What is Allergy?
Allergy is a disease caused by the body’s immune system working too quickly or excessively to a substance such as, dust mites, cockroaches, fungi or animal dander, causing various symptoms in the respiratory tract, skin allergy, or digestive system, including allergic rhinitis that will be explained this time.
Risk factors for allergic rhinitis can be separated into 2 main groups:
1. Genetic factors, it is found that parents who have allergic rhinitis will cause their children to have the same disease up to 50%.
2. Environmental factors which are currently growing up into an increasingly urban society, causing most people to be exposed to be more polluted environments, such as factory fumes, vehicle exhaust pipes, or even being near cigarette smoker. It was found that people in urban areas tend to have allergic rhinitis more than people in the countryside.
Initial symptoms of allergic rhinitis
Symptoms which make you suspects allergic rhinitis will be considered from 2 out of 4 symptoms: stuffy nose, itchy nose, sneezing, runny nose. If there are 2 or more of this, it is considered as an allergic disease. The doctor will examine and diagnose the patient together with the history of exposure to allergens that cause these symptoms. The symptoms must be lasted more than 1 hour per day and more than 2 consecutive days.
Diagnosis:
The first step in diagnosing allergic rhinitis is to take a medical history and perform a physical examination. To start by looking at the eyes for sign of allergic inflammation, look at the nose, listen to the lungs and look at the skin of the patient. After that, a detailed blood test must be taken and a skin test must be one by using the skin prick method. To find out what allergens that a patient is allergic to.
Allergic Prick Test
Prick procedure first, the patient must prepare by stopping to take antihistamines for about one week before the day of the prick test. The patient’s skin will be cleaned first. Then, a small amount of allergen will be dropped on the patient’s skin, after that the skin prick will be performed. The doctor will wait to read the results after 15-20 minutes by looking at the red and red skin reaction to interpret the results to determine which allergens the patient is allergic to.
Treatment of allergic rhinitis
Treatment of allergic rhinitis can be divided into 2 methods: 1. not using drugs and 2. using drugs. Without using any drugs, after testing the skin for allergens and finding out what the patient is allergic to, it will allow the patient to avoid that allergen better; including adjusting home environment appropriately. About drug treatment, the most important medicine is steroid nasal spray that must be used regularly. In addition, allergy medicine will be given to take. There is another medicine according to the patient’s symptoms, including treatment of the patient’s co-morbidities such as asthma, dermatitis, allergic eye disease, etc.
Can allergic rhinitis be treated? Will it be completely cured?
This disease cannot be cured, however, nowadays there is a new medicine. It is better way to cause the symptoms of the disease to subside, including the use of allergy vaccines that will help to relieve the patient’s symptoms even further.
What will happen if allergic rhinitis is not treated?
If the symptoms are not treated, they will interfere with the patient’s daily life, for example, patient may be waking up in the middle of the night from a stuffy nose. It will be the runny nose bothering him while working. Moreover, if patient keeps letting it go without treated, complications may arise as a result, such as sinusitis, otitis media or asthma.
Allergic rhinitis is a common disease, especially those who live in big cities. So don’t be complacent, if you have any of these symptoms, such as congestion, itching, sneezing, or a runny nose, it’s best to see a specialist doctor for a clear examination.
Make appointment with doctor:
Dr. Sasipa Saengkanchanawanit, Department of Internal Medicine
