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Rhinitis: treatment
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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If the cause of the common cold is not allergens (a non-allergic rhinitis), the nature of its lingering, then the rhinitis treatment is carried out by the otorhinolaryngologist (since the reasons can be very diverse). If the allergic rhinitis, that is, the cause of its occurrence are allergens, then the existing specific approaches to its treatment, such a rhinitis treatment is carried out by an allergist.
Approaches to treating patients for allergic rhinitis are based on the general principles of treatment of other allergic diseases:
- complete elimination or at least reduction of contact with causally significant allergens:
- allergen-specific immunotherapy:
- rational pharmacotherapy;
- patient education for rhinitis.
[Elimination (reduction) of contact with a causally significant allergen
The beneficial effect of various measures aimed at removing the allergen from the environment, largely depends on the type of allergen. So, for example, with the removal of animals, the clinical effect is fully manifested only after a few months, even with regular repeated cleaning of the room. In most cases, complete elimination of contact with the allergen is impossible. However, even partial implementation of measures eliminating the allergen, facilitates the course of the disease, reduces the need for the number of medicines consumed, including potent ones. Particular attention should be paid to these measures, when there are serious limitations for the intake of pharmacological drugs (pregnancy, early and advanced age, the presence of concomitant pathology).
Rational pharmacotherapy
Allergic rhinitis treatment with medicinal pharmacological preparations includes the use of non-sedative blockers of histamine H1 receptors (for example, desloratadine, loratadine, etc.), vasoconstrictive drugs (decongestants) for not more than 10 days, cromoglycic acid and nedocromil, anticholinergic drugs, glucocorticoids. Recently, information has appeared that justify the use of leukotriene receptors for treatment and antagonists.
Treatment of rhinitis: general tactics
An indispensable condition for choosing the tactics of ongoing treatment is an individual approach to a specific patient, taking into account both the clinical and pathogenetic features of the form and severity of the disease, and all available social, behavioral, psychological aspects that are relevant to the patient.
The modern principles of choosing a set of therapeutic measures are based on the results of the analysis of the range and modes of action of a particular treatment method and on the adequacy of these methods.