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Is Itchy Nose And Eyes A Sign Of Non Allergic Rhinitis?

Posted on Mon, 6 Jan 2014

Question: Good evening, I am trying to figure out if I have allergies or non allergic rhinitis....I am 27 years old, male....I have always sneezed a few times a day, and when I do it is 3 times in a row each time. My Mucus is always clear. My nose is always itchy. It is never really runny, but it always feels dry and stuffy. I have a nasal crease line across my nose since I was a kid. My eyes sometimes itch. For the most part, I can't figure out if I am allergic to something or what it would be. I sneeze like that every day all year (maybe a bit more in like September when it is hot and extremely dry)...I never get or feel sick, never fatigued. I do not have asthma, and it is not too severe....my mom, sister, aunt, cousins, and nephews all have allergies, but my cat does NOT make me sneeze or react. When I take over the counter anithistamines, my sneezing and stuffiness stop. The eye doctor told me I have dry eyes. Is this mild allergies or non allergic rhinitis issues?

Answered by Dr. Gyanshankar Mishra (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Seems to be allergic rhinitis. Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for posting the query on XXXXXXX After going through your query, I would like to comment the following: 1. From your clinical profile , you seem to be suffering from allergic rhinitis. 2. Serum IgE levels and peripheral smear for eosinophils will help confirm the allergic etiology. I order these tests on my patients to confirm presence of allergies. Your nearest ENT specialist will know about this test. 3. An oral antihistamine and nasal spray may be require to be taken by you. Montelukast will help prevent the symptoms. Yearly flu shots will definitely help you. I hope I have answered your query. I will be glad to answer follow up queries if any. Please accept my answer if you have no follow up queries. Regards Dr. Gyanshankar Mishra MBBS MD DNB Consultant Pulmonologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Gyanshankar Mishra (9 minutes later)

what are some differences between allergic and non allergic rhinitis that lead you to believe it was allergies? Is it normal to have allergies and not know what may be causing it? Like I said, I have a cat, but she never makes me sneeze or anything. I just moved to a small farm town from a big city....whenever I drive by the farms on my way to work, I feel the need to sneeze repeatedly. Does that suggest allergies?

Answered by Dr. Gyanshankar Mishra (12 minutes later)

Brief Answer: You clinical pointers point to allergy Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for the follow up query. After going through the follow up query, I would like to comment the following: 1. The points in favour of allergic rhinitis in your clinical profile are as follows: a. frequent sneezing associated with itchy nose. b. Associated itching of eyes. c. Presence of family history. d. Related to change of location. e. Response to antihistamines. 2. As mentioned in the earlier post, investigations will confirm it. A complete serum allergy testing can point to the exact triggers if required. There have been few cases reported where the triggers have been unidentifiable. 3. A local ENT examination is required to rule out any structural abnormality/ local pathology. I hope I have answered your query. I will be glad to answer follow up queries if any. Please accept my answer if you have no follow up queries. Regards Dr. Gyanshankar Mishra MBBS MD DNB Consultant Pulmonologist

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad