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What is allergic rhinitis? Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever is inflammation of the nasal membrane which is caused by reaction of the immune system to the allergens present in the atmosphere such as dust, animal dander or pollen. Sometime allergy to certain food items can also be seen.

• Allergic rhinitis is usually seen at the change of seasons as there is a lot of pollen in the atmosphere.
• Types of allergic rhinitis: Seasonal (hay fever): symptoms are seasonal and are seen in spring, summer and early winters.
• The allergens are pollens or moulds.
• Pollen is a fine powder which comes from the stamen of the flowering plants.

Perennial: people having this type of allergy experience symptoms year-round. They are allergic to dust mites, pet hair, animal dander, cockroaches, moulds. Food allergies rarely cause rhinitis symptoms. Triggers for allergic rhinitis:

Pollens from grass, trees and weeds Pet hair or dander Dust mites and mould Irritants, such as cigarette smoke, perfume and diesel exhaust Cold temperature A sudden change of temperature Air pollution and fumes

Risk factors for allergic rhinitis:

Family history of allergic rhinitis. Eczema. Food allergies. Asthma. Highly sanitized living conditions and reduced exposure to diverse allergens. Repeated exposure to Seed dust Wood dust. Animal dander. Textile dust. Chemicals. Rubber latex. Certain foods and spices. Storage mites. Odours and fumes (such as smoking or air pollution).

Complications of allergic rhinitis:

Sleep loss. Daytime fatigue. Learning impairment. Decreased overall cognitive functioning. Decreased long-term productivity. Decreased quality of life. Acute and chronic sinusitis. Recurrence of nasal polyps. Otitis media/otitis media with effusion. Hearing impairment. Abnormal craniofacial development. Sleep apnea and related complications. Aggravation of underlying asthma. Increased propensity to develop asthma.

Symptoms & causes Symptoms

Runny nose and nasal congestion. Itchy, watery eyes. Itchy nose, ears, or throat. Sinus pressure. Headache. Sneezing. Dark circles under your eyes—allergic shiners. Postnasal drip. Fatigue due to poor disturbed sleep. Decreased sense of smell and taste. Chronic cough. Stuffy nose due to blockage or congestion. Eczema.

Causes Allergic rhinitis is caused by the release of histamine when there is exposure to an allergen such as pollen. Histamine is a natural defence of the body to prevent against the allergens. Diagnosis & treatment

Detailed history with appropriate symptoms. Skin prick or scratch test: in this test tiny amount of possible allergen is pricked or scratched in the outer layer of skin and a small red bump shows positive results. Intradermal administration of allergen can show a more reliable result.

Treatment

The conventional treatment for allergic rhinitis includes antihistamines, decongestants, eye drops, steroids, nasal steroid sprays and even allergy shots etc are given which do give temporary relief by suppressing the symptoms but have many side effects.

Management

Advice on avoiding the allergen should be given so that the symptoms are not triggered at first hand. The patient should be advised to stay more indoors in peak season for pollens. Pollen masks should be advised. Wash hands and clean up after staying with the pets. Mopping should be done with wet mop directly as dry dusting and mopping would aggravate the symptoms. Dehumidifiers would help people allergic in damp conditions. Breathing exercises would help to improve the symptoms.

Homoeopathic management Homoeopathic medicines are very well known to help issues related to allergies. Allergic rhinitis can be taken care off with homoeopathic medicines permanently and without any side effects. There are many medicines which can give relief instantly.

Stay indoors when pollen counts are high. Take showers immediately after being outside. Keep your windows and doors shut as frequently as possible during allergy season. Keep your mouth and nose covered while performing yard work. Bathe your dog at least twice per week to minimize dander. Remove carpeting from your bedroom if you’re concerned about dust mites. Eat a healthy diet. Keep yourself hydrated.

Don’ts

Avoid exercising outdoors early in the morning. Try not to rake leaves or mow the lawn. Don’t rub your eyes.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult a specialist & get answers to your questions!

Can homeopathy cure sinus permanently?

Homeopathy for Sinusitis Treatment at Dr. Singhal Homeo – People looking for the best Homeopathic treatment for sinusitis can consult Dr. Vikas Singhal for their problems. He has been practicing in his clinic at Dr. Singhal Homeo, Chandigarh, for 19+ years.

He is one of the best Homeopathic doctors to treat various acute, chronic, rare, and autoimmune diseases across India. He also has patients from countries like the USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Singapore, etc. After going through the patient’s diagnosis reports, symptoms, and medical history, Dr. Vikas Singhal uses individualized Homeopathic Medicine for sinusitis treatment for each case.

Homeopathy for sinusitis treatment is a better alternative than the conventional treatment since the latter give short-term relief. For an in-person consultation with the doctor, you can visit our clinic in Chandigarh or can opt for an online treatment according to your preference.

How do you test for allergic rhinitis?

Abstract – Allergic mechanisms account for most cases of chronic rhinitis. This condition is associated with significant impairment of quality of life and high indirect costs. The identification of the allergic triggers of rhinitis has been historically based on the performance of atopy test,

• Nevertheless, these tests only denote sensitization, and atopy and allergy represent two different phenomena.
• It is now clear that allergic phenotypes of rhinitis can exist in both atopic (allergic rhinitis, AR) and non-atopic (local allergic rhinitis, LAR) individuals.
• Moreover, both allergic phenotypes can coexist in the same rhinitis patient (dual allergic rhinitis, DAR).

Therefore, a diagnostic approach merely based on atopy tests is associated with a significant rate of misdiagnosis. The confirmation of the allergic etiology of rhinitis requires the performance of in vivo test like the nasal allergen challenge (NAC).

NAC is mandatory for the diagnosis of LAR and DAR, and helps decide the best management approach in difficult cases of AR. Nevertheless, NAC is a laborious technique requiring human and technical resources. The basophil activation test (BAT) is a patient-friendly technique that has shown promising results for LAR and DAR diagnosis.

In this review, the diagnostic usefulness for chronic rhinitis of SPT, NAC, olfactory tests, serum sIgE, BAT and the quantification of inflammatory mediators in nasal samples will be discussed. The accurate performance of an etiologic diagnosis of rhinitis patients will favor the prescription of specific therapies with disease-modifying potential like allergen immunotherapy.

Which is the most effective medication to reduce rhinitis symptoms?

Checking for sinus problems – Your provider also will want to find out if your symptoms are due to a sinus problem. You might need an imaging test to check your sinuses.

Nasal endoscopy. This test checks the sinuses with a thin tool that has a camera on the end. The tool is called an endoscope. The endoscope is passed through the nostrils to look inside the nose. computed tomography (CT) scan. This test uses X-rays to make images of the sinuses. The images are more detailed than those made by typical X-ray exams.

Treatment of nonallergic rhinitis depends on how much it bothers you. Home treatment and staying away from triggers might be enough for mild cases. Medicines may ease worse symptoms. These include:

Saline nose sprays. Saline is a mixture of salt and water. Saline nose spray helps moisturize the nose. It also helps thin mucus and soothes the tissue that lines the inside of the nose. You can buy saline nose spray off the shelf at stores. But a home remedy known as nose irrigation might work even better. It involves using a large amount of saline or a saltwater mixture to help clean out irritants and mucus. Antihistamine nasal sprays. Antihistamines treat many health problems, including allergies. An antihistamine nose spray may ease the symptoms of nonallergic rhinitis too. Your provider may write you a prescription that lets you buy this type of spray at a pharmacy. These sprays include azelastine (Astepro, Astepro Allergy) or olopatadine hydrochloride (Patanase). Antihistamines taken by mouth often don’t work as well for nonallergic rhinitis as they do for allergic rhinitis. These antihistamines include diphenhydramine (Benadryl), cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy), fexofenadine (Allegra Allergy) and loratadine (Alavert, Claritin). Ipratropium nose spray. This prescription spray can ease a runny, drippy nose. Side effects can include nosebleeds and dryness inside the nose. Decongestants. These medicines help narrow the blood vessels in the nose and lessen congestion. Side effects can include high blood pressure, heart pounding and feeling restless. Decongestants can be bought off store shelves or with a prescription. Examples include drugs with pseudoephedrine (Sudafed 24 Hour) and phenylephrine. Steroids. These medicines help prevent and treat swelling linked with some types of nonallergic rhinitis. Side effects can include a dry nose or throat, nosebleeds, and headaches. Your provider may suggest a steroid nose spray if decongestants or antihistamines don’t control your symptoms. Steroid sprays that you can buy off the shelf include a fluticasone (Flonase Allergy Relief) and triamcinolone (Nasacort Allergy 24 Hour). Stronger steroid sprays also can be prescribed.

Your health care provider may suggest surgery to treat other problems that can happen with nonallergic rhinitis. For example, growths in the nose called polyps may need to be removed. Surgery also can fix a problem where the thin wall between the passages in the nose is off-center or crooked. This is called a deviated septum.

Who is more prone to allergic rhinitis?

Genetic Predisposition Allergies are often inherited – so if a grandparent, parent, or sibling has allergies, you are likely to have them as well – and symptoms will often start showing during childhood. Plus, if you have skin allergies or asthma, your likelihood of also having allergic rhinitis increases.

Is allergic rhinitis genetic?

What is Allergic Rhinitis? – Allergic rhinitis is a very common condition caused by an abnormal reaction of the body’s immune system response to various particles (allergens) in the environment. In this condition, the nasal lining can become very inflamed and swollen from the over-response of the body.

The lining of the nose often over-secretes excessive amounts of mucus when exposed to provoking allergens. This condition can be worse in some seasons for some children or can be present throughout the entire year in other children. Common examples of allergens for children include dust, grasses, pollens, mold, trees, and dog and cat dander.

Children with allergic rhinitis may also have conditions like asthma or eczema of the skin. It is common for Allergic Rhinitis to run in families, as this condition can be passed from parents to their children.

What foods cause allergic rhinitis?

1. Introduction – It is a universally accepted fact that nutrition plays a significant part in diseases, especially in food-induced allergies. Food allergies affect 1–2% of adults and 8% of children younger than 6 years, The significance of food allergies increases during early childhood, and it decreases with the age.

The following are the significant food allergies in young children: cow’s milk (2.5%), eggs (1.3%), peanuts (0.8%), wheat (0.4%), soy (0.4%), nuts (0.2%), fish (0.1%), and shellfish (0.1%). Almost one-half of the children with immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergy to cow’s milk experience sensitivity to other food products,

Generally, milk-, soy-, egg-, and wheat-related allergies seem to resolve with the adulthood. However, the following allergies seem to persist in adulthood: shellfish (2%), peanuts (0.6%), nuts (0.5%), and fish (0.4%), Across Estonia, Lithuania, and Russia, the following foods are the most common food allergens: citrus fruits, chocolate, apples, hazelnuts, strawberries, fish, tomatoes, eggs, and milk.

1. Allergies associated to nuts, apples, pears, kiwifruit, stone fruits, and carrots are most common in Denmark and Sweden,
2. In the United States, children are most commonly allergic to eggs, cow’s milk, peanuts, nuts, soy, wheat, and fish; adults are allergic to shellfish, peanuts, nuts, and fish,
3. In general, adverse food reactions can be divided into two broad categories (i.e., food allergy and food intolerance).

A food allergy is due to an abnormal immunologic response following exposure to a food, which may be categorized into either IgE-mediated or non-IgE-mediated process. The IgE-mediated reactions comprise of acute urticaria, angioedema, oral-allergy syndrome, allergic rhinitis (AR), conjunctivitis, and acute asthma.

1. Non-IgE-mediated food allergies present as more subacute and/or chronic symptoms that are typically isolated to the gastrointestinal tract and/or skin.
2. The exclusive non-IgE-mediated food reactions principally include celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, and Heiner syndrome.
3. Both IgE-and non-IgE-mediated mechanisms can be involved into atopic dermatitis and eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders,

The second type of adverse food reaction, which is food intolerance, is a nonimmunological reaction to food and could take effect by metabolic deficiencies (e.g., lactase or fructase deficiency), pharmacological intolerance (e.g., caffeine or tyramine in aged cheese), toxicity (e.g., bacteria or contaminants like histamine in scombroid poisoning), or psychological disorders,

The immune-mediated adverse reactions to food products are caused by IgE, non-IgE-dependent, or mixed mechanism. The immune system’s response to allergen exposure can be divided into two phases. The first is immediate hypersensitivity or the early-phase reaction, which occurs within minutes of exposure to the allergen.

The second, or late-phase reaction, occurs 4–6 hours after the disappearance of the first-phase symptoms and can last for days or even weeks. Cross-linking of a sufficient number of mast cell/basophil-bound IgE antibodies by allergen initiates a process of intracellular signaling, which leads to degranulation of cells with the release of mediators of inflammation,

During the early-phase reaction, chemical mediators released by mast cells, including histamine, mast cell tryptases, prostaglandins, LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4 leukotrienes and thromboxane, produce local tissue responses as the characteristics of an allergic reaction, During the late-phase reaction in the lung, cellular infiltration, fibrin deposition, and tissue destruction resulting from the sustained allergic response lead to increased bronchial reactivity, edema, and further inflammatory cell recruitment,

A general correlation has been found between the rate of cellular infiltration and disease severity. In spite of the fact that some foods have a role to play on the exacerbation of AR symptoms, there are debates prevailing on the role of diet on the occurrence or worsening of the symptoms.

Does allergic rhinitis go away with age?

Signs and symptoms – Allergic rhinitis typically causes cold-like symptoms, such as sneezing, itchiness and a blocked or runny nose. These symptoms usually start soon after being exposed to an allergen. Some people only get allergic rhinitis for a few months at a time because they’re sensitive to seasonal allergens, such as tree or grass pollen.

What is allergic rhinitis that won’t go away?

Perennial allergic rhinitis is a chronic allergic condition that causes nasal congestion and a runny nose. Unlike other types of allergies, it doesn’t go away during certain seasons or months of the year. You may feel like you have a permanent cold that won’t go away.

Dust mites are the most common cause of perennial allergic rhinitis, but it can be caused by any allergen (allergy-inducing substance) that you are exposed to year-round, The other most common causes are cats and dogs. This article will describe symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis and how common it is.

It will also discuss how this condition is diagnosed and treated. Science Photo Library / Getty Images

Can allergies be cured permanently?

Got allergies ? Then you probably have questions. Here are answers to some of the most popular. You can’t cure allergies, but you can treat and control the symptoms. It may take a little work. You’ll need to make a few changes to your surroundings or figure out how to stay away from things that trigger allergy attacks. Medication will ease your symptoms, but you may still have a reaction when you’re around an allergen. Kids, on the other hand, sometimes outgrow allergies, particularly with food. You might try a type of treatment called immunotherapy, You’ll get a bit of what you’re allergic to in the form of shots, oral tablets, or drops.

1. It isn’t a cure, but it can weaken your reaction.
2. The symptoms can be similar: Look for patterns: Both can cause sneezing, congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, fatigue, and headaches,
3. Itching in the eyes or nose is more common with allergies and less common with a cold.
4. Cold symptoms have no pattern to how they develop.

An allergic reaction happens all at once. Allergies are not contagious. Watch the timing: Cold symptoms go away after 7 to 10 days. A reaction will go on as long you’re exposed to the allergen. It may ease up when you get away from whatever it is you’re allergic to, but it may not.

• Check your hankie: Yeah, it’s kind of gross, but the mucus tells you what you need to know.
• Colds may cause yellowish nasal discharge.
• That suggests there’s an infection to blame.
• Allergic reactions result in clear, thin, watery gunk.
• Wait for the sneezes to start: Sneezing is common with both allergies and colds.

However, itchy eyes and a nose are more common with an allergy. Consult a calendar: Colds are more common during the winter months. Allergies can be year-round or seasonal, depending on the type of allergies you have. Take your temperature : You might have a fever with a cold, but probably not with an allergy Every day from spring to fall the weatherman gives this report.

It measures the amount of pollen in the air. The numbers might include mold spores and three types of pollen : grasses, trees, and weeds. The count covers grains per square meter of air collected over 24 hours. It’s translated into a corresponding level: absent, low, medium, or high. If the count is low, you probably won’t have a problem unless you’re crazy sensitive to pollen.

If you have some problems with it, then a medium reading means you’ll probably have a few sniffles. A high count translates to grab the tissue box. The count can help you plan outdoor activities. If you’re really sensitive, you might want to stay indoors on a high pollen count day.

• But you should be OK on low and maybe even medium days. No.
• Moving won’t cure allergies or symptoms.
• You’re likely to be allergic to pollen from plants in the new area.
• Hypo” means under or less than, so it’s a product that’s less likely to trigger an allergic reaction,
• Many things we use every day, like cleansers, soaps, deodorants, makeup, and even mouthwash, have ingredients that can trigger a skin allergy,

When you expose your skin to these ingredients – most often fragrances and chemicals used as preservatives – you can get contact dermatitis, It starts as red areas that itch and swell. Some people get rash es or blisters, If you see “hypoallergenic” on the label, it means the product doesn’t have those things in it.

• But manufacturers don’t have to prove that claim.
• There are no regulations or standards for them to follow.
• Using hypoallergenic products makes a reaction less likely, but nothing can guarantee it will never irritate your skin or trigger an allergy.
• Test anything new before you use it, especially if you have had skin reactions before.

Dab a little on your inner wrist or elbow and wait. You should know how it affects you within 24 hours. The type of pollen that causes allergy symptoms comes from plants (trees, grasses, and weeds) that typically don’t bear fruit or flowers. They make lots of small, light, dry granules that can float in the wind for miles.

Weeds: ragweed, sagebrush, redroot pigweed, lamb’s quarters, goosefoot, tumbleweed (Russian thistle), and English plantainGrasses: timothy grass, Kentucky blue grass, Johnson grass, Bermuda grass, redtop grass, orchard grass, sweet vernal grass, perennial rye, salt grass, velvet grass, and fescueHardwood deciduous trees: oak, ash, elm, birch, maple, alder, and hazel, as well as hickory, pecan, and box and mountain cedar. Juniper, cedar, cypress, and sequoia trees are also likely to cause allergy symptoms,

Yes. Stress doesn’t cause allergies, but it can make an existing reaction worse by increasing the level of histamine in your bloodstream. This powerful substance can lead to allergy-like symptoms.