New Treatment Guidelines For Seasonal Allergies

New guidelines for diagnosing and treating allergic rhinitis were released this month, just in time for the crush of fall allergy sufferers seeking relief from their allergist/immunologists.

Allergic rhinitis, commonly called hay fever, affects an estimated 20 percent of adults and 40 percent of children in the United States, according to the AAAAI. It is the No. 1 cause of work absenteeism due to chronic illness and leads to more than 2 million missed school days for children.

The new rhinitis parameter offers discussion on several recent developments in treatment of allergic rhinitis, including:

- Recognizing co-morbidities, such as asthma, sinusitis and sleep apnea, and testing pulmonary function in these patients
- Use of non-sedating antihistamines during pregnancy
- Advantages and disadvantages of single and combination treatment approaches
- Benefits vs. safety of use of oral decongestants on children under 6
- Medications released in the past 10 years
- Consideration of using a Rhinitis Action Plan

Read more at Medical News Today