If you ever went to Newburgh doctors for a concrete solution to your allergic rhinitis problem, what did they suggest you? Did they prescribe medical drugs or asked you to change your lifestyle? In fact, allergic rhinitis is one of the most common diseases among US population. But sadly, most people have little idea regarding the disease, its triggering factors, sign symptoms, and treatments. Our little guide will aid you in having a better understanding regarding allergic rhinitis.
Firstly, your Newburgh doctors or any physician for that matter would tell you that allergic rhinitis and hay fever are the same disease, and is related to your immune system. As you might know, our immune cells react when they find foreign particles within our body. So when foreign allergens enter your nasal mucosa, suddenly our immune cells are alerted to the possibility of a foreign pathogen entering our body, and they start reacting against the allergen.
As you might have seen in your chemistry lab, each reaction has its own signs and symptoms. The reaction between immune cells and allergens are no different in this regard. You might experience a runny nose, sneezing, red and itchy eyes, and your eyes might start watering all on a sudden. Even though there are several features of allergic rhinitis, none of them are specific and clinicians mostly rely on their experiences and medical history while diagnosing the disease.
You might develop allergic rhinitis as soon as pollens or allergens enter your nasal mucosa or it might take a few days. The onset and severity largely depend on your immune system’s reactions against the allergen. Furthermore, people with allergic rhinitis often have allergic conjunctivitis, asthma or other allergic conditions too.
There is no specific allergen for everyone. Some might get triggered by dust, whereas some people might start experiencing symptoms while in contact with pet hair or pollens. Clinicians often rely on the medical history and skin prick tests in order to diagnose the disease. People suffering from allergic rhinitis will have higher IgE antibody level in their blood. Sometimes the disease resembles a mere common cold, and clinicians must discern between the two.
Regarding treatment, the primary goal is to reduce the recurrence of the disease and sign symptoms. Sometimes, symptoms will go away within a few days without any medical interventions. But there are several drugs that are used to reduce the symptoms and prevent recurrences. Of them, the most commonly used one is an antihistamine. This OTC drug is one of the most commonly used drugs all over the world and is highly effective against allergic rhinitis. They can be administered either orally or nasally. In addition to antihistamines, intranasal corticosteroids are now commonly used to reduce itching and rhinorrhea. Other drugs such as nasal decongestants and leukotriene receptor blockers are invariably used and are highly effective in reducing symptoms. But despite all these medical interventions, the best strategy to combat allergic rhinitis to date is “prevention.”
