Introduction
Allergic rhinitis is a common and chronic disorder of the upper airways. Unani physicians have been using Fagonia Arabica in the treatment of this disease since ancient times. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dhamasa powder on allergic rhinitis patients. The present study was a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted from January 2013 to September 2014 among 30 patients suffering from allergic rhinitis for at least 6 months, with complaints like sneezing, itching in eyes/throat, running nose and headache etc. Patients were asked about their symptoms scores before and after treatment to assess any changes occurring during treatment period. Dhamasa powder has shown significant improvement in signs (sneezing, rhinorrhoea, nasal blockage) and symptoms (headache, malaise/tiredness, drowsiness) scores which were assessed by ‘rhinoconjunctivitis total symptom score’ at 4 weeks as well as 8 weeks when compared to placebo group; p value < 0.001
Dhamasa (Fagonia Arabica) is commonly used herb in Unani Medicine to treat respiratory and skin disorders.
Dhamasa (Fagonia Arabica) is a herb commonly used in Unani Medicine to treat respiratory and skin disorders. It is also said to be effective for the treatment of cough, asthma, bronchitis, asthma etc.
The study focuses on a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial of 30 patients with allergic rhinitis.
In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, 30 patients with allergic rhinitis were selected. The participants completed the study by taking a capsule that contained either Dhamasa (Fagonia arabica) powder or placebo, twice daily for up to 2 months.
The researchers also collected data on various symptoms of allergic rhinitis and measured levels of IgE and IL-5 in blood samples taken before treatment started and after 1 month.
Patients were randomly allotted in two groups of 15 each.
Patients with active rhinitis and conjunctivitis, who had been unsuccessfully treated by local and systemic medications, were randomly allotted in two groups of 15 each.
Group A was given 210 mg of dhamasa powder thrice daily.
Dhamasa is a herb that has been used in traditional medicine to treat respiratory and skin disorders. It is not a drug or a magic potion, and it is not meant to be taken as a cure for any disease.
Group B was given placebo thrice daily for 8 weeks.
Group B was given placebo thrice daily for 8 weeks.
Placebo is a substance that is inert or inactive, and therefore has no effect on the recipient. In other words, it’s nothing! The term “placebo effect” refers to the phenomenon where a patient shows improvement in their condition even though they were given a placebo instead of an active treatment for their illness.
In this study, there was no control group (i.e., Group C).
Improvement in symptoms was assessed at 4 and 8 weeks by signs (sneezing, rhinorrhoea, nasal blockage, itching on palate/throat, watery/itchy eyes) and symptoms (headache, malaise/tiredness, drowsiness, distress) scores using the ‘rhinoconjunctivitis total symptom score’.
The rhinoconjunctivitis total symptom score (RTSS) was used to assess improvement in signs and symptoms at 4 and 8 weeks. The RTSS is a validated questionnaire for assessing the severity of symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis, which includes sneezing, nasal blockage, itching on palate/throat and watery/itchy eyes.
The data was expressed as mean +/- standard deviation.
The data was expressed as mean +/- standard deviation. The mean was the average of all the scores, and the standard deviation is a measure of how spread out the scores are. The smaller the standard deviation, the more consistent your data points will be. It can be thought of like this: if you had 100 people take an exam, and every person got exactly one point lower than they did on their last exam, then no matter what your units were in (whether it be points or percentage), your average would be 100%. However, if only 10 people got one point higher than last time while 90 people all got two points lower than last time (and so on), then you would have a much lower average compared to having 100% score increases across all students.
P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
Statistical significance is a measure of how unlikely it is that the observed difference could have occurred by chance. The smaller the p value, the more significant the result and therefore, one can say with more confidence that there is a difference between two groups or treatments in your study.
Statistical analysis was performed using chi(2) test for qualitative data and independent t-test for quantitative data.
The statistical analysis was performed using chi(2) test for qualitative data and independent t-test for quantitative data. Statistical analysis is performed to test a hypothesis or the difference between two groups, or the mean of two groups respectively. Chi(2) test refers to an inferential statistical technique used to analyze qualitative data. Chi(2) test helps researchers determine if there is a significant relationship between two variables (independent and dependent). The independent t-test determines whether two sets of observations come from the same population or not.
The results showed a significant improvement in the signs and symptoms scores at both 4 weeks and 8 weeks compared to placebo group; p value < 0.001
The results showed a significant improvement in the signs and symptoms scores at both 4 weeks and 8 weeks compared to placebo group; p value < 0.001. The clinical cure rate was significantly higher in Dhamasa (Fagonia Arabica) powder treated group than placebo group at 8 weeks; p value < 0.001
Conclusion
In this study, IndianJadiBooti Fagonia Arabica was found to be effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and its symptoms. This could be due to the presence of anticancerous and antimicrobial properties which are helpful in controlling inflammation as well as preventing infections. Further research is warranted to explore other uses of dhamasa including its effects on other diseases like asthma, psoriasis etc.