[Health Tip] Rhinitis Patients Suffering During Seasonal Change... "Lifestyle Improvement Needed"

Hospital Treatment and Lifestyle Improvement Combined
Minimize Exposure to Allergy Factors

As the change of seasons approaches, the number of patients with allergic rhinitis is increasing, and medical experts advise blocking the causes and improving lifestyle habits.

According to Korea University Guro Hospital on the 22nd, allergic rhinitis is a disease characterized by an inflammatory reaction in the nose caused by an immune response mediated by immunoglobulin E after exposure of the nasal mucosa to specific allergens. It mainly presents symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, and nasal itching. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the rate of people diagnosed with allergic rhinitis by a doctor in 2020 was as high as 18.7%, making it a common disease. Additionally, the number of patients is increasing due to environmental pollution, including fine dust and yellow dust.

Allergic rhinitis can occur at any age but is commonly seen in childhood. If one of the parents has a history of allergic diseases, the likelihood of the child developing it is higher due to genetic influences. About 40% of allergic rhinitis patients have a family history of allergic diseases within three degrees of kinship, indicating that nasal symptoms in patients with a family history are likely caused by allergic rhinitis.

Allergic rhinitis is a multifactorial disease caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Seasonal allergic rhinitis refers to symptoms that appear only during specific seasons due to pollen or fine dust, while perennial allergic rhinitis refers to symptoms that persist year-round due to indoor allergens such as house dust mites, pets, and mold.

Typical symptoms of allergic rhinitis include itching around the nose and eyes and the soft palate, sneezing, clear nasal discharge, and nasal congestion. Mild symptoms that persist can easily be confused with a cold, so caution is needed.

Professor Park Il-ho of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Korea University Guro Hospital said, "If the representative symptoms of allergic rhinitis such as sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion persist without accompanying sore throat, fever, or muscle pain, allergic rhinitis should be suspected. If symptoms last for more than a week to ten days, it is advisable to visit a hospital for diagnosis."

Treatment for allergic rhinitis usually involves prescribing antihistamines. Some patients may also use intranasal steroid therapy. Symptoms can be alleviated by improving lifestyle habits or the environment. Professor Park advises that while blocking allergens in advance is the best method, since exposure to antigens occurs during breathing, it is necessary to appropriately control allergic factors through lifestyle improvements.

There is also immunotherapy, which gradually increases the dose of allergens that cause allergies in small amounts to boost immunity, but it requires several years. Surgical treatment may be considered to relieve symptoms when there is severe nasal congestion, anatomical abnormalities worsening rhinitis symptoms, or sinusitis, but this is only for symptom relief and not a fundamental cure.

Professor Park emphasized, "To alleviate allergic rhinitis symptoms, hospital treatment and lifestyle improvements must be combined. At home, symptoms can be alleviated by minimizing exposure to allergens such as house dust and mites, and outdoors by reducing exposure to pollen and other allergens."

Professor Park Il-ho, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Korea University Guro Hospital.
[Photo by Korea University Guro Hospital]

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