Allergic Rhinitis (Hay Fever) -Signs and Symptoms

Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, is an allergic reaction which means that your body reacts negatively to things that don’t cause problems for most other people. These things, like pollen, dust mite, pet hair etc. are called allergens.

Allergic rhinitis lasts as long as the allergen is present in your environment . Unlike a cold or flu, the nasal discharge from hay fever is thin, watery, and clear and there is definitely, itching eyes, nose, mouth, throat, and skin and lots of sneezing.

Signs and Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis

The characteristic symptoms of allergic rhinitis include:

Typical Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis

• rhinorrhea (excess nasal secretion)
• itchy eyes
• sneezing
• a stuffy nose
• coughing
• watery eyes
• hives

There can also be behavioral signs; in order to relieve the irritation or flow of mucus, people may wipe or rub their nose with the palm of their hand in an upward motion: an action known as the “nasal salute” or the “allergic salute”. This may result in a crease running across the nose (or above each nostril if only one side of the nose is wiped at a time), commonly referred to as the “transverse nasal crease”, and can lead to permanent physical deformity if repeated enough.

People might also find that cross-reactivity occurs.[17] For example, people allergic to birch pollen may also find that they have an allergic reaction to the skin of apples or potatoes.[18] A clear sign of this is the occurrence of an itchy throat after eating an apple or sneezing when peeling potatoes or apples. This occurs because of similarities in the proteins of the pollen and the food.[19] There are many cross-reacting substances. Hay fever is not a true fever, meaning it does not cause a core body temperature in the fever over 37.5–38.3 °C

Causes Of Allergic Rhinitis

When you have allergies, your body releases chemicals as you are exposed to an allergen. One type of these chemicals is called histamine which is your body’s defense against the allergen so the release of histamine causes your symptoms.

Seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever) means you are allergic to pollen from flowering trees, grass, and weeds so your experience will worsen on hot, dry days when wind carries the pollen while, on rainy days, pollen is often washed to the ground, and you are less likely to breathe it. So, spring time allergic rhinitis (hay fever) in late April and May is often due to tree pollen; summer (late May to mid-July) grass and weed pollen while in the fall (late August to the first frost) is often due to ragweed.

Year round, perennial allergic rhinitis are caused by:

• Mold lurking in your shower curtains, damp walls, rotting logs, hay, and mulch
• Animal dander in the skin, saliva, and urine of adorable, furry cats and dogs
• Dust mites, those tiny creatures found in bedding, mattresses, carpeting, and upholstered furniture that live on dead skin cells and other things found in house dust.

Diagnosing Allergic Rhinitis

If your life is far too miserable from allergic rhinitis, it’s best to visit your doctor. Help your doctor to help you by keeping a record of your symptoms over a period of time to determine what triggers your allergies.

Your doctor may perform a skin prick test and blood test to determine exactly what you are allergic to. Once the specific allergens are identified, he or she can decide on the best treatment.

Treating Allergic Rhinitis

Medicinal treatments help prevent the symptoms once you use them regularly, before you’re exposed to allergens. There’s a list of them and each serves a different purpose so be prepared to take home more than one.

Antihistamines help reduce the sneezing, runny nose, and itchiness.

Decongestants (pills, nose sprays or nose drops) help temporarily relieve the stuffy nose.

Cromolyn sodium is a nasal spray that helps prevent the body’s reaction to allergens which may take 2 to 4 weeks to start working.

Nasal steroid sprays reduce the reaction of the nasal tissues to allergens you inhale so you feel less stuffy.

Eye drops come to the rescue if your other medicines are not helping enough with your itchy, watery eyes.

Allergy shots or sublingual tablets (also called immunotherapy) are an option when the symptoms are so stubborn that the other treatments can’t overcome them.

Preventing allergic rhinitis?

Allergic rhinitis cannot be prevented.

You can only try to minimise your symptoms by avoiding allergens.

• Keep windows closed and use air conditioner especially during high-pollen seasons.
• Use dust- and mite-proof bedding and mattress covers.
• Shower before bedtime and wash off allergens from hair and skin.
• Avoid things that are sure to worsen your symptoms such as aerosol sprays, perfumes/colognes, air pollution, cold temperatures, humidity, irritating fumes, smoke and wind.

---

Disclaimer: All content, including text, graphics, images and information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Content on or available through this web site is for general information purposes only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information.