Did you know that waking up early in the morning with sneezing fits and a runny nose isn’t normal? If you also find yourself waking up with a dry mouth, it’s a sign that your nasal passages are obstructed, leading to mouth breathing. These are all common symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
Despite its prevalence, allergic rhinitis remains one of the most under-treated conditions among patients. What’s alarming is that untreated allergic rhinitis can significantly impact sleep quality, leading to poor attention and decreased school or work performance.
Allergy Testing and Allergen Avoidance
One crucial aspect of managing allergic rhinitis is identifying specific allergens that trigger your symptoms. Allergy testing, such as skin prick tests or blood tests, can pinpoint allergens like pollen, dust mites, pet dander, or mold that may be contributing to your symptoms. Armed with this information, allergen avoidance strategies can be tailored to minimize exposure to these triggers, thereby reducing symptom severity and frequency.
A common misconception is that allergy tests can only be done after a certain age, I wrote about how that is a myth and that allergy testing can be done at any age! Allergy testing properly done by an Allergist/Immunologist will help identify what are the relevant allergic triggers and how to manage the exposure through control measures. This can help reduce your reliance on medications.
Understanding Allergen Specific Immunotherapy
Allergic Rhinitis can be managed by medications. Use of antihistamines and nasal sprays can be effective in managing the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. However, there are patients that are not responding well to these treatments and perhaps they are looking for a long term solution.
As an Allergist/Immunologist, I often discuss Allergen Specific Immunotherapy (AIT) as an effective treatment option for allergic rhinitis. AIT works similarly to a vaccine, training the immune system to modulate its allergic responses. It stands out as the only disease-modifying treatment available for allergic rhinitis with long term benefits.
In an important study shown in the figure above, patients being put on Allergen Immunotherapy was found to be protected against developing new allergies.
More importantly Allergen Immunotherapy was able to prevent asthma from developing in patients suffering from allergic rhinitis. Those that did not receive immunotherapy, around 44% developed asthma as compared to 24% in those receiving immunotherapy. More importantly is that the protection was long lasting, even up to 7 years after immunotherapy was completed!
Combining AIT and Allergen Avoidance
While AIT is a cornerstone of allergic rhinitis treatment, combining it with allergen avoidance measures can yield optimal results. By creating an allergen-free environment at home, implementing air filtration systems, using allergen-proof bedding covers, and practicing proper pet dander management, individuals with allergic rhinitis can experience significant symptom relief and improve their overall quality of life.
At the Allergy Immunology Clinic, we have the latest protocols and treatments available for allergic rhinitis including state of the art allergen specific immunotherapy program.
