Complementary/alternative medicines in allergic disease.
Complementary/alternative medicines is a generic term that encompasses a variety of approaches, including homeopathy, acupuncture, phytotherapy and numerous holistic or behavioral techniques. Complementary/alternative medicines are widely used in a number of conditions, including asthma and rhinitis. The medical literature on complementary/alternative medicines is impressive, but there are few clinical studies conducted with an appropriate methodology, and their results are negative or conflicting. In general, the results are insufficient to provide recommendations for the use of complementary/alternative medicines in clinical practice. Regarding diagnostic techniques, none have demonstrated the capability of distinguishing between healthy and allergic subjects and none are able to identify sensitizations.
Passalacqua
Giovanni
G
University of Genoa, Department of Internal Medicine, Padiglione Maragliano, Genoa, Italy. passalacqua@unige.it