Allergic rhinitis, which is commonly referred to as allergic rhinitis, is a non-infectious inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa mediated mainly by IgE after the body has been exposed to allergens. Allergic rhinitis attacks are caused by two key factors, one is the patient and the other is the allergen. As an example, if Zhang (the patient) is allergic to pollen (allergen), then when he is exposed to pollen, it will trigger an episode of allergic rhinitis.
So, how can we tell if we might have allergic rhinitis? One simple way is to look at the symptoms. When we have symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, blocked nose and itchy nose, and the symptoms last for a long time or recur, we should consider whether we have allergic rhinitis. At this time, we should promptly visit the otorhinolaryngology department of a regular hospital and let a professional doctor conduct an examination to determine your condition.
When we are diagnosed with allergic rhinitis, the biggest confusion is how to treat it. Medication for allergic rhinitis requires a long cycle, at least one month of continuous medication, to achieve symptom control and early prevention. Therefore, it is important to cooperate with the doctor’s treatment and insist on continuous medication. In addition, immunotherapy is a good option for specific patients. It is a method to gradually achieve desensitization treatment through small doses of exposure to allergens. However, avoiding exposure to allergens is paramount in both medication and immunotherapy. Allergens can be identified by skin prick tests.
It is important to note that for some patients for whom conservative treatment is ineffective, their possible nasal diseases, such as deviated septum and nasal polyps, act as stumbling blocks on the road to recovery, reducing the effectiveness of treatment. At this point, surgery is a powerful tool to remove these stumbling blocks. Through surgical treatment, the deformed structures in the nasal cavity are corrected, the diseased tissues are removed, and the drugs will reach the lesions better than before, thus achieving the goal of treatment.
Finally, it is important to emphasize that when you are suffering from allergic rhinitis, please make sure to choose the otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery department of a regular hospital for consultation. A professional otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgeon will make an accurate judgment and suitable treatment according to your condition, and escort your health and happiness!