How to treat allergic year-round rhinitis?

1. About the disease
2. Year-round allergic rhinitis in children and adults
3. Symptoms
4. Diagnostics
5. Treatment methods
6. Precautionary measures
7. Prevention
8. Conclusion

Allergy - (from the Greek “foreign” and “exposure”) is a modern and, unfortunately, very common disease. Affecting people at different ages, it becomes a real test for a person. Especially when it comes to year-round allergies.

About the disease

If, after contact with an allergen, the nasal mucosa becomes inflamed, allergic rhinitis develops. If such contact occurs constantly, then year-round allergic rhinitis is diagnosed. The chronic course of the disease is often accompanied by various complications: asthma, sinusitis
, conjunctivitis, dermatitis.

Up to 20% of the world's population suffers from year-round allergic rhinitis. And this number is constantly increasing. The disease is more common among young people.

Allergic rhinitis and its properties

So what is allergic rhinitis and how does it manifest? Often, allergies worsen in spring and summer, and the reaction manifests itself when the nasal mucosa comes into contact with an allergen. The human immune system is constantly at work, performing a protective function against factors harmful and dangerous to the body - viruses, bacteria. If the immune system recognizes harmful substances as foreign, then the inflammatory process begins.

Faced with the disease, people do not know how to get rid of allergic rhinitis and how to treat it.

Allergic rhinitis affects families. If one parent is prone to inflammatory diseases, then the child is more likely to suffer from allergic rhinitis. Inflammatory processes should be treated with caution, since the body is at risk for other allergic diseases (sinusitis).

Nasal congestion is a common chronic condition that occurs in people of any age. Most often, allergies begin to be observed at an early age.

You can independently determine that your child has allergic rhinitis, the symptoms of which are easy to distinguish.

The symptoms of allergic rhinitis are as follows:

• inflammation of the mucous membrane;
• nasal congestion, resulting in breathing through the mouth;
• unpleasant itching and frequent sneezing;
• inflammation and tearing of the eyes;
• presence of slight swelling of the face.

Symptoms of allergic rhinitis occur in several stages: early and late. The early phase begins to appear after several minutes of contact with the pathogen and is characterized by a runny nose, sneezing, itching in the nose, larynx, and eyes. The late phase occurs 4 hours after “communication” with the allergen. The late stage of a runny nose is manifested by nasal and ear congestion, fatigue and headache, irritability and inattention. Severe stages of the disease, in addition to a stuffy nose, are characterized by the presence of dark circles under the eyes and swelling.

Allergic rhinitis is divided into seasonal and year-round allergic rhinitis. Seasonal rhinitis is provoked by contact with pollen from flowering plants and trees and worsens during the period of rapid flowering.

With a large amount of allergens in the air, the symptoms of inflammation of the nasal mucosa are aggravated, and year-round allergic rhinitis is independent of the time of year.

Causes of seasonal allergies:

1. Ragweed, causing more severe symptoms in the morning.
2. Tree pollen, which “gives” rhinitis more often in March-April.
3. A herb to which an allergic reaction occurs in the evening.
4. Mold spores are causative agents of rhinitis almost all year round. Spores become particularly concentrated in the air in dry, windy weather in the afternoon or rainy weather in the early morning.

Seasonal allergic rhinitis has been known since past centuries and was called hay fever. During haymaking, rural people suffered from severe coughing and sneezing, but no one could have imagined that these were signs of an allergic reaction to pollen. Experts recommend treating seasonal rhinitis with weak-acting drugs in both adults and children, since the allergy lasts for several weeks.

Year-round chronic rhinitis most often occurs when an allergen is present in the room. The main causes of a runny nose are animal hair or fluff, dust, fungus on the walls, furniture or indoor plants. Year-round allergic rhinitis responds well to treatment using antihistamine sprays.

Year-round allergic rhinitis in children and adults

Year-round allergic rhinitis occurs in children and adults due to increased sensitivity to substances that have an irritating effect. They enter the body when inhaling air containing large amounts of such substances - allergens.

They can be associated with ticks, rodents, cats, dogs, birds, insects and other pets. Their fur and secretions cause a response in the body in the form of allergic rhinitis. Although this allergen is active on average for 20-30% of people, it is important to identify it as early as possible.

This type of rhinitis can also occur when fungi appear in the house or during prolonged professional activity associated with constant contact with an allergen.

The complexity of the patient's condition is sometimes aggravated by medicinal, food or seasonal allergens (pollen).

The forms of year-round allergic rhinitis are different. In a milder form, a runny nose appears and disappears along with other symptoms and lasts for 4 days. This form of rhinitis can recur up to 4 times in a year.

In the chronic form, symptoms are present almost the entire week, and there are more than 4 such weeks a year.

Year-round allergic rhinitis is a disease that seriously affects a person’s general condition. This is especially true for children.

Constantly inflamed nasal mucosa, a large volume of discharge, itching, sneezing can lead to ENT diseases: sinusitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis and others. Frequent headaches affect the quality of sleep. The child becomes lethargic and has difficulty attending school or kindergarten.

Dark circles under the eyes and painfully irritated skin above the upper lip (the so-called “allergic face”) appear on the face.

In addition, allergic rhinitis can cause bronchial asthma.

Symptoms and manifestations

In most cases of allergic year-round rhinitis, symptoms accompany the patient throughout the year, all seasons, however, they are much weaker than with seasonal allergoritis. At the same time, symptoms in children and adolescents are always pronounced, much more pronounced than in adults. A typical clinical picture of a pathological situation is expressed in the following manifestations:

• facial pastiness;
• impaired nasal breathing and forced breathing through the mouth;
• the appearance of dark circles under the eyes, swelling of the eyes, redness of the skin near the nose;
• night snoring (in children, episodes of apnea);
• cough, sore throat.

Night snoring is a symptom of year-round allergic rhinitis.
Chronic cough quickly becomes chronic and becomes the cause of otitis media, sinusitis, and bronchial asthma. Half of the patients develop ophthalmological symptoms.

Symptoms

The symptoms of allergic rhinitis are basically the same in all its forms.

For seasonal rhinitis:

• The nasal mucosa swells, characteristic itching causes repeated sneezing, the discharge is more like water, the nose is stuffy; there are problems with the eyes - lacrimation, redness, swelling, bruises under the eyes; as the allergic process develops, the throat begins to sore, coughing, difficulty breathing and even wheezing in the lungs appear;
• Severe headaches, hives, problems with joints and intestines may bother you. In case of individual reactions - convulsions, fever, Quincke's edema;
• The weather affects the body: allergic reactions are stronger in hot, windy weather during the day and evening. The patient's condition is better at night and after rain.

With year-round rhinitis the following are characteristic:

• Constant nasal congestion due to characteristic inflammation of the mucous membrane, although patients complain less of itching and sneezing than with seasonal rhinitis;
• Mucous and thick nasal discharge;
• Increased fatigue due to headaches, poor sleep, complaints of itchy skin and decreased sense of smell.

Year-round allergic rhinitis, symptoms and treatment of seasonal and year-round runny nose

Allergic rhinitis is a nasal disease that causes inflammation of the nasal mucosa due to a reaction to an allergen. This is mainly seasonal, but there are other forms. Allergic rhinitis can affect both adults and children. Symptoms can first appear at any age, even if an allergic reaction has not previously been identified.

Allergic rhinitis is mainly divided into three types: occupational (associated with regular exposure to a certain substance at work), seasonal (mainly during the flowering period of various plants in spring and summer) and year-round (constant rhinitis that torments its owner regardless of the season).

Today we will look in detail at the causes, diagnosis and treatment of year-round rhinitis, but let’s not forget about other types of rhinitis.

Types of allergic rhinitis

As mentioned above, the standard classification of allergic rhinitis divides it into three types: occupational, seasonal and year-round.

Most patients suffer from seasonal variation. Therefore, spring is considered the most difficult time of the year for allergy sufferers - while everyone is enjoying warm days, lots of fresh greenery and the beauty of flowering shrubs, they suffer as their illness takes a severe form.

This means that every time you go outside, it can be dangerous not only for your health, but also for your life: High concentrations of pollen in the air can even cause anaphylactic shock, leading to swelling and suffocation.

If you have a history of seasonal allergies, then at the first symptoms of a runny nose you should contact an ear, nose and throat specialist - most likely, the rest is not a common cold, but a form of allergic rhinitis that requires special treatment.

Professional. This is the most 'sick' form of cold. In this case, symptoms of allergic rhinitis occur for any reason directly related to the performance of professional duties and/or working conditions.

For example, doctors often react to latex allergies (they wear latex gloves at all times). Farmers often develop allergy symptoms to fertilizers (basically chemicals used in plant nutrition).

In zoos, the disease is caused by the hair and excrement of animals with which they are in constant contact. It is very difficult to fight this kind of allergic rhinitis if you maintain the volume of your work.

Diagnostics

When diagnosing year-round allergic rhinitis, joint actions of an allergist and an ENT doctor are needed. This is especially important when treating children.

Heredity is taken into account in diagnosis. External signs of the patient - “allergic face” - will indicate the nature of the disease.

Examination of the nasal mucosa - rhinoscopy - using special instruments allows you to determine the condition of the nasal passages.

Tests are needed to determine the allergens responsible for the occurrence of rhinitis.

In special cases, a computed tomography (CT) scan is ordered to check for polyps or sinusitis.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of year-round allergic rhinitis manifest themselves in the form of nasal congestion and swelling of the mucous membrane in the nasal sinuses. Congestion and swelling of the nasal mucosa is accompanied by copious secretion of watery mucus. Attacks of sneezing are observed, patients complain that sneezing has a prolonged effect, namely up to 20 times in one attack.

Against the background of chronic edema, constant breathing through the mouth is observed. Snoring and snoring occur during sleep. With swelling of the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses, pain in the forehead is observed.

Lack of timely elimination of swelling in the nasopharynx and inflammation of the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses leads to the development of otitis media and hearing loss. A patient suffering from allergic rhinitis since early childhood has a gothic palate and malocclusion.

Treatment methods

At the beginning of treatment, it is necessary to ensure that there is no contact with the allergen. If these are pets, it is necessary to exclude communication with them. If you are allergic to house dust, then you should stop using carpets and make regular daily wet cleaning.

If a food allergen is identified, it is important to follow a special diet. In combination with seasonal allergies, try to spend less time in places where plants bloom, keep windows closed, and take advantage of trips to another region.

During treatment, nasal lavages (saline solution, sea water Sialor Aqua
) help well.

Antihistamines are prescribed only by the attending physician.

He also determines how to administer the drugs: orally or irrigate the mucous membrane.

When prescribing hormones, it is more convenient to use the medications topically: in the form of a spray or drops.

With the development of allergic rhinitis, a lot of mucus is released, which flows down the back wall of the larynx. This can lead to spasms and make it difficult for the body to clear mucus. Expectorants are prescribed for treatment.

Physiotherapeutic procedures are mandatory. Selected individually, they will help quickly restore the nasal mucosa and remove the negative effects of allergens.

Reasons for the development of allergic pathology

Allergic rhinitis usually results from a hereditary predisposition. The family histories of patients usually include bronchial obstruction, diffuse neurodermatitis, urticaria, and atropic pathologies that have affected a couple of generations of the family. Most often, manifestations of the disease are caused by pollen from trees and grasses - cereals or asteraceae. Sometimes fungal spores and poplar fluff also have an effect on the mucous membranes.

Common allergens can cause rhinitis

Year-round allergic rhinitis appears when the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx come into contact with chemical compounds, particles of animal skin, their hair, and household dust, which includes tiny mites.

Diagnosis of year-round runny nose

To determine the disease, you need to contact an otolaryngologist or allergist, who will prescribe:

• skin allergy tests;
• blood analysis;
• mucosal smear for allergens;
• blood test for E-immunoglobulins;
• mucosal smear for fungal infection and microflora;
• rhinomanometry (control of airway patency in the nasopharynx).

Thanks to such tests and examinations, a complete history of the disease is collected. Diagnosis, if year-round allergic rhinitis appears, is a little blurry, since it is quite difficult to determine the exact allergen. It affects the body for a long time, and a false positive result is possible with skin tests. Intradermal tests are prescribed if the skin test gives a negative value.

The allergic nature of a persistent runny nose is determined by detecting eosinophils in the blood, as well as in a nasal smear. A secondary infection is indicated by an increase in the concentration of neutrophils in the blood and mucus. Year-round rhinitis must be differentiated separately from drug-induced runny nose caused by excessive intake of vasoconstrictor drugs. Sometimes the symptoms of such ENT pathologies are the same, but the treatment is different.

A blood test is performed to diagnose allergic rhinitis.

Symptoms of allergic rhinitis

The doctor diagnoses allergic rhinitis during an examination of the patient based on his complaints.

The aggravated stage will manifest itself immediately after interaction with the allergen. There will be sneezing, nasal discharge, itching and burning in the nose. Swelling is also possible, accompanied by severe nasal congestion. If the allergen affects the body strongly and for a long time, then headaches, soreness, and poor health may begin to bother you.

Allergic rhinitis is divided into two types, differing in symptoms and severity of the disease:

• Intermittent rhinitis is accompanied by mild symptoms. A person leads a normal active lifestyle, his performance does not decrease.
• Moderate to severe persistent rhinitis is accompanied by restless sleep, soreness, fatigue, and lack of energy. The patient cannot continue studying and working at full capacity.

Since the first signs of an allergic rhinitis appear in a child at a young age, and it is quite difficult to distinguish them from a cold, parents need to be extremely attentive to the health of their child. This will help avoid unpleasant complications in the future.