Spring's coming, meaning that "permanent head cold" feeling to millions of allergy sufferers all over America

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Allergic rhinitis is sometimes referred to as having a "permanent head cold" with a runny

, stuffy, itchy nose, sneezing and sometimes sore, red eyes. It's estimated up to 20% of North Americans suffer rhinitis, so there are tens of millions of people out there just like you!

To understand what can be done, you first need to understand what causes the allergic reaction. More than 50% of allergic rhinitis is caused by airborne allergens which typically come in two forms being perennial' and the other being seasonal allergic rhinitis. Seasonal allergic rhinitis is sometimes referred to as "Hayfever" and normally occurs in spring and summer as a result of pollen from trees, grass, weeds and mould.

Perennial allergic rhinitis occurs, as the name suggests, year round and is typically caused by house dust mites, animals and mould. Irritants like strong perfume and tobacco smoke can make this condition worse.

It was previously thought that food played a strong factor in affecting your allergic rhinitis but this is now generally accepted to not be the case, although it is accepted that whatever influence food does play, tends to diminish as you age.
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At a root cause, an allergic reaction is an inflammatory response by the body's immune system to confront and reject foreign bodies. This can manifest as having a runny, stuffy nose, a reddened pebbly lining in the lower eyelids, frequent throat clearing and having to breath through to mouth as well as sneezing. Other symptoms may include headaches, earaches, nasal voice and increased snoring.

You should visit your doctor to confirm exactly what is causing your allergic rhinitis and once they have taken a full history, completed a physical examination and performed some test they should be able to identify your specific allergens.

Where possible, look to reduce or eliminate your contact with the allergens. In the case of your house, consider using a good quality vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter and you should also consider installing a home ventilation system if possible.

There are a number of drugs available on the market that help address the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Long term use of steroid based preparations like Flonase ("Flixonase") have been shown to be efficacious and tend to work best when used in a preventative manner. Note if you have had an allergic reaction to steroid based products in the past you should avoid using Flonase. Beconase is a nasal hayfever preparation that reduces inflammation and should be used daily during the Hayfever season.

Antihistamines like Allegra (Telfast) and Claratin (Claratyne) and Reactine (Zyrtec) are useful for alleviating some of the symptoms like sneezing, itching, runny noses but do not tend to work on relieving blocked nasal passages. However used in conjunction with a product like Flonase this is both preventative and effective at dealing with hayfever symptoms.

Decongestants like Otrivin Menthol help to shrink inflamed (swollen) membranes making breathing easier. Be aware that decongestants can interact with other medications like those for thyroid disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and heart disease.
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Eye problems frequently occur with allergic rhinitis and sometimes don't respond to nasal sprays, antihistamines and decongestants. In this instance, eyedrops like Livostin eyedrops can be useful.

So, can you cure Allergic rhinitis? Whilst there is no known "cure" per se, desensitization or immunotherapy can be used with some success to turn off the abnormal response of the immune system to an allergen. This process needs to be conducted under the advice of your Physician or a qualified Allergist but in essence involves the gradual exposure of the immune system to the allergen that triggers the immune response. Initially an exceptionally weak dose of the allergen is administered, normally by injection and this then gradually increased over a period of at least three years. Whilst not everyone benefits from this treatment the majority show at least some degree of improvement.

Spring's coming, meaning that "permanent head cold" feeling to millions of allergy sufferers all over America

By: Sean Joan

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