Perennial Rhinitis: An Allergy of All Seasons

Seasonal allergies can leave you wishing the months of congestion would pass by, but perennial rhinitis symptoms can last the entire year! Are you among the 20% of adults who suffer from allergies year-round?

This is the stuffy reality for the millions of Americans that suffer from the discomfort of allergies year-round. 

Here we will discuss the symptoms and diagnosis of perennial rhinitis and your treatment options. Thankfully, perennial rhinitis can be treated just like other kinds of allergies. But there are a few important things you should know before you do.

What is Perennial Rhinitis?

Perennial rhinitis— also known as perennial allergic rhinitis or chronic rhinitis— is an allergic condition where your allergy symptoms occur for an hour or more on most days throughout the entire year. To many, it feels like a cold that never goes away.

Some symptoms of perennial rhinitis may include:

• Nasal congestion— a stuffy nose
• Nasal inflammation
• Runny nose
• Itchy eyes or nose

These are common symptoms if you're experiencing seasonal allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever.

Perennial rhinitis can be both allergic and non-allergic. Allergic rhinitis, or allergy symptoms caused by specific allergens, is typically caused by perennial allergens such as pollen, dust mites, or pet dander. In fact, dust mites are the most common cause of perennial allergic rhinitis.

On the other hand, nonallergic rhinitis (as the name suggests) isn't caused by any specific allergen. Rather, it's caused by other irritants like smoke, artificial fragrances, and chemical fumes.

Apart from annoying your day-to-day life, untreated perennial rhinitis can lead to further complications, including nasal polyps and chronic sinusitis— otherwise known as sinus infections.

If your perennial rhinitis has become sinusitis or has caused the growth of abnormal nasal tissue, you may experience symptoms such as:

• Postnasal drip
• Halitosis— bad breath
• Headaches or facial pain
• Toothaches
• Nasal discharge that is an abnormal color, or smells bad

Other Conditions Associated with Perennial Rhinitis

Perennial rhinitis is often associated with other conditions that can occur alongside those symptoms. Some of these include:

• Asthma.
• Allergic conjunctivitis— inflammation of the whites of your eyes or the tissue inside your eyelids. [1]
• Fatigue.
• Eustachian tube dysfunction— when the tubes connecting your nasal passages to your ears cannot clear mucus or equalize air pressure.
• Middle ear infections— often caused by eustachian tube dysfunction.
• Sleep disorders— including sleep apnea.

How Do You Know If You Have Perennial Rhinitis?

Your doctor or an allergist can diagnose perennial rhinitis. To do so, they'll ask questions about any nonallergic or allergic rhinitis symptoms you're experiencing. They'll also ask you about any specific triggers for your symptoms.

They'll then give you a physical examination where they take a look at your ears, nose, and throat. This is to check for any conditions that may be causing your symptoms, such as a deviated septum or fluid in your ears.

They may also administer an allergy test to check for any unknown allergens causing your symptoms.

Once you understand your symptoms and your diagnosis, it's much easier to treat perennial rhinitis— whether it's caused by allergies or not.

How Do You Treat Perennial Rhinitis?

Treating perennial rhinitis is no different than treating your seasonal allergy symptoms. Once you know the culprit, it's much easier to address your symptoms and find some much-needed relief.

Many people may use over-the-counter treatments like nasal spray or an antihistamine medication to treat their rhinitis symptoms; eventually leading to rhinitis medicamentosa, worsening the issue over time. However, there are many natural remedies out there that can help treat your perennial allergy symptoms. Here are five of these options that you can try today:

1. Try SinuSonic

Daily congestion often requires consistent treatment that can make traditional solutions more inconvenient or less effective over time. If your nasal symptoms are driving you crazy, SinuSonic can help.

Our unique device utilizes positive expiratory pressure (PEP) and acoustic vibrations to gently clear your sinuses and even begin to provide lasting relief beyond your first use.

When you use SinuSonic for just two minutes each day, you're not only relieving your nasal congestion; you're helping yourself breathe more efficiently in the long run.

The resistance offered by SinuSonic's flutter valve helps strengthen your airways, increase lung volume, and increase airflow throughout your body.

While this device can make a lasting impact on your breathing troubles, when you pair the SinuSonic with methods of prevention, you can eliminate your rhinitis symptoms entirely!

2. Avoid Your Triggers

Whether you have a dust mite allergy or are sensitive to environmental irritants like smoke or smog, avoiding what triggers your allergy symptoms can help prevent those symptoms from making you miserable.

If you experience allergic symptoms at your workplace, you may be working around an irritant causing these symptoms— such as chemical fumes or paint fumes. This is called occupational rhinitis.

If you're unsure what may trigger your symptoms, talk to your doctor or an allergist about allergy testing. These simple tests can help determine any allergies that may be giving you grief.

3. Allergy-Proof Your Home

Your home is your castle, and your castle should be free of any invaders that may be triggering your allergy symptoms. Here are a few easy ways to allergy-proof your home:

• Sweep or vacuum regularly. Using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter can help take allergens out of the air too.
• Dust all hard surfaces weekly— including books, knick-knacks, and picture frames.
• Keep the doors and windows closed during pollen season to prevent it from entering your home.
• Wash all soft furnishings— bedsheets, pillows, blankets, et cetera— often. Washing these in hot water kills dust mites and removes more allergens from these surfaces.
• Keep pets off the furniture. Instead, give them a dedicated place to sleep and relax, like their own cozy pet bed.

4. Use a Humidifier or an Air Purifier

Dry air can exacerbate your allergy symptoms by inflaming and irritating your nasal passages. To remedy this, try using a humidifier. These handy machines add moisture to the air and are very helpful for keeping your sinuses nice and moist.

For a bigger one-two punch against allergens, consider using an air purifier alongside your humidifier. Air purifiers pull allergens and irritants out of the air, trap them in a powerful filter, and circulate the clean, fresh air back out into the room.

These can be especially effective options if you're sensitive to airborne allergens.

5. Use a Neti Pot or a Saline Solution

Rinsing your sinuses with a saline solution or a neti pot can wash away irritants, moisturize those sensitive membranes, and thin down thick mucus that may be causing nasal congestion.

Saline solutions and neti pots are widely available at grocery stores and pharmacies, but in a pinch, you can even make your own saline solution. [2]

You can add eight teaspoons of table salt to 1 gallon of distilled water, or mix salt with boiled tap water to remove any impurities and ensure a sterile solution.

Note: Do not rinse your sinuses with tap water. While it is generally safe to drink, rinsing your sinuses with tap water can introduce a lot of potentially dangerous irritants to your sensitive nasal membranes. This is because your nose doesn't share the same protection that your stomach does, thanks to your stomach acid.

Seasons Come, Seasons Go: What About Allergy Season?

When you have perennial rhinitis, it can feel like you have a cold all year round. Of course, you never want to experience these symptoms for a week, let alone the entire year!

Perennial allergies can really be a drain on your day-to-day life, but they don't have to be. They can be treated like any other allergy symptoms or even prevented!

Once you know how to treat or prevent your allergy symptoms, you may be amazed at how much better you feel.

Citations

1. "Allergic Conjunctivitis." Johns Hopkins Medicine, 15 Oct. 2021, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/allergic-conjunctivitis.
2. Osborn, Corinne O'Keefe. "How to Make Saline Solution for the Nose, Kids, and More." Healthline, Healthline Media, 18 Nov. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/make-your-own-saline-solution.