Allergies can manifest themselves in different ways for each person, but most often it is expressed in the appearance of a runny nose. The cause can be various irritants, in any case, this phenomenon causes a lot of inconvenience. But questions arise: if you have been diagnosed with an allergic rhinitis, how to treat this disease, what remedies will be effective and what can be done to minimize the likelihood of a relapse?
What is allergic rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis (rhinitis) may be accompanied by rhinorrhea (nasal discharge). Its occurrence is characterized by difficulty in breathing, nasal passages swell, itching or burning, stuffy nose, sneezing begins. It is possible that these symptoms may be accompanied by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes (conjunctivitis). But in each case, a person may notice additional individual manifestations. Also in a certain month of the year there may be a constant runny nose. The reasons for such manifestations are different.
Why allergic rhinitis occurs
Allergicrunny nose develops against the background of hypersensitivity to a particular allergen. It manifests itself immediately or 20 minutes after contact with the irritant. For a person, such an allergen can be plant pollen, dust accumulated on the shelves of libraries or at home, some medicines, certain foods. In addition, allergies to cats, insects, fungi (mold or yeast) may develop. But some people experience this problem due to a genetic predisposition.
Symptoms
But how to distinguish an allergic rhinitis from a common cold? Below are some signs:
- Itchy nose.
- Colorless watery discharge. If an irritant enters, attacks of prolonged sneezing may begin.
- Feeling of nasal congestion, which becomes more noticeable at night.
- Often such rhinitis is accompanied by conjunctivitis, itching in the eye area and even swelling of the face. Also, the appearance of a cough is not excluded, and this, in turn, can lead to bronchial asthma.
- Examination by an otolaryngologist shows a pale and loose nasal membrane with watery discharge. Pharyngitis may develop.
- Being indoors, a person feels a constant runny nose. The reasons for this vary, but the most common causes of allergies are chemical odors, tobacco smoke, perfumes, powders and other household chemicals, industrial fragrances, or new furniture.
Consequences of allergic rhinitis
If a person has an allergy, its symptomswill constantly occur after a short time after contact with the stimulus (for each it is individual). If it is pollinosis, then the symptoms will be present for a long time while trees, shrubs or weeds are flowering. From frequent scratching, such people even develop a transverse crease on the nose. In addition, the constant congestion of the nasal passages leads to the fact that a person begins to breathe only through the mouth. This circumstance usually leads to stagnant processes and the formation of polyps, the development of sinusitis or otitis media. Swelling of the mucosa can lead to blockage of the paranasal sinuses. In addition, the sense of smell often disappears and, as a result, the sense of taste. If rhinitis is seasonal, there are usually no complications.
Food
In some cases, improper nutrition can aggravate the patient's condition. Sometimes the most effective remedy for allergies is to remove certain foods from the diet. For example, if a person has a reaction to pollen, it is important to determine in which period it manifests itself. Poplar, hazel, birch and other trees usually bloom in the spring months. If it is during this period that an allergy appears, it is better to exclude potatoes, parsley, honey, pears and apples from the diet. This is necessary to avoid cross-reaction. If irritation begins in August and September, when ambrosia and quinoa bloom, it is advisable to give up mayonnaise, cabbage, watermelons and honey. But this is not the whole list of products, because there are many things that can cause cross-allergies. Be sure to consult withallergist.
Determining the nature of the disease
Before deciding how to treat allergic rhinitis, it is important to determine the source of the problem. Finding out the cause, you can cope with the disease. But to determine the source of the allergy, it is important to see an allergist who will prescribe tests. This could be a blood test or a skin test. Having learned the source of irritation, you need to minimize your contact with him. If it turned out that this is a reaction to flowering, then during this period it is better to go on vacation, if it is food, then they must be excluded, and so on.
Allergic rhinitis: how to treat this disease
With seasonal rhinitis, it is imperative to do nasal lavage. Pharmacies sell an inexpensive device called "Dolphin", which is convenient to carry out this procedure. It consists of a vial, a tube and a cap. With it, you can regulate the flow of fluid and minimize discomfort. The medicine for allergic rhinitis, which will be washed, can be done independently. To do this, 1/4 teaspoon of soda and s alt is lowered into a glass of water, a few drops of iodine are added. The tool is placed in the device. If desired, you can buy a solution in sachets at the pharmacy. In addition, an allergic rhinitis spray based on sea water works great. It could be Aqua Maris, Aqualor, Marimer, Allergol.
Treatment Program
As already mentioned, before treating allergic rhinitis, it is important to find out its nature. If you don't know what causesirritation, treatment becomes useless, and sometimes can be detrimental to he alth.
Having identified the nature of the disease, you can proceed to the following steps:
- Getting rid of inflammation that appeared on the nasal mucosa.
- Allergy-Specific Therapy.
Anti-inflammatory treatment
Most often, in order to get rid of inflammation, an integrated approach is used, which involves several drugs. So, how to treat an allergic rhinitis, what drugs are prescribed by doctors?
Usually these are antihistamines, available in the form of tablets or drops. Today, doctors advise using second-generation drugs, such as Cetrin, Zodak, Kestin, Claritin, and the third generation, Erius, Zirtek, Telfast. The dosage is adjusted according to the age of the patient. Usually the course of treatment should last two to three weeks. But if you turn to the doctor, he appoints the number of days at his own discretion (taking into account the patient's condition). It is worth noting that it is forbidden to prescribe such medicines on your own. Before treating allergic rhinitis without consulting a doctor, it is worth considering that these drugs always have side effects and very often they have a cardiotoxic effect, having a negative effect on the heart. The latest generation of drugs are considered less hazardous to he alth, but their cost remains high.
Rhinitis sprays and drops
If these drugs are notcould bring relief, the next step will be nasal drops from allergic rhinitis and sprays that act directly on the nasal mucosa. With a mild form of symptoms, Kromoglin, Kromosol, Kromoheksal, that is, derivatives of sodium cromoglycate, are usually prescribed. These funds are found in the form of sprays. They must be used all the time while the exacerbation lasts, three times a day, making one or two injections. The result can be seen only after the fifth day, and sometimes even later. Usually, the treatment of allergic rhinitis in children is not complete without these drugs. Since these funds are more prophylactic, the course can last up to four months. But doctors do not prohibit the use of such sprays all year.
Nazaval has also gained popularity. It is based on vegetable cellulose. This allergic rhinitis spray is applied up to six times a day. After injecting its contents into the nose, a membrane is formed on the mucous membrane, which serves as a barrier, preventing the irritant from affecting sensitive areas. If the disease is acute, this remedy will be ineffective.
In severe allergic rhinitis, you can use sprays such as Nasonex, Aldecin, Nazarel, Benarin, Nasobek, Flixonase. The doctor will help determine the duration of the course of such treatment.
Mistake in treatmentdrops
Often, using nasal drops from an allergic rhinitis, a person makes a mistake - he uses vasoconstrictor drugs for a long time. Usually these drugs ("Naphthyzinum", "Vibrocil", etc.) help to make breathing through the nose easier. But, using them for a long time, the patient increases the likelihood of developing medical rhinitis. Sometimes, depending on the severity, surgery may be needed to get rid of the acquired disease. With allergic rhinitis, it is advisable not to use these drops. You can make an exception only with severe nasal congestion, but then you need to switch to intranasal glucocorticoids.
Allergen Specific Therapy
Some people may not be helped by any drug for allergic rhinitis, while others may have contraindications to such drugs. In these cases, you can resort to a completely radical method of struggle - allergen-specific therapy. But only an experienced doctor should deal with such treatment and only in a hospital setting. The principle is to administer a certain dose of the allergen to the patient. Gradually the dose should be increased. All this is necessary so that the body can develop resistance to the stimulus. If the treatment is successful, the symptoms of allergic rhinitis completely recede. Thousands of people have already tried this method and were satisfied with the result, as they were able to get rid of the symptoms that tormented them.
You can also use a homeopathic remedy for allergica runny nose called "Rinosennai".
Folk methods
As you know, traditional medicine helps in the fight against many diseases, but, unfortunately, it cannot cure allergic rhinitis. Often, treatment with fees, infusions and decoctions can worsen a person’s condition, since allergies can be exacerbated by such exposure. You should not listen to the advice of neighbors and friends who allegedly recovered from allergic rhinitis with folk methods. There is only one safe "home" method of relieving the condition - this is rinsing the nasal passages with saline. But it is worth considering that this measure is not a treatment, so it is better not to delay, but rather to purchase drops from an allergic rhinitis in a pharmacy on the recommendation of a doctor. This is necessary because the mere use of a saline solution is not able to bring a tangible, lasting healing effect.
Allergic rhinitis during childbearing
When allergic rhinitis begins to develop during pregnancy, women and doctors sound the alarm, since many methods of treatment, including folk ones, cannot be used. The disease itself has almost no effect on the fetus. But with improperly selected methods of treatment, as well as if the condition has developed into a more severe form, the threat to the baby increases. To identify the cause of the allergy, a woman needs to take a blood test. Skin sampling is not permitted at this time.
Methods of treatment during childbearing
First, it's worth rememberingthat it is forbidden to treat allergic rhinitis during pregnancy with antihistamines, since they can harm the fetus. If there is an urgent need for them, it is better to give preference to the means of the third generation. But the doctor strictly prescribes and regulates the dosage.
Treatment should be local and affect only the nasal passages. Therefore, the doctor may prescribe a spray or drops for allergic rhinitis containing sodium cromoglycate. In any case, the basis of such preparations should be vegetable cellulose. But it is important to note that nasal corticosteroids should not be used in the first three months of gestation either.
Allergic Rhinitis Lifestyle
The main task in the event of allergic symptoms is to reduce contact with the irritant to the minimum possible. But it can be detected only after the diagnosis. Next, the doctor should give his recommendations.
All allergens are divided into:
- household (house dust, pillow feathers);
- food (various products);
- industrial (powders, detergents);
- pollen;
- epidermal (animal hair, bird feathers);
- fungal.
Once the allergen has been identified, it is easier to think about further actions. For example, with a food allergy, a person takes tests that will show which foods are incompatible with the body. They will have to be removed from the diet.
If a household allergy is detected, it is recommendeddaily wet cleaning. During the cleaning itself, it is necessary to be in a bandage or mask, which will prevent dust from entering the mucous membrane. In addition, all bedding should be made only from hypoallergenic materials. It is also advisable not to keep “dust collectors” in your apartment. These include mattresses, rugs, fabric and soft toys, and more. Also, don't forget that blinds are much easier to clean than heavy curtains to wash all the time. Furniture should be made of material that can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. During cleaning, you need to use acaricidal preparations, as they are able to exterminate the mites that live in house dust. It is no longer a secret that these parasites are responsible for 50% of household allergies.
If the pollen of trees and flowers is the cause of irritation of the mucous membrane, then you will have to refuse to travel out of town. You can arrange evening walks around the city (from 22 hours). It is at this time that the concentration of pollen in the air decreases. Also, do not open your windows in the first half of the day. An air purifier can be installed in the apartment. Many companies tend to make their cosmetics on herbs. People with pollen allergies should refrain from using such substances. Also, during the period when flowering begins, you can take a vacation and try to leave your region. The destination is better to choose the sea or mountainous terrain. In these areas, the concentration of pollen is always minimal.
Prevention
Unfortunately, modern medicine is not yethas developed measures that allow for the prevention and reduction of the likelihood of developing allergic rhinitis. If the disease has already overcome a person, all prevention comes down to reducing contact with the irritant, and a suitable remedy for allergic rhinitis is also selected. This is necessary, because in the absence of proper treatment, the disease will begin to progress. In this case, all existing symptoms will increase.
Allergies and pets
Approximately 15% of the population has difficulty developing an allergy to pet dander. But the reaction in a person does not arise on the wool itself, but on what is on it. Animals can lick and leave their saliva and skin particles on the fibers. They are the ones that irritate the mucous membranes. But how? Animal cells are rather strong proteins, when they enter the human body with a weakened immune system, they begin to be perceived as a threat, and a protective reaction is triggered. Side effects of these "contacts" are manifested in allergies. These can include watery eyes, skin rashes, rhinitis, and asthma attacks. Most often, people are allergic to cats, but other animals can also be sources of such painful symptoms.
How to deal with pet allergies
There is often no way to prevent this reaction to wool. But it is possible to minimize the risk of developing this type of allergy. For this, preparation begins from childhood. If a child has a tendency toallergies, do not immediately give a cat or other animal. If the baby continues to be in contact with the pet, his body will be able to develop a protective function, as a result, allergies can be avoided already in adulthood.
Treatments
If a reaction to wool has already developed, modern methods can be used, which are usually used to treat other types of allergies.
- As in other cases, it is important to use antihistamines. They are necessary in order to neutralize the effects of substances that cause symptoms. For example, it can be "Claritin", "Benadryl" - they are sold in pharmacies without a prescription. Also, the doctor may prescribe medicines that are available only by prescription (for example, "Allegra").
- Decongestants can also help here, since wool allergy can cause swelling of the mucous membrane. Such drugs do not allow mucus to stagnate. These funds include Sudafed.
- Also, the doctor may prescribe other drugs that successfully cope with asthma and allergic symptoms. For example, prescription steroids such as Flonase or Nasonex are commonly prescribed for treatment.
Other events
In addition to treatment, it is worth following simple rules that help reduce the chances of an exacerbation or the appearance of symptoms. Recommendations are for pet owners.
- Bathing and brushing your pet.
- Regularly organize wet cleaning in the rooms.
- Animalshould lie and sleep on their own bedding, and not on the owner's bed or chair.
- After contact with a pet, always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
- To reduce hair loss, try to make sure your pet has a balanced diet.
By choosing the right treatment and taking all preventive measures, you may be able to get along with your beloved pet in the same area.
