asthma Archives - Lifelab Testing

Allergic rhinitis is believed to be the most common allergic disease in the world, affecting approximately 10-30% of the adult population {1}.

What is Allergic Rhinitis?

The condition is categorised by inflammation of the upper airways, including nasal obstruction and itching, sneezing and rhinorrhea. These symptoms are caused by inhaling allergens such as pollen, dust mites, mould, animal dander or wood dust. Considering allergic rhinitis already affects so many of us, and prevalence rates are increasing, we’ve put together a guide to learn more about the disorder. Firstly, we’ll talk about how there are different types of allergic rhinitis.

Perennial Allergic Rhinitis

Perennial allergic rhinitis is experienced across the year, not pertaining to a certain month or season. This perennial version of the disorder is often caused by house dust mites or pets who are a constant in the house.

Another Name for Allergic Rhinitis

Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis is often called hay fever.

Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

Seasonal allergies occur when pollen counts are high, depending on the type of pollen that causes your rhinitis. Tree pollen is common in early spring, grass pollen is more typical of late spring and summer, whereas ragweed pollen is common in autumn. There are myths about hayfever, including that hay and flowers are the causes but this is not the case.

Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis

A woman with a headache — A woman having a headache

The main symptoms of allergic rhinitis include:

Sneezing.
Itchy or blocked nose.
A cough.
An itchy mouth.
Streaming or itchy eyes.
Headaches and sinus pain.

Allergic rhinitis has been described as a world health problem since these symptoms can impact absenteeism from work or school, decreased productivity, less sleep, and more doctors appointments. It has even been suggested that the condition causes low job productivity globally even more than high blood pressure and diabetes {2}.

Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma

Allergic rhinitis and asthma frequently co-exist and have a close relationship, wherein at least three out of four people with asthma also have allergic rhinitis. The two conditions share a similar pathology, but influence the upper and lower airways differently.

Health professionals use the ‘Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma’ (ARIA) guidelines to determine the influence of allergic rhinitis on your life in order to tailor treatment plans. They will look at the duration of symptoms (intermittent or persistent) as well as their severity (mild, moderate or severe).

Allergic Rhinitis vs Covid

Although the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and covid-19 can overlap, you should still be able to determine whether you are experiencing allergies or covid. Coronavirus symptoms are more likely to include a dry cough and fever, as well as shortness of breath. If you are unsure, we recommend you take a covid test.

Allergic Rhinitis Treatments

There are different ways to manage your allergic rhinitis to calm symptoms from impacting your day-to-day life.

Nasal Spray for Allergic Rhinitis

Corticosteroid nasal sprays can effectively reduce inflammation in the nose which reduces itching and sneezing. Nasal sprays are available in local pharmacies, or you may be able to have stronger versions prescribed for you based on your doctor’s recommendation.

Antihistamine for Allergic Rhinitis

Antihistamines can effectively control itching and sneezing in those who have mild allergic rhinitis. However, this treatment does not seem as useful in tackling a blocked nose. For individuals with seasonal or situational allergic rhinitis, antihistamines can be used as a preventative measure prior to coming into contact with the allergen, for example if you are allergic to dogs you may take an antihistamine pill before going to someone’s house where there is a dog.

Immunotherapy for Allergic Rhinitis

Immunotherapy is possible for individuals who have moderately severe allergic rhinitis which is impacting their quality of life. Specific immunotherapy involves administering increasing doses of an allergen in order to induce tolerance to it over time. This treatment can prevent you from experiencing allergic symptoms in the future as well as reduce your risk of developing asthma as a result of rhinitis.

Allergic Rhinitis Test

If you take an at home allergy test, you can be notified whether you are allergic to environmental factors such as bahia grass, birch, or cladosporium herbarum, as well as cat and dog dander. It is beneficial to understand your body so that you can be prepared when you come into contact with these allergens again.

References

If you’re not familiar with allergies, or asthma, then you might not be aware that there is a small connection between the two. Depending on your viewpoint, this may be good or bad news. Regardless, allergy testing can help asthma sufferers find relief from their chronic symptoms.

Asthmas link with Allergies

In many cases, an allergy can actually be what causes asthma to develop. For example, if you’re allergic to dust, your body sees the dust particles entering unannounced as an enemy to destroy. This brings about rashes and other kinds of reactions, including lung issues such as coughing and wheezing. All these symptoms are your bodies way of dealing with the perceived threat.

This formation of allergy-related asthmatic symptoms is named “allergic asthma”. This means the allergic reaction triggers the onset of asthma. From there, the allergen can trigger further asthma attacks.

How can allergy testing help my asthma?

Allergy testing can be quite helpful for those living with allergies. Your asthmatic symptoms can improve (or even dissipate) with proper identification and avoidance of the triggers. Once the body is no longer fighting off allergens as if it were a virus, the symptoms are no longer a problem.

Despite allergies and asthma being treated as separate conditions, there is evidence to suggest that treating one can help alleviate symptoms of the other. Allergic asthma occurs because the body is fighting off the allergen. The lungs and airways then suffer to the point of triggering the asthmatic symptoms. When you identify and avoid the allergen, the lungs and related symptoms are no longer triggered the same way.

Treating an allergy isn’t necessarily a cure for asthma though, as it can be triggered by issues other than an allergy (sometimes asthmatics don’t even have allergies). Still, there is research suggesting that treating allergies can help improve to alleviate asthmatic symptoms. Thus, improving the overall quality of life on both fronts.

Allergies and Asthma aren’t always found together

Some Asthmatics experience allergic asthma, but it isn’t always the case. Approximately 40% of asthmatics in the US don’t experience allergic asthma. It’s often symptoms like rashes or runny eyes when it comes to mild and moderate allergies. Anyone with a history of allergic asthma or who experienced hay fever as a child is more likely to deal with asthmatic reactions later in life.

Neither asthma nor allergies are fun to deal with. But understanding the connection between them and understanding how to deal with any symptoms and their causes can help you make the most out of this less-than-ideal situation. This is excellent news for those who regularly deal with asthma attacks.

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Allergic Rhinitis Guide