First Aid
What is allergic rhinitis?
Allergic rhinitis is a common condition that can range from being quite minor to something that can affect your quality of life. The good news is that by having a management plan in place, symptoms and discomfort can be significantly reduced.
Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common allergic conditions, affecting one in five people in Australia. It affects 1 in 5 adults, 1 in 10 teenagers and an estimated 1 in 20 young children.
Despite its common name, it is not caused by hay and does not result in fever.
Allergic rhinitis is caused by allergens in the environment such as pollens (grasses, weeds or trees), dust mites, moulds and animal dander (flakes of skin, animal fur, hair or feathers) coming into contact with the nose and/or eyes.
The body’s immune system reacts to these common allergens which for most people are harmless. The immune system’s response causes symptoms.
Common symptoms include
Runny nose
Itchy nose
Sneezing
Itchy and watery eyes
Blocked nose and snoring
Some people need to clear their throat often because mucus can run from their sinuses to the back of the throat.
Poorly treated or untreated allergic rhinitis can lead to:
Trouble sleeping
Daytime tiredness
Headaches
Poor concentration
Frequent ear or sinus infections
Asthma which can be more difficult to control
Common causes of allergic rhinitis
The causes depend on when you get the symptoms.
Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis: If symptoms occur only in spring and summer, this is called seasonal allergic rhinitis, and the cause is usually pollen. There are many different types of pollen such as grasses, weeds and flowering plants like wattle. Your doctor can often work out which pollen causes your allergic rhinitis.
Perennial Allergic Rhinitis: If symptoms occur all year round, this is called perennial allergic rhinitis, which is caused by allergens that are continually present such as dust mites, mould or animal dander.
Allergy testing and diagnosis of allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis
Your doctor can confirm the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis and/or conjunctivitis based on your symptoms, test results and what they see when they look into your nose and at your eyes. A skin prick test and/or blood test results will help work out specific allergen triggers that affect you. For more information about allergy testing and diagnosis click here.