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Journal of Thai Traditional & Alternative Medicine Vol. 7 No. 1 January-April 2009 ¯Û

Abstract
Allergic Rhinitis
Paraya Assanasen,* Chaweewan Bunnag*
*Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a disease characterized by a symptomatic disorder of the nose, which is induced
after exposure to an allergen via an IgE-mediated inflammation. AR symptoms include rhinorrhea, nasal
obstruction, nasal itching and sneezing. Previous studies have classified AR into seasonal AR or perennial AR.
A different classification distinguishing between intermittent AR and persistent AR has been proposed in the
publication entitled “Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma” (2001). AR may also be a co-morbidity in
patients with asthma, otitis media or sinusitis. The literature shows that AR impairs the quality of life, work
performance, social life and school performance. The burden of AR underlines the importance of appropriate
management strategies, which include allergen avoidance, pharmacotherapy and allergen immunotherapy.
Key words: allergic rhinitis, allergen immunotherapy