How to Diagnose Allergic Rhinitis

Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
Updated on September 07, 2024
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Allergic rhinitis is a common and frequently occurring disease clinically. The definite diagnosis of allergic rhinitis primarily relies on the following points: First, the medical history, such as a history of living in an allergenic environment or a family history, along with a past history of the condition. Second, the clinical manifestations of allergic rhinitis, such as rhinitis, paroxysmal sneezing, a large amount of clear watery nasal discharge, and upon nasal examination, the nasal mucosa appears pale and swollen with clear watery discharge present in the nasal cavity. Additionally, supportive examinations can reveal an increase in eosinophils or lymphocytes in the complete blood count, or the detection of allergens, and specific IgE tests, etc. With these medical histories, clinical symptom manifestations, and supportive examinations, allergic rhinitis can be definitively diagnosed.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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How to completely cure allergic rhinitis?

For allergic rhinitis, most patients mainly focus on controlling and stabilizing the condition, and only a small portion of them can be completely cured, mainly those who are solely allergic to mites. It is advisable to first undergo allergy testing. If the test results show only a simple mite allergy, and the allergic reaction is severe (exceeding three levels), desensitization treatment could be considered. Currently, this mainly involves sublingual immunotherapy or subcutaneous injections. Most patients can achieve clinical cure with this treatment; however, a minority may only experience relief without achieving complete cure. Overall, for allergic rhinitis, most patients cannot be completely cured. (Use of medication should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Is allergic rhinitis contagious?

Allergic rhinitis is a type of hypersensitivity reaction occurring in our nasal cavity. It is an immunological disease, not caused by bacterial or viral infections, so it is definitely not contagious. However, in real life, it may create an appearance of being contagious. For example, if one family member develops allergic rhinitis, other family members might also start showing symptoms of allergic rhinitis. This is mainly because all family members live in the same environment, which might be the allergen-triggering environment. Essentially, allergic rhinitis is a hypersensitivity disease and is not contagious. It’s just that living in the same environment, everyone may develop this disease, but it is not transmitted from one person to another.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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Is allergic rhinitis easy to treat?

Allergic rhinitis is a relatively common disease in otolaryngology, and overall, its treatment is quite simple. Most patients consider pharmacotherapy, primarily consisting of oral medications and nasal sprays, which are targeted anti-allergy treatments. After pharmacological treatment, most patients can effectively control their condition and alleviate symptoms. However, in general, allergic rhinitis is mainly managed rather than cured, as curing it is quite difficult. It is advisable to undergo allergen testing and avoid contact with allergens in daily life as much as possible. For patients who are solely allergic to mites, there is an opportunity for desensitization therapy, which can potentially cure a portion of patients. Nevertheless, whether through pharmacotherapy or desensitization therapy, a large number of patients cannot be completely cured. Therefore, the focus is mainly on controlling and stabilizing the condition. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
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Differences between Allergic Rhinitis and the Common Cold

The differences between allergic rhinitis and the common cold are very clear. Allergic rhinitis lasts longer and causes patients to experience sudden bouts of sneezing in the morning, continuous clear nasal discharge, bilateral nasal congestion, and also includes symptoms such as itchy eyes and nasal issues. On the other hand, the common cold generally lasts for a shorter period and is usually caused by a virus or bacteria due to lowered immunity, leading to both systemic and local symptoms. Patients with a cold may experience fever, dizziness, headache, muscle weakness, muscle soreness, nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, and coughing. In terms of treatment, allergic rhinitis requires symptomatic anti-allergy treatment, while the common cold needs symptomatic anti-inflammatory treatment and generally improves gradually over about a week, whereas allergic rhinitis requires a longer process.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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Does allergic rhinitis cause a fever?

Allergic rhinitis generally rarely involves a fever. This is because the main pathogenic mechanism of allergic rhinitis is exposure to allergens, which triggers the body's autoimmune response, leading to common clinical symptoms such as itchy nose, clear nasal discharge, and sneezing, and it may persistently recur. However, overall, it is caused by the body's immune allergic response, without obvious acute bacterial or viral infection, so the likelihood of causing a fever is small. Therefore, in terms of treatment, if there is a fever, it is necessary to investigate whether there is an acute viral or bacterial infection. This can be done by observing clinical symptoms, examining the conditions inside the nasal cavity, and combining this with routine blood tests, which essentially can confirm and determine the diagnosis.