Aaaaa chooo! Argh....I think I've got my allergic rhinitis back...It's been bothering me for many times this week. Around 4-5 a.m in the morning, it'll wakes me up from my deep sleep and I'll be continuously sneezing and have blocked nose...making me awake till I take antihistamine medication.
I was diagnosed with allergic rhinitis by my ENT lecturer when I was a student in HUKM. Since then, I have to take Aerius (Desloratadine) 5 mg with nasal spray every morning so that my symptoms are controlled. After few years on treatment, I am free with the symptoms and I stopped taking them few years back (I thought it's gone already). But now I guess my old disease is back : ( I'll get rhinitis when exposed with dust and cold. So, usually I'll get it every morning and by noon it'll resolved. I also have to wear a face mask to avoid sniffing dust when I clean up the house...quite a burden, huh?
There's always been an allergy trait in my family..my father has this rhinitis also. My younger brother has asthma during his childhood years. Luckily, I don't have asthma YET, but I have allergic rhinitis and eczema...my eczema quite bad...my skin especially the fingers are dry and itchy if I eat too much seafood.
Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation of the nasal airways. It occurs when the immune system overreacts upon exposure to allergens, such as animal dander, dust mites, debris or flower pollen. Allergies are common and it often passed down through families. Other disorders that is associated with allergies include eczema and asthma.
Symptoms that occur include :
- Itchy nose, eyes, throat, skin, mouth or any areas in contact with allergens
- Runny nose
- Sneezing and congestion
- Tearing eyes
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Cough
Treatment
The best treatment is to avoid what causes your allergic symptoms in the first place. It may be impossible to avoid all the triggers, but you can often take steps to reduce the exposure.
There are many different medications to treat allergic rhinitis according to the severity of your symptoms, your age, and whether you ave other medical conditions such as asthma.
For mild allergic rhinitis, a nasal wash is helpful in removing mucus from the nose. You can purchase a saline solution at pharmacy or make one at home using a cup of warm water, half a teaspoon of salt and pinch of baking soda.
Medications available for treating moderate and severe allergic rhinitis are antihistamines, nasal corticosteroids and decongestants. For me, I take antihistamines and nasal corticosteroids :
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