Treatment strategies designed to minimize medical complications of allergic rhinitis.

Perennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis affect many million Americans and account for close to $2 billion annually in medical costs and lost productivity. The symptoms of allergic rhinitis, including sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and pruritus are, at best, very annoying and may be quite debilitating in some patients, causing irritability, insomnia, and fatigue. Moreover, allergic rhinitis is often not self-limiting and can contribute to serious medical complications such as sinusitis and otitis. Aggressive medical management of allergic rhinitis is important in the therapy for chronic sinusitis and otitis media and may prevent progression to more serious disease. Accurate diagnosis and initiation of environmental control measures to reduce exposure to causative factors should accompany initiation of pharmacotherapy. Antihistamines form the cornerstone of pharmacologic therapy, and use of the newer nonsedating antihistamines such as loratadine, terfenadine, and astemizole is not associated with the sedation produced by the classic antihistamines. Both loratadine and terfenadine are available in combination with a decongestant. Topical intranasal corticosteroids are another important component of pharmacologic management of allergic rhinitis. Allergen immunotherapy (hyposensitization) is used in those patients not adequately managed with pharmacotherapy. The relative safety and convenient dosing schedule of the newer medications should be accompanied by enhanced patient compliance and, hence, better control of allergic symptoms, halting progression of allergic rhinitis to serious medical complications.