Progressive management strategies in the treatment of rhinitis.

Although environmental controls and immunotherapy have important roles in the management of rhinitis, pharmacotherapy is the mainstay of most treatment programs. Before effective pharmacotherapy can be instituted, correct diagnosis is required. There are rhinitis subtypes (allergic, nonallergic, or mixed), which influence pharmacologic choices. Correct diagnosis is, for a large part, reliant on collection of a thorough patient history. After correct diagnosis, a progressive management program can be developed. The effectiveness of the treatment program is dependent on accurate identification of the role allergic and nonallergic causes of rhinitis.