Rhinitis

[Amti]

I am 28 years old ,since 10-12 years I am sufferring from Rhinitis accompanied with sneezing,itchy eyes,heaviness of head.Blood report percentage of eosinophils is 12%.I also have a frequent  heart burn & acidity,bad breath.
In the last ten years I feel that I am loosing my learning abilities and concentration and not able to perform up to the mark where I work.

[shivraj16108]

hello, i am shivraj. i am suffering from pollen allergy in the month of february every year. the nature of my allergy is so bad that no allopathy, homeopathy or aryuvedic drugs seem to be working.
the symptomns are : constant running nose, coughing at intervals, vomiting after meals in which firstly water is thrown up, then followed by food, heaviness in breathing for which i need to take forocourt 400 twice in 24 hrs, one nostril remains continuesly blocked so i use otrivin nasal drops- 2 drops twice in 24 hrs.
this allergy continues for two months minimum. i have got my allergy test done and it shows allergy of wheat , pollen, dust and tomatoes. this intake is for the whole year without any reactrion except in the month of february. kindly guide me for the best treatment.
thank you
shivraj

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi

Thanks for your query.

As you know by now rhinitis is caused by different triggers. Your symptoms could also be due to sinus infection or sinusitis. I would suggest you take a second ENT opinion if you have been diagnosed with rhinitis. You will be taking allergen test so will have a clear picture about that.

As I see your eosinophil count is high. Either that is the underlying reason behind your symptoms or it’s the result of prolonged inflammation of your nose or sinus as the case may be. Eosinophil count is high in various conditions including allergic conditions. Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eosinophilia

It’s important to rule out whether high eosinophil is the cause or effect of allergic symptoms. Worms in stool too cause a high eosinophil count, so get a stool test done.

Maybe you have been taking medication for a long time now. This could be the cause of acidity, of which heart burn is a symptom. Antacids give relief, but still I would strongly recommend you see a physician about this.

Deep breathing exercises too help. I can see that medicines have been giving you poor relief so it will be wise to identify the trigger to your sneezing attacks. Please run an extensive drill to look for that trigger.

Consult your ENT and physician and please feel free to contact. I’ll be happy to answer your queries.

[Amti]

Thanks a lot for your response.I am going to take allergy test this weekend.
I am also sufferring from dry cough with whooping.Cough always present in my throat.After eating oily food my body becomes heavy feels like sick. After meals I feel sleepy & feel very inefficient.I feel weakness in calves & have some sensation which can not be explained in words exactly.

Are these also symptoms of Rhinitis?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Rhinitis is inflammation of the inner lining of the nose. it may be defined by the presence of one or more of the symptoms like rhinorrhea (runny nose),nasal itching,nasal congestion and sneezing.Rhinitis is of various types;In your case,I feel it can be due to non-allergic rhinitis with nasal eosinophilia syndrome (NARES) or perennial rhinitis.Allergies to pollen,dust mites or other air borne allergens are present in perennial rhinitis.Treatment for both allergic as well as non allergic rhinitis is the same.

You can take OTC antihistaminics like benadryl or Claritin. Longer-acting antihistamines are available by prescription. They cause less drowsiness and can work just as well. These medications include fexofenadine (Allegra), and cetirizine (Zyrtec).

You can also use nasal corticosteroid sprays like nasocort or flonase. Decongestants may also be helpful in reducing symptoms such as nasal congestion, but they should not be used for long periods. Cromolyn sodium is a nasal spray (Nasalcrom) for treating rhinitis.

It is important to find out whether your rhinitis is allergic or non allergic in nature.If found out to be allergic ,then avoidance of the allergens is the mainstay of treatment.You can confirm it by allergy testing like skin tests and blood tests like RAST.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing.