Allergic rhinitis is a reaction of the lining of the nose to allergy-causing substances in the air. The allergy-causing substances are called allergens.
When allergens get into the nose, a chemical called histamine is released from cells in the nose. Histamine causes the nose lining to swell, itch, and make too much mucus.
The substances that most often cause allergic rhinitis are:
Some allergens are around only during certain seasons--for example, ragweed in the fall. Reaction to these allergens is called hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Other allergens are present year-round, such as the mites in house dust. Reaction to these allergens is called perennial allergic rhinitis.
Common symptoms of allergic rhinitis are:
Other possible symptoms include:
Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and your personal and family medical history. He or she will examine your ears, nose, and throat.
Your provider may swab the lining of your nose to get a sample of mucus.
Depending on your history and how well allergy medicine helps you, you may have allergy tests to see which of many possible allergens are causing your symptoms. For most people the best test is a skin prick test. Your healthcare provider or an allergy specialist puts tiny amounts of suspected allergens under your skin and looks for a reaction. In some cases you may have blood tests.
Avoid contact with allergens.
The first step is to try to avoid contact with the things you are allergic to. For example:
Take medicine recommended by your healthcare provider.
The second step is treatment with medicine.
Your healthcare provider may first suggest:
You may have some side effects from decongestants, such as a rapid heart rate or trouble sleeping. Sometimes these medicines can also raise your blood pressure.
There are different types of antihistamines. Drowsiness is a common side effect of some of them. This may not be a problem if a dose at bedtime is all you need. Or you might try the medicine for several days even though it makes you drowsy. Often the drowsiness goes away after you have taken the medicine for 3 to 5 days. Or you may want to try an antihistamine that doesn't usually cause drowsiness. For some antihistamines you need a prescription. Others you can buy at the drug or grocery store without a prescription.
Some people take antihistamines only on the days they are having symptoms. Others start the medicine at the beginning of their usual allergy season and keep taking it until the season is over.
It is safe to take antihistamines and decongestants together if you do not have a medical reason for not taking either type of medicine.
There are several different nose sprays that your healthcare provider may prescribe for daily use to treat or prevent symptoms. Depending on your other allergy symptoms, a nose spray may be the first and only medicine you need.
Get allergy shots.
If medicines are not helping your symptoms enough, your healthcare provider may suggest allergy shots. The shots use a special mixture of the substances you are allergic to. The mixture is injected into your skin in tiny but increasing amounts over the course of many months. Over time, the shots make you less sensitive to the allergens. Usually after 4 to 6 months of allergy shots you will start to have relief from your allergies. However, you will probably need to keep having the shots for 2 to 3 years or longer.
If you have had allergies since you were a child, you will probably have them the rest of your life. You can start having new allergies any time, even if you have not had allergies before. Allergy symptoms depend not only on the season and weather but also on location. This means your allergies may come and go, depending on where you are living.
Proper treatment of allergy symptoms is the best way to prevent complications of allergic rhinitis, such as ear and sinus infections.
Doctors don’t know how to prevent allergic rhinitis. Once allergies have developed, you can try to avoid having a reaction by limiting your exposure to the things you are allergic to. In severe cases, you may need to move to another area, but you may develop allergies there as well.
