Allergic Rhinitis

Excerpt

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an atopic disease characterized by symptoms of nasal congestion, clear rhinorrhea, sneezing, postnasal drip, and nasal pruritis. It affects one in six individuals and is associated with significant morbidity, loss of productivity, and healthcare costs. Historically, AR was thought to be a disease process of the nasal airway alone. Still, the development of the unified airway theory has classified AR as a component of systemic allergic response, with other associated conditions, such as asthma and atopic dermatitis, sharing an underlying systemic pathology. AR can be classified as either seasonal (intermittent) or perennial (chronic), with approximately 20% of cases being seasonal, 40% perennial, and 40% with features of both. In addition to nasal symptoms, patients with AR may also present with associated allergic conjunctivitis, non-productive cough, Eustachian tube dysfunction, and chronic sinusitis. Once diagnosed, AR is treatable with a variety of modalities, with intra-nasal glucocorticoids being the first-line therapy.