Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, happens when you breathe in something to which you are allergic, and the inside of your nose becomes inflamed and swollen. Sinusitis is an inflammation of the lining inside the sinuses which can be acute or chronic.
Rhinitis often causes the symptoms you would expect from allergies/hay fever, including sneezing, an itchy nose and itchy, watery eyes. Nasal discharge is typically clear in the case of rhinitis. Sinusitis is more likely to be accompanied by a fever, headache and sinus pressure, as well as green/yellow nasal discharge.
What is sinusitis? When the mucus membranes within the sinuses become infected and inflamed, we call this condition sinusitis or rhinosinusitis. The sinuses drain into nasal passages, so a sinus infection can also spread to them. The result is swelling and pain throughout the face, and difficulty breathing.
Infectious rhinosinusitis is also a comorbid condition of asthma. Allergic rhinitis and infectious rhinosinusitis often coexist [3].
Rhinitis is a reaction that happens in the eyes, nose, and throat when allergens in the air trigger histamine to be released in the body. Some of the most common causes of rhinitis are pollen, dust mites, mold, cockroach waste, animal dander, fumes and odors, hormonal changes, and smoke.
Red Flag Symptoms
Perennial symptoms of congestion, hypersecretion, pruritus and/or sneezing associated with temperature changes, humidity, ingestion of spicy food or alcohol, and odors.
Antihistamines are just one type of over the counter medication that is used to relieve cold, sinus and allergy symptoms. Some are designed to relieve congestion in the sinus cavities, while others are used to suppress your cough or keep your airways open.
These antihistamines include diphenhydramine (Benadryl), cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy), fexofenadine (Allegra Allergy) and loratadine (Alavert, Claritin). Ipratropium nose spray. This prescription spray can ease a runny, drippy nose.
The difference between sinusitis and rhinitis is that people with sinusitis will experience those same symptoms for more than two months a year without any seasonal variation associated with them. It's important not to confuse these two conditions because they are treated quite differently.
For most patients, we suggest initial empiric treatment with either amoxicillin or amoxicillin-clavulanate. We treat patients with risk factors for resistance with high-dose amoxicillin-clavulanate.
Allergic rhinitis typically causes cold-like symptoms, such as sneezing, itchiness and a blocked or runny nose. These symptoms usually start soon after being exposed to an allergen.
The identification of the allergic triggers of rhinitis has been historically based on the performance of atopy test [skin prick test (SPT) and serum allergen-specific (s)IgE].
Skin-prick testing is considered the primary method for identifying specific allergic triggers of rhinitis. Skin prick testing involves placing a drop of a commercial extract of a specific allergen on the skin of the forearms or back, then pricking the skin through the drop to introduce the extract into the epidermis.
Along the same lines as OTC options, antihistamine medications, such as Sudafed, Claritin, Zyrtec or Benadryl, can also offer sinus infection symptom relief. While these medications specifically target allergy symptoms, sinus infection symptoms can be similar, making antihistamines worth a try.
If your allergies cause your sinus headaches, over-the-counter antihistamines like Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec, and Rytan can relieve pressure and congestion.
Treating a sinus infection means unblocking and draining the sinuses. Corticosteroid nasal sprays such as Flonase and Nasacort are the best source for treatment because they help reduce swelling in the nasal passages.
On the basis of ARIA, patients with rhinitis are placed into one of four categories: (1) mild intermittent, (2) mild persistent, (3) moderate/severe intermittent, and (4) moderate/severe persistent (2). Nasal symptoms represent exaggerated defensive and homeostatic functions of the nasal mucosa.
Glucocorticoid nasal sprays — Nasal glucocorticoids (steroids) delivered by a nasal spray are the first-line treatment for the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. These drugs have few side effects and dramatically relieve symptoms in most people.
When the nose becomes irritated, it may produce more mucus, which becomes thick and pale yellow. The mucus may begin to flow from the front of the nose as well as the back. Substances in the mucus may irritate the back of the throat and cause coughing.