By: Juan Fernando González G. 

Surely you know someone who frequently sneezes, has a runny nose, and even difficulty breathing. Most likely, that person is part of the 40 percent of Mexicans who, to a greater or lesser extent, suffer from a respiratory allergy.

This is explained by specialists from the Mexican Institute of Social Security assigned to the Allergy Service of the Hospital Juárez de México, who affirm that it is common for individuals with chronic flu problems to have a certain predisposition to an allergy.

Before continuing, it is pertinent to say that an allergy is an abnormal and exaggerated response of the body’s defenses against elements that should not normally harm or cause discomfort. Medical science has detected that there is no absolute hereditary pattern that determines the presence of this disorder, but there is a certain genetic predisposition (familial atopy).

Harmful factors
To what extent does pollution and high concentrations of pollens in the environment influence the origin and evolution of allergic diseases? According to Dr. Alejandro Cano Verdugo, assigned to the General Hospital of Zone 8, belonging to the Mexican Institute of Social Security, the irritating effect of environmental pollutants and pollen are factors that increase episodes of asthma and other allergic conditions. “

In summary, it can be stated that the inhabitants of highly urbanized cities, such as Mexico, breathe elements that are very harmful to the body every day: carbon monoxide, lead, nitric oxide, ozone, sulfuric dioxide and PM2.5 and PM10 particles. , from the emissions of millions of internal combustion vehicles and industrial parks. It is not at all difficult, therefore, that the aforementioned pollutants increase the sensitivity of the airway and generate infectious diseases and allergic reactions.

These considerations were expressed during the celebration of the colloquium “Environmental pollution, pollens and effects on allergic disease”, organized by the Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, an event in which it was emphasized that, in the long term , the effects of pollution predispose the development of allergic rhinitis and modify the local response against environmental allergens. In the case of children, the specialists warned, persistent exposure to the aforementioned pollutants causes a higher incidence of atopic dermatitis and impairs lung growth and function.

What about sinusitis?
Sinusitis, recently renamed rhinosinusitis, is an inflammatory and infectious process that affects the paranasal sinuses and the nasal cavity, making it one of the most common respiratory diseases. The disease occurs when the drainage channels, located in the mucosa that line the paranasal sinuses, become blocked by the presence of pus and mucus. The cause: an inflammatory response generated by viral, bacterial or fungal (fungal) infections, or by allergic factors.

To better understand the anatomy of the paranasal sinuses, it must be said that they are tiny holes through which the air passes. These holes are divided into:
Frontal sinuses, which are located at the front of the skull (the forehead).
Ethmoidal sinuses are located on the sides of the nose.
Maxillary sinuses, which are located on the sides, above the teeth.

Homeopathy, of great help
Allergic problems that affect the airways have been increasing in recent times, mainly due to environmental pollution, says homeopathic doctor Laura Oliva Molina López, who assures that this situation affects approximately 14 percent of the population, mainly children. and adults.

Homeopathy is a better alternative to treat symptoms related to sinusitis: tearing, runny nose, sneezing, as well as itchy nose, eyes, ears and palate. As if that were not enough, this clinical therapeutic method intervenes to balance the temperament and state of mind of the person, says the expert attached to the National Homeopathic Hospital, belonging to the Ministry of Health.

There are various substances that, treated homeopathically, act in the body to modulate or eliminate the symptoms derived from allergies. We can mention Histaminum, for example, which is a kind of natural antihistamine, that is, an inhibitor of the substance (histamine) that causes most of the symptoms already described.

There are other therapeutic agents, such as Hydrastis, which strengthens the immune system, or Kalium bichromicum, a very efficient remedy to treat many conditions at the respiratory tract level.

In summary, it can be asserted that the pharmaceutical market offers free access medicines that contain a combination of safe and safe homeopathic elements.

References
UNAM-DGCS-418 Bulletin, University City. General Directorate of Social Communication.

Martínez Campos L., Albañil Ballesteros R., Flor Bru J. de la, Piñeiro Pérez R., Cervera J., Baquero Artigao F. et al. Consensus document on etiology, diagnosis and treatment of sinusitis. Rev Pediatr Aten Primaria [Internet]. 2013 Sep [cited 2021 Mar 22]; 15 (59): 203-218.

Rhinosinusitis: perspective and approach. Aten. Fam. 2019; 26 (1): 34-38. http://dx.doi.org/10.22201/facmed.14058871p.2019.1.67715

Ministry of Health (Mexico). https://www.gob.mx/salud/prensa/homeopatia-para-controlar-sintomas-de-rinitis-alergica?idiom=es-MX.

Environmental portal. https://www.portalambiental.com.mx/sabias-que/20190614/la-contaminacion-ambiental-y-la-concentracion-de-polen-influyen-en-alergias.

National Library of Medicine of the United States of America.
https://medlineplus.gov/english/videos-de-medlineplus/histamina-de-lo-que-esta-hecha-la-allergia/