No abstract

No abstract

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Vitamin C has a therapeutic role in allergic rhinitis by reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation. The present study has been undertaken to evaluate the improvement or otherwise in the clinical manifestations of allergic rhinitis, following supplementation of this vitamin.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>40 subjects of allergic rhinitis were selected from the allergy clinics of Dayanand medical college and hospital. The study period was one and a half year. Vitamin C in the dose of 1 gm per day was administered in the case group and in the placebo group a sugar tablet was administered by the oral route. Plasma levels of ascorbic acid and its effect on the symptoms and signs of rhinitis were recorded.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> The mean duration of illness in the patients with allergic rhinitis was 10.15±3.4 years, with 25 patients having duration of less than 10 years, 10 patients were with of illness between 10 to 20 years and 5 having duration more than 20 years. The most common complaint in patients with allergic rhinitis was of nasal obstruction (57.5%).</p><p>All the patients who showed improvement had increase in plasma ascorbic after the respective treatment but not all the patients showing increase in plasma ascorbic acid post-treatment showed improvement.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Vitamin C ameliorates the signs and symptoms of allergic rhinitis by raising the plasma ascorbic acid levels.</p>

No abstract

Ascorbic acid plays a pivotal role in common cold and allergic rhinitis by affecting the innate and adaptive immunity It antagonizes mediators of allergic rhinitis like histamine, prostaglandins etc. It also maintains the normal redox potential of the cells preventing bonding of antibody to antigen. It helps in stress conditions and has stimulatory effect on interferon synthesis. The present study was undertaken to study the role of plasma ascorbic acid in patients suffering from nasal allergy.