Home > Our Services > Allergic Rhinitis and Allergic Conjunctivitis

Allergic Rhinitis and Allergic Conjunctivitis

Approximately 25% of Americans suffer from allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis. Allergic conditions such as allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis (also called eczema), and asthma have been increasing steadily in many parts of the world over the last few decades. Allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis cause symptoms of runny nose, sneezing, nasal itching, nasal congestion or stuffiness, and itchy, red eyes. In addition, some patients experience post-nasal drainage, sore throats, cough, and fatigue from allergies. Allergies may worsen many common conditions such as asthma, sinus infections, and sleep apnea.

Some allergens are seasonal (tree, grass, and weed pollens) while others may cause year round symptoms (cat, dog, dust mite, and molds). To properly diagnose if you have allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis, we will take a thorough history, conduct a physical exam, and may perform skin testing to check if you have allergic antibodies against specific allergens. Usually this testing consists of prick skin tests in which a small amount of liquefied allergen protein is introduced by a plastic applicator 1 to 2 millimeters down into your skin. After 15 minutes we will be able to tell you if you are allergic to the items which were tested. Sometimes if prick testing is negative but we still have a high suspicion of allergy, we will perform a second round of testing called intradermal testing which injects the allergen into deeper tissues. This type of testing feels like the small needle associated with TB skin testing. Occasionally instead of the skin tests there may be reasons that we will send blood tests to check for allergic antibodies. These test results usually are available within a few days.

Treatment

If you are diagnosed with allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis, treatment consists of learning how to best avoid the relevant allergens and medications to treat symptoms. We can provide specific recommendations regarding how best to reduce exposure to various allergens such as dust mite, pet dander, molds, or pollens. Some patients may find that these two approaches do not provide sufficient symptom control, and certain patients may benefit from allergen immunotherapy (commonly called “allergy shots”). Allergy shots work by creating immunologic tolerance to allergens by gradually exposing patients to increasing amount of their relevant allergens. They are the only treatment which changes the body’s innate response to allergens and affects symptoms for years to come and are quite effective in approximately 85% of patients with allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis.

Sometimes patients have classic allergy symptoms without any positive allergy tests, and there are other conditions which may cause this situation including vasomotor rhinitis. Vasomotor rhinitis may be caused by an imbalance in the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve supply to nasal tissue. If your allergy tests are negative, then your physician can further discuss whether you have vasomotor rhinitis and if so, how best to treat it.