Get Rid of Allergic Rhinitis for Good
3/8/2021
What is allergic rhinitis?
Allergic rhinitis is a common respiratory illness that affects 400 million people worldwide. It is often referred to as allergies or hay fever. It is characterized by inflammation that occurs after exposure to an environmental allergen, such as dust mites, animal dander, or pollen.
Signs that you’re suffering from the disease include a runny or itchy nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and congestion after having been exposed to an allergen.
With several treatment options available, ranging from over-the-counter medication to allergy immunotherapy, allergic rhinitis is relatively easy to control.
What is the difference between allergic rhinitis and asthma?
Allergic rhinitis and asthma are linked in that those suffering from allergic rhinitis are at increased risk for developing asthma, but they are two individual disorders.
While allergic rhinitis is an immune response to an environmental trigger with nasal inflammation symptoms, asthma is an inflammation of the lungs that can exist with or without allergies.
The presence of allergic rhinitis is believed to make the patient three times more likely to develop asthma.
Both ailments are treatable and diagnosed using allergy testing.
Benefits of Allergy Testing
By testing for allergies, we can narrow down which allergens your body reacts to and create a personalized regimen to help you find relief. Skin testing is the gold standard to determine what treatment plan will work best for you.
Schedule an appointment for testing at Carolina Pines ENT and Allergy today to get started on your treatment.
What is the best treatment for allergic rhinitis?
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, allergic rhinitis can be treated using over-the-counter antihistamines (Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec), steroid nasal sprays (Flonase, Nasacort, Rhinocort), or allergy immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots.
How do allergy shots work?
Allergy immunotherapy is the only treatment that can cure allergies. Most patients who receive allergy shots are able to come off of all medications, with others only needing to supplement during peak allergy season.
Allergy shots are a cost-effective treatment that often leads to long-term success in decreasing sensitivity to allergens.
Shots are administered at a physician’s office weekly over the course of about a year to build up your immunity against the culprit. After that period, you will transfer to the maintenance phase, and eventually the taper phase, returning for shots every few weeks for the next several years.
While you may not notice an immediate change in your symptoms, your allergies will dramatically fade or completely disappear once you reach your immunity.
Who should get allergy shots?
For those with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis, allergy shots can be a huge relief. I highly recommend that any adult or child over the age of five experiencing year-round or severe seasonal allergies get tested.
Book Your Appointment
Allergy season will be here before we know it, but Newberry Hospital and Carolina Pines ENT and Allergy are here to help you breathe easy. Get ahead of your allergies by scheduling an appointment early.
Visit Newberry Hospital at newberryhospital.org or call 803.276.7570 for ENT surgical services.
For more information or to make an appointment at Carolina Pines ENT and Allergy, visit carolinapinesent.com, give us a call at 803.630.5353, or email us at info@carolinapinesent.com.