ABSTRACT
Introduction: Allergic Rhinitis is a common inflammatorydisease of the nasal mucosa. It is a symptomatic disorderof the nose induced after allergen exposure due to an IgEmediated inflammation of membranes lining the nose. Usualtreatment of Allergic rhinitis includes allergen avoidance,effective symptomatic treatment, antihistamines or steroids,standardized immunotherapy, and patient health education.There are also recommended complementary and alternativemedicine (CAM) therapies including, Ayurvedic medicine,herbal medicines, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, and severalother modalities.Material and methods: This study was conducted on 80patients diagnosed positive for Allergic Rhinitis attending theOutdoor Patient Department (OPD) of Dr. D.N. Kotnis Health& Education Centre, Ludhiana, Punjab. The severity of thepatient’s problem was taken on Liker’s scale at their first visitand the last visit of the treatment. The acupuncture points werepunctured until the needling sensation/ Qi was achieved. Thepoints were connected with an electrical stimulator for 30-40 minutes followed by a moxibustion application with stickmoxa for 15-20 minutes. The collected data were subjected tomultinominal logistic regression using ROCR package of theR programming environment.Results: It is noted that, statistically after treatment, theresults for pre and post-treatment varied significantly withp=0.0039, df= 15. There was maximum improvement seen fornasal symptoms and insomnia treatment.Conclusion: Acupuncture provides an effective and safetreatment modality for allergic rhinitis. It provides a significantreduction in major symptoms of allergic rhinitis improving theQuality of life of the patient.