Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation of the nasal mucosa due to an allergic reaction to an environmental antigen.
The main symptoms are usually violent, unstoppable and repeated sneezing; abundant, watery mucus; nasal itching and nasal obstruction. It is usually accompanied by itchy eyes (conjunctivitis).
There are many types of rhinitis and, in fact, some are not allergic. However, if we stick to allergic rhinitis, the most frequent cause is allergy to pollens. This is followed by allergy to mites, pet epithelia, humidity (fungi), etc.
Treatment
The treatment of allergic rhinitis must always be personalized, although in general it has three facets:
1 – Avoid contact with the allergen as much as possible.
2 – To increase tolerance by means of immunotherapy (vaccines).
3 – Pharmacological treatment with antihistamines and/or corticoids, both nasal and oral.
Allergy has a genetic component and, because of this, the patient tends to respond in the same way to a particular stimulus. What the treatment achieves is to increase tolerance.
Thus, in order for the patient to give the same response as before the treatment, a higher concentration of the allergen will be needed. That is why, even if the allergy is not completely cured, the patient can be kept symptom-free.