Complications of Allergic Rhinitis

Abstract

With unfortunate high frequency, clinicians consider allergic rhinitis to be more of a nuisance than an illness. When in fact, allergic rhinitis is not only a very common disease process, affecting up to a cumulative frequency of 42% of the U.S. population by age 40, but can lead to significant short-term and long-term medical complications. Poorly controlled symptoms of allergic rhinitis may contribute to sleep loss, secondary daytime fatigue, learning impairment, decreased overall cognitive functioning, decreased long-term productivity and decreased quality of life. Additionally, poorly controlled allergic rhinitis may also contribute to the development of other related disease processes including acute and chronic sinusitis, recurrence of nasal polyps, otitis media/otitis media with effusion, hearing impairment, abnormal craniofacial development, sleep apnea and related complications, aggravation of underlying asthma, and increased propensity to develop asthma. Treatment of allergic rhinitis with sedating antihistamine therapy may result in negative neuropsychiatric effects that contribute to some of these complications. Sedating antihistamines may also be dangerous to use in certain other settings such as driving or operating potentially dangerous machinery. In contrast nonsedating antihistamines have been demonstrated to result in improved performance in allergic rhinitis.

Fexofenadine is efficacious and safe in children (aged 6-11 years) with seasonal allergic rhinitis

“…5 Furthermore, if left untreated, allergic rhinitis can potentially exacerbate and contribute to asthma 6 as well as other comorbidities such as conjunctivitis, otitis, dental malocclusions, sinusitis, respiratory infections, and learning problems. [7][8][9][10][11][12] Antihistamines have been a valuable allergic rhinitis treatment for decades, and data from studies in adult populations have been widely reported. Although some studies have assessed symptom relief of SAR in children using antihistamines, [13][14][15][16][17][18] including a postmarketing surveillance program, 19 only one study 13 has used the same end points as assessed in adult clinical studies.…”

Evaluation of Therapeutic Efficacy of Nigella sativa (Black Seed) for Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis"

“…(33) Sinusitis is also one of the associated diseases and contributors to allergic rhinitis. (8,34) The commonest allergen implicated is house dust mite (HDM) which may be the worldwide commonest cause of allergic rhinitis. (35) One example to the importance of (HDM) in respiratory allergens is that the incidence of the atopy in southern France is 30% but the prevalence of allergic asthma and rhinitis is greater in the low land compared to the ALPS.…”

Management of Allergic Rhinitis

“…4,5 Allergic rhinitis also leads to school absenteeism and may be associated with depression, anxiety, and family dysfunction. 7,14 QOL is further reduced by headaches, altered or decreased sense of taste and smell, and embarrassing sneezing episodes at school or social functions.…”