[Use of alternative medicine in the treatment of allergic diseases].
BACKGROUND
The alternative medicine and the complementary medicine are forms of treatment very spread and frequently demanded by patients with allergic diseases. According to recent studies, homeopathy, acupuncture and herbal medicine are the most commonly used types of alternative medicine.


OBJECTIVE
To know the frequency in the use of different types of alternative medicine for the treatment of allergic diseases in patients attended at the Centro Regional de Alergia e Immunologia Clínica of the Hospital Universitario de Monterrey, Nuevo León.


METHODS
A transversal, descriptive and observational study was done by the use of questionnaires applied to patients and/or patients' relatives attended in this Center. This survey included questions to focus the investigation in the use of a Iternative medicine for the treatment of any allergic disease. The data analysis was done by descriptive statistics.


RESULTS
Four hundred one questionnaires were applied. The average age of the patients was of 14 years (range from 1 to 73 years). Fourty-seven percent (189 patients) were female and 58.2% (212 patients) were male. The diagnoses included: allergic rhinitis in 215 patients (53.6), asthma in 97 (24.2%), rhinitis and asthma in 73 (18.2) and atopic dermatitis in 16 (4%). Out of the patients 34.4% (138) had used at least one type of alternative medicine for the treatment of their allergic disease. Homeopathy was the most commonly used type of alternative medicine (78.2%), followed by the natural medicine (31.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Alternative medicine for the treatment of allergic diseases is frequent in patients who attend to this center. Homeopathy and the natural medicine are the most used.
Félix Berumen
José Alfredo
JA
Centro Regional de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica del Hospital Universitario Dr. José Eleuterio González, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, México. drfelixbe@hotmail.com
González Díaz
Sandra Nora
SN
Canseco González
Carlos
C
Arias Cruz
Alfredo
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000628:therapy*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires