Allergic Rhinitis - FAQs

There’s no permanent cure, but you can manage allergic rhinitis by avoiding triggers (pollen, dust mites, mold, pets, or substances like wood dust or flour dust) and using medicines like antihistamines, decongestants, and saltwater nasal sprays or solutions.¹

Allergic rhinitis lasts as long as you're exposed to triggers like pollen, dust mites, or animals, but medicines can help control the symptoms.¹

Allergic rhinitis is caused by allergens like pollen, dust mites, mold, pets, or substances like wood dust or flour dust.¹

Patients with allergic rhinitis have a greater risk of causing asthma, as allergy triggers symptoms of asthma.²

No, allergic rhinitis does not cause fever. If someone has allergy symptoms like a runny or stuffy nose along with a fever, the fever is likely due to another condition, such as a sinus infection. Allergies may increase the risk of sinus infections, which can cause fever, but allergies themselves do not.³

Yes, cold air can cause rhinitis symptoms like a runny nose, congestion, and nasal burning. This happens quickly after exposure and goes away once you're out of the cold. It’s not necessarily allergic rhinitis, but people with allergies or no nasal conditions can experience it. The cold triggers nasal cells and sensory nerves, causing these symptoms, which can be managed with certain medications.⁴

No, they are not the same. Allergic rhinitis is an allergic reaction that causes sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy eyes, while sinusitis is an infection of the sinuses often caused by blocked or inflamed sinus openings. However, allergic rhinitis can lead to sinusitis by causing swelling and mucus buildup, which creates conditions for infection.⁵

1. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/allergic-rhinitis/
2. Bergeron C, Hamid Q. et al. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2005 Jun 15;1(2):81-7.
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/fever-with-allergies#causes.
4. Cruz AA, Togias A. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2008 Apr;8(2):111-7.
5. Slavin RG. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1988 Nov;82(5 Pt 2):950-6.