Allergic rhinitis is an allergy in the nose and generally when exposed to an allergy the nose produces secretions, causes your nose to itch and may cause your eyes to itch.
Generally I see more allergic rhinitis in the fall and the spring, although some people have symptoms year round. In the fall we often see ragweed and then in the spring it is the pollen on the trees.
Generally nasal congestion, clear drainage from the nose, itching within the nose and throat, itching eyes and fullness in the ears.
Allergic rhinitis is generally treated medically. We will use medicines called intranasal steroids sprays. You may have heard of some of these medicines that are now over the counter, Flonase and Nasacort for example. Oftentimes people will also use antihistamine medicines such as Claritin, Zyrtec, or Allegra which are also available over the counter.
You can also see an allergist for other treatment options if those medications don’t control your symptoms.
Unfortunately there is not a great way to prevent allergic rhinitis, avoidance of the allergen is one option once you know what you are allergic to but that is tough when the allergen is everywhere around you.
We see kids and adults with this and it is our job to sort out what exactly is going on and what the best treatment options are.
