemizole 10mg. Cetirizine resulted in a significant reduction in sneezing and nasal obstruction as compared to loratidine and astemizole [p<0.05]. Cetirizine and loratidine both were equally efficacious in relieving watering of eyes but cetirizine as well as loratidine were more efficacious as compared to astemizole [p<0.05]. Sedation was found to be maximum with cetirizine followed by astemizole and loratidine over six weeks of study period. Cetirizine has been found to be most effective in relieving the symptoms of allergic rhinitis followed by loratidine and astemizole and it can also improve quality of life for patients with allergic rhinitis