“Allergic rhinitis” is the medical term for allergy
affecting the mucous membrane of the nose.
Seasonal allergic rhinitis is often called hay fever,
while year-round nasal allergy is called perennial
allergic rhinitis. People with allergic rhinitis often
think they have “sinus trouble.” When no specific
allergy can be found but nose symptoms are present,
the condition is called vasomotor rhinitis. Most
people develop allergic rhinitis before age 30. An
estimated 13 million Americans suffer from hay
fever—primarily due to ragweed pollen allergy.
SYMPTOMS: Allergic rhinitis can cause many
symptoms, including stuffed up nose, postnasal
drainage, sneezing, red, itchy, and watery eyes,
swollen eyelids, itching of the mouth, throat, ears,
and face, sore throat, cough, feelings of fullness
and buzzing of the ears, partial loss of the senses of
hearing, smell, and taste, and headaches in the front
part of the head. Seasonal allergic rhinitis can also
cause more general symptoms, such as fatigue.
Because of the symptoms, allergic rhinitis is often
thought to be a cold. But whenever the symptoms
occur repeatedly throughout the year, allergy can be
suspected. The discharge from the nose in allergic
rhinitis is usually thin and clear. In the person with
a cold, it is usually thicker and yellowish due to
infection. Unfortunately, when the membrane or
the nose becomes irritated by allergy, it is easier
for germs and viruses to invade and multiply.
Therefore, it is not uncommon for a person to have
both allergic rhinitis and infection.
Persons with allergic rhinitis often have dark circles
under their eyes. To relieve an itching nose, children
especially, may develop the habit of pushing the
nose up with the palm of the hand. After a few
years, this can cause a crease (called an “allergic
crease”) to appear across the nose. Also, the midpart of the nose may broaden from the pressure of swollen tissue underneath. The mouth may be
open continually so the person can breathe better.
Children may develop a variety of other mannerisms
which parents find annoying but which are caused
by the allergy.
Allergic rhinitis usually results from allergy to a
variety of things including pollen, dust, mold, and
food. The nose is especially reactive because it
contains many cells filled with histamine, which
become sensitized and release the histamine upon
contact with an allergen.
The symptoms of allergic rhinitis result from the
action of histamine and other chemicals released
in the allergic reaction. These chemicals cause
swelling and a resulting decrease in the size of the
nose opening, making breathing more difficult. They
also stimulate the inner lining of the nose to secrete
watery mucous, causing a runny nose or post nasal
drainage. These discharges irritate nerve endings,
which cause sneezing and also possibly sore throat.
When the mucous discharge travels from the throat
up the tube going into the ear (eustachian tube), it
causes a feeling of fullness and buzzing. When it
goes up the sinuses, it causes a pressure headache.
COMPLICATIONS: If allergic rhinitis is not
treated, symptoms of both allergy and infection
can develop in the throat, ears, and sinuses
because these areas are lined with the same kind of
membrane as the nose. Tonsils and adenoids may
become enlarged and diseased, and growths called
polyps may develop in the nose. Fluid can also build
up in the ear—a condition called serous otitis media.
This condition is particularly common in babies and
young children. Sinus problems following allergic
rhinitis are more common in older children and
adults.
