Allergic Rhinitis

Abstract

ALLERGIC rhinitis, the most common form of atopic disease, has an estimated prevalence ranging from 5 to 22 percent.¹ It is characterized by sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and pruritus of the nose and eyes. Other symptoms, such as "popping" of the ears, throat clearing, and coughing, are less common. Allergic rhinitis has been ranked as the sixth most prevalent chronic condition in the United States, outranking heart disease.² Its morbidity results directly from the disease as well as from its complications: sinusitis, eustachian-tube dysfunction, dysosmia, sleep disturbances, and the consequences of chronic mouth breathing. The disease can begin at any . . .