If you are an adult who made it through childhood as well as many of your adult years without suffering from perennial rhinitis (also referred to as chronic or seasonal hay fever), you are one of the lucky ones. However, if you develop allergies and, subsequently, rhinitis in adulthood, you may be unsure of what you can do to help with your symptoms and get to feeling better as soon as possible. There are many different steps you can take to relieve your newfound rhinitis symptoms. Get to know some of those options so that you can begin to better deal with your rhinitis.
Contact an Allergist and Consider Immunotherapy
When you begin to suffer from rhinitis, your symptoms can be quite severe and can cause you a great deal of discomfort and disruption in your life. Because of this, it would be in your best interest to contact an allergist at a clinic like Northwest Asthma & Allergy Center PS and schedule an appointment.
Allergists are specialists who treat issues relating to allergies as well as asthma and can help you to come up with an idea of what you are actually allergic to. There are many different types of pollens and other allergens that can cause seasonal hay fever symptoms. In order to more effectively treat these allergies, you need to know to what you are allergic to. An allergist can perform a test of different allergens on your skin in the office with a small needle to inject the potential allergens just beneath the surface of the skin. The ones that react with redness or a mosquito bite-like swelling are the items you are allergic to.
If you have several allergens or your reaction is severe, immunotherapy may be a good option for treating your rhinitis. Immunotherapy is also referred to as allergy shots and involves injecting small amounts of the allergens into the body on a regular basis to build up immunity. In the process, the rhinitis you experience as well as any other allergy symptoms will reduce significantly.
Invest in a Sinus Rinse System
Your rhinitis is primarily caused by pollens and allergens entering your body through your nasal passages. Some of those substances become trapped in the cilia in your nose and contribute to severe congestion and other rhinitis symptoms.
To help reduce this congestion and discomfort, you will need to rinse out your nasal passages and sinuses on a regular basis. A sinus rinse system, such as a Neti pot, can achieve this goal. These systems are designed to pour a saline (salt water) solution through the nasal passages to remove those allergens from your nasal passages. You tilt your head and pour the solution into one nostril and allow it to drain out of the other and then repeat the process in the opposite direction. Perform this process once a day or several times a day and it will help relieve your rhinitis symptoms.
Now that you know a few of the ways that you can better deal with your rhinitis, you can be sure that you are doing everything that you can to relieve your rhinitis symptoms.
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