Managing Allergic Rhinitis

What is allergic rhinitis ?

Allergic rhinitis is actually a non infectious allergic condition of the upper airways and in most cases also involving eyes. It is by far the most common non infectious disease especially among young. It affects 10-15% of the worldwide population both children and adults.

Allergic rhinitis is caused by certain proteinaceous substances called allergens. These allergens can be indoor (eg: Dust mites, cockroaches, pet dander, molds etc...) or outdoor (eg: grass and tree pollens, molds etc...)

Signs and symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

Sneezing, dry cough, nasal, throat and conjunctival irritation, runny nose, watery eyes, headache.

If you have any of the above recurring symptoms, consult your ENT doctor.

Diagnosis

Clinical picture, blood tests, allergy skin prick tests are used to diagnose allergic rhinitis.

Allergic Skin Prick test is the gold standard for diagnosing allergic rhinitis. It confirms your sensitivity to different kind of allergens.

Complications of undiagnosed/untreated allergic rhinitis

1/3 of the patients with allergic rhinitis may progress to develop lower airway symptoms like asthma and allergic bronchitis, sino-nasal polyposis and chronic sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea (OA).

Timely diagnosis and management prevent progression of an allergy and improves quality of life.

Management / control

The mainstay of management is to avoid exposure to allergens to which someone is allergic.

Following could also help :

• Daily physical activity

• Optimizing your vitamin D levels

• You man also need medications (eg: Antihistamine, steroid spray etc as Doctor prescription.

• In extreme persistent cases, immune modulation may be required.