How to properly treat allergic rhinitis in children

  The close association between allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma has been widely accepted, with epidemiological studies showing that 80-95% of asthma is accompanied by allergic rhinitis, while nearly 40% of allergic rhinitis is accompanied by asthma. Satisfactory control of nasal symptoms can also be seen clinically to improve lung function and benefit asthma control.  Allergic rhinitis is often an early manifestation of asthma. Before an asthma attack, the first manifestation is nasal itching, sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, followed by wheezing and coughing, all of which are essentially chronic allergic inflammation of the airways. Symptoms of allergic rhinitis are often inquired about when children with asthma are seen. During an active allergic rhinitis attack, some children exhibit increased airway reactivity, which is closely related to the severity of the asthma attack. Therefore, in the management of asthma, it cannot be limited to asthma itself, but must be accompanied by active measures to treat the concomitant diseases. At present, more and more scholars are inclined to the idea that allergic rhinitis and asthma are concomitant diseases, more or less first appearing as symptoms of allergic rhinitis, then developing into asthma under the further action of environmental factors, and finally leading to pulmonary dysfunction and chronic inflammation of the airways.  The primary factor in the development of allergic rhinitis in children is genetic. The specificity of the genetic gene plays a decisive role in determining the level of IgE in the serum. 60% of children have a family history of allergic diseases in allergic diseases, and when a single parent has a history of allergy, the incidence of the child reaches 50%, and when both parents have a history of allergy, the incidence of the child reaches 75%. Birth and early feeding conditions have an impact on the onset of allergic rhinitis later in life. Studies have shown that if a child is exclusively breastfed for the first three months of life, the occurrence of allergic diseases is less common than in non-breastfed children. The prevalence is higher in premature or low birth weight infants. Atmospheric environmental pollution and indoor environmental pollution are also an important factor. One study found that 45.9% of children with allergic rhinitis had a positive skin prick test for house dust mites and 44.5% had a positive skin prick test for dust mites. Indoor decorative materials, smoking, etc. can cause an increase in the level of indoor allergens, which can trigger or aggravate the occurrence of allergic diseases.  The signs and symptoms of allergic rhinitis in children are sometimes atypical and can be easily confused with viral respiratory infections. The following features should be noted in the diagnosis: ① Nasal itching: most children have it. (ii) Paroxysmal sneezing: there can be several paroxysmal episodes per day, sometimes more severe in the morning and evening especially in the morning. ③ clear watery nasal discharge: it is a manifestation of increased vascular permeability of nasal mucosa and hypersecretion of cupular cell glands. If the acute inflammation is reduced, the nasal discharge will become less or slightly thicker, and it will become pus when secondary infection occurs. ④ Nasal congestion: it varies in severity, can be unilateral or bilateral, can be intermittent or persistent, often on both sides.  Bronchial asthma and sinusitis are common complications of allergic rhinitis. In addition, common complications include secretory otitis media and sleep apnea. Snoring is 50% higher in children with allergic rhinitis than in normal children, and sleep disturbances exist in children with snoring. Allergic rhinitis can also cause slow thinking, fatigue, depression, and memory damage, and children with allergic rhinitis have significantly lower test scores and learning ability.  The treatment of allergic rhinitis in children should take into account the presence of allergic rhinitis when treating asthma in children, and whether to combine treatment to achieve twice the result with half the effort. Treatment of allergic rhinitis in children includes allergen avoidance and medication. Nasal inhalation glucocorticoids are effective for allergic rhinitis above moderate level. Antihistamines are effective for controlling sneezing, runny nose and nasal itching. Nasal decongestants can be used selectively when nasal congestion is evident. Special care should be taken when choosing to perform specific immunotherapy, which is usually considered when adequate medication and avoidance of allergen exposure are ineffective. Nasal rinse therapy is effective in both allergic and infectious rhinitis, cleaning the nasal mucosa, reducing the stimulation of harmful substances, enhancing the resistance of the mucosa, increasing the elasticity of capillaries, relieving the symptoms of nasal congestion, and reducing the impact of postnasal drip on the lower respiratory tract, but its importance should not be overemphasized and should be an adjunctive measure in conjunction with drug therapy. The treatment of asthma combined with allergic rhinitis in children should be standardized under the guidance of an asthma specialist according to the severity of the disease and the age of the child, etc. The role of health education in disease treatment must be emphasized and fully recognized, and disease knowledge education should be carried out continuously.