How to completely cure allergic rhinitis?

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on September 03, 2024
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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 Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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How to check for allergens in allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis can be screened for allergens. Currently, allergy testing is mainly conducted through two methods. The first method is blood testing, and the second method is a skin prick test. Blood testing is more commonly used and typically involves various allergens, such as dust, pollen, pets, hair, and it could also be due to allergies to seafood or mold, plants. Both skin prick tests and blood tests can be used. If one method does not provide sufficiently clear results, both types of allergen tests can be performed simultaneously for a more accurate comparison.

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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 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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Permanent cure for allergic rhinitis

Currently, most cases of allergic rhinitis are difficult to cure completely. According to existing medical methods and research, if it's solely a mite allergy, some patients can consider undergoing desensitization treatment, which involves taking medication subcutaneously or sublingually over a long period, approximately two to three years. Overall, some patients can achieve a cure, but if it's other allergies or if the allergen cannot be clearly identified with current medical methods, the primary approach is control of symptoms using conventional medications. Whether it's medical treatment or surgical intervention, it's still difficult to achieve a complete cure. Thus, generally speaking, the treatment of most cases of allergic rhinitis focuses on control and alleviation.

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Written by Yao Jun
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
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Allergic rhinitis symptoms

Allergic rhinitis is a common disease in otolaryngology, often occurring throughout the year. It can be categorized into perennial allergic rhinitis or seasonal allergic rhinitis. Perennial allergic rhinitis may be related to dust, talcum powder, dust mites, or animal dander, among others. Seasonal rhinitis is often associated with hay fever. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the type of allergic rhinitis based on the patient's season of onset and the allergens involved. Common symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, itching of the nose, and itchy eyes. Perennial allergic rhinitis occurs throughout the year, whereas pollen-induced allergic rhinitis, or seasonal rhinitis, tends to have more severe symptoms during the blooming season of spring.