What Are the Causes of Allergic Rhinitis

Aallergic Rhinitis

Caused by the patient's sensitivity to environmental things (such as dust mites, pollen, mold). When patients with nasal allergies inhale the following allergens, they may experience allergic rhinitis reactions such as swelling of the nasal membranes, itching, sneezing, and runny nose. Patients may also experience problems such as throat discomfort, coughing and phlegm due to reflux of nasal discharge.

Hong Kong is an area where dust mite allergies are common. Dust mites generally accumulate in furniture, sofas, pillows, cushions, carpets and curtains. If you are a patient with allergic rhinitis, you will have an allergic reaction within 20 minutes after being exposed to dust mites.

Vasomotor Rhinitis

About half of people with Allergic Rhinitis are caused by vasomotor rhinitis. This may be caused by a severe cold infection or a complication of allergic rhinitis for a long time. Vasomotor rhinitis causes occlusion due to dilation of blood vessels. Patients sometimes have symptoms of runny nose and sneezing, but compared to allergic rhinitis, sneezing is less common.

There are two main methods for diagnosing nasal allergy:

• Eosinophils:

  A small amount of cells are removed from the patient's nasal membrane and observed under a microscope. If sensitive inflammatory cells "eosinophils" are found, it means allergic rhinitis.

• Allergic Rhinitis test:

  Skin testing is a method of checking a patient's allergic reaction to certain allergens to avoid and reduce the risk of exposure to allergens.

Allergic Rhinitis Treatment

The first priority is to avoid exposure to allergens. However, some allergens can be avoided, such as animal dander from raising animals and dust mites in the bedroom. However, in the real environment, many patients would rather their nasal allergies continue than give up their pets at home. This is understandable.

Nasal allergy medicine (nasal allergy spray / antihistamine)

Currently, effective drugs for treating allergic rhinitis include nasal allergy sprays, which are steroid drugs with strong anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. However, the steroid spray's treatment area is concentrated in the nasal cavity and can be used by patients when needed. Side effects include being more likely to have nosebleeds.

The second category of nasal allergy medications are antihistamines. Because immune cells in the human body release histamine immune factors, which cause patients to feel itching, blood vessel swelling, and blood vessel leakage, antihistamine drugs can reduce the symptoms of itching, sneezing, and runny nose.