What is it about ?
Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation of the nasal lining caused by hypersensitivity to certain substances. This hypersensitivity or allergy is an abnormal reaction of the body to generally harmless substances or stimuli. The immune system then produces a certain type of antibody, triggering a chain reaction that causes allergic symptoms.
What is its frequency?
Allergic rhinitis affects approximately 25–30% of the adult population in Western Europe. In about 10% of cases, allergic rhinitis is caused by an allergy to pollen (from grasses, trees and mugwort). This common form is called “pollen allergy” or “hay fever”. Animals, grains and other organic substances, often during occupational exposure, can also give rise to allergic rhinitis.
How to recognize it?
If you often have a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, red and watery eyes, you may be suffering from allergic rhinitis. Depending on the substance you are allergic to, symptoms may occur in certain seasons or all year round. Symptoms usually start in childhood. About 20% of people with allergic rhinitis also haveasthma and 70% have eye symptoms.
How is the diagnosis made?
Consult your general practitioner if you are inconvenienced. He will ask you questions about the nature and frequency of your complaints, about frequent exposure to certain products and about symptoms evoking other diseases (asthma, sinusitis, etc.).
The possible technical examinations are as follows:
- rhinoscopy (the doctor looks inside the nose with a small device to assess the lining);
- x-ray of the sinuses (especially if the symptoms persist for several months / years);
- nasal smear (to distinguish between infection and allergy);
- skin allergy tests (prick-tests).
You will be referred to a specialist in the following cases:
- suspicion of occupational allergic rhinitis;
- symptoms of very severe intensity;
- lack of reaction to common medications;
- desensitization treatment considered.
What can you do ?
Eliminate as much as possible the allergens that cause complaints (house dust, pets, etc.).
What can your doctor do?
Allergic rhinitis is harmless. The treatment is purely symptomatic. It consists of general measures and drugs. Medicines relieve symptoms, but do not eliminate the cause:
- the most effective are antihistamines, which are therefore the treatment of first choice. The latest generation antihistamines cause fewer side effects. They are available as tablets or as a nasal spray.
- corticosteroids, which are given through the nose.
- cromoglicate, which is administered in tablets or eye drops (treatment is started before the pollen season, and therefore before the onset of symptoms).
- leukotriene receptor antagonists, which have an effect comparable to antihistamines.
Want to know more?
- Allergic rhinitis: get out the handkerchiefs – mongeneraliste.be – SSMG – Société Scientifique de Médecine Générale
- Air pollution and health – mongeneraliste.be – SSMG – Scientific Society of General Medicine
- Allergological assessment (patch tests or prick tests), here, Where to find on this page of Cliniques St Luc UCL
- The radiography, here, Where to find on this page of Cliniques St Luc UCL
- Nasal antihistamine – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information
- Oral antihistamine – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information
- Nasal corticosteroids – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information
- Cromoglycate in eye drops – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information
- Leukotriene receptor antagonist: Montélukast – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information