Self care to cure allergic rhinitis

[Mukund]

Hello, my boy friend is 37-year-old man, is looking for a recommendation for treating his runny nose and clear nasal discharge. He says he experiences these symptoms annually around this same time of year, adding that he is also suffering from irritated, itchy eyes and a sore throat. Symptoms are so bothersome that they are interrupting his sleep at night and causing daytime drowsiness. He wants something over the counter that will alleviate his congestion and allow him to sleep normally and does not want to see his physician, if possible. He has no significant medical history and he does not use other nonprescription or prescription medications. Is there any self-care recommendations can you provide?

[Tiash]

@Mukund Your boy friend's clear nasal discharge and cyclic, seasonal symptom occurrence are consistent with the characteristic symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR). Although not life-threatening, the symptoms of AR, including watery rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal obstruction, and nasal pruritus with or without irritation and watering of the eyes, can be particularly bothersome and disruptive to a patient’s sleep and overall quality of life. In addition to counseling on allergen avoidance and other nonpharmacologic approaches to minimizing allergen exposure, consideration for nonprescriptive pharmacologic interventions to reduce symptoms and restore his ability to function is warranted. Based on his symptoms and disrupted sleep, recommend him some monotherapy with use of an intranasal corticosteroid or an oral antihistamine, based on his preference. Recent evidence suggests that to manage seasonal AR symptoms, monotherapy rather than a combination of medications from these classes should be used, based on a lack of superiority of the combination in reducing symptoms. Ocular symptoms can be particularly troubling as well. For persistent eye symptoms, an artificial tears solution or topical ketotifen could be used.