Fit & Proper: Don't ignore allergies

Sarika M was cleaning her house when she suddenly came down with a cough, shortness of breath and wheezing. For nearly five years, the 22-year-old had been waking up with sneezing, a runny nose and itchy throat. More recently, she experienced breathlessness during physical exertion. She required nebulisers and steroid injections to resolve her breathing problem. Later, after lung function and allergy tests, she was diagnosed with chronic allergic rhinitis, which has now progressed to asthma.
Have you ever paid close attention to your sudden attacks of sneezing, leading to watery, and sometimes blocked, nose and itchy throat, ears and eyes? These are the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

A distinguishing feature of allergic rhinitis is an early-morning and late-evening sneezing fit or nasal blockage. Triggers include house dust mites, pollen from trees, weeds and grass, food substances, pet hair and moulds. Those who have a family history of allergies are also susceptible to allergies.

Although the symptoms of allergy are similar to those experienced during a flu or cold, allergies are not caused by any virus or bacteria.

Allergies can lead to frequent tonsillitis, ear infections, snoring, sleep disturbances, mood swings, skin rashes, breathlessness and reduced physical fitness. In India, where 20 per cent of the population suffers from allergies, about 82 per cent allergies go undiagnosed.

Allergic rhinitis, if undiagnosed and untreated, can lead to respiratory conditions such as sinusitis and asthma. Almost 40 per cent of allergic rhinitis patients develop or already have asthma. About 80 per cent of asthmatic patients also suffer from allergic rhinitis.

Early and accurate diagnosis of allergies is advisable.

Skin prick testing helps check immediate reactions to a host of allergens within 15 to 20 minutes. The test is reliable, cost-effective, painless and can be used for infants as well as the elderly.

There is no sure-fire way to cure allergic rhinitis. However, since allergies are a reaction of the immune system, allergen immunotherapy is the closest thing to a cure. Immunotherapy involves administration of gradually increasing doses of allergen extracts at steady intervals in a meticulous way. The objective is to make the immune system accustomed to the allergen and not fight with it.

QUICK TIPS

• Cigarette smoke is directly responsible for allergic rhinitis. So, quit smoking.
• Clean your house to get rid of dust mites and moulds.
• Try to stay indoors or cover your nose while travelling if you are sensitive to pollen.
• In case of recurrent allergy, consult an allergist to diagnose the allergens that you are sensitive to, and then go for immunotherapy.

Sitesh Roy
Allergist, immunologist, asthma specialist at Dr Roy's Health Solutions Clinic, Mumbai