Volume 105, Issue 2, May 2016, Pages 202–208
Highlights
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- A clinical observational study in the treatment of hay fever symptoms.
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- MYMOP questionnaires were used for patient-reported outcome.
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- Homeopathy treatment was associated with significant alleviation of hay fever symptoms.
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- All patients reported reducing the use of conventional medicines.
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- The results of this study indicate towards a future pilot pragmatic study.
Background
Seasonal
allergic rhinitis (hay fever) is common and can considerably reduce the
quality of life of sufferers. Despite the wide everyday application and
promising results with homeopathy, scientific evidence of its
effectiveness for most ailments is scarce.
Aim
The
assessment of the clinical effectiveness of homeopathic remedies in the
alleviation of hay fever symptoms in a typical clinical setting.
Methods
We
performed a clinical observational study of eight patients in the
treatment of hay fever symptoms over a two-year period (2012 and 2013)
using Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP) self-evaluation
questionnaires at baseline and again after two weeks and four weeks of
homeopathic treatment. The individualized prescription – either a single
remedy or multiple remedies – was based on the totality of each
patient's symptoms.
Results
The
average MYMOP scores for the eyes, nose, activity and wellbeing had
improved significantly after two and four weeks of homeopathic
treatment. The overall average MYMOP profile score at baseline was 3.83
(standard deviation, SD, 0.78). After 14 and 28 days of treatment the
average score had fallen to 1.14 (SD, 0.36; P < 0.001) and 1.06 (SD, 0.25; P < 0.001) respectively.
Conclusions
Individualized
homeopathic treatment was associated with significant alleviation of
hay fever symptoms, enabling the reduction in use of conventional
treatment. The results presented in this study can be considered as a
step towards a pilot pragmatic study that would use more robust outcome
measures and include a larger number of patients prescribed a single or a
multiple homeopathic prescription on an individualized basis.
Graphical abstract
Timings of the assessments:
Hay fever season every year lasts from April to October in the UK. The
patients visited Health Zone Clinic in year 2012 are represented by
while the same patients in 2013 are represented by . 1st appointment
(baseline assessment) is represented by red dot while 2nd and 3rd
appointments are represented by dark green dots. Telephonic consultation
for each patient in late August/September is represented by light green
dots. The red dots indicate high MYMOP scores while the dark green dots
indicate low MYMOP scores, hence the improvement in hay fever symptoms
using homeopathy.
Keywords
- Hay fever;
- Homeopathy;
- MYMOP questionnaires
© 2016 The Faculty of Homeopathy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
