Perennial allergic rhinitis
If your sniffles and sneezes seem to be in evidence on low pollen days and in winter, it is likely that you don’t have hay fever at all and are suffering from some other kind of allergy or allergies entirely. You should be able to deduce this once and for all by checking out high pollen days and judging whether your symptoms are actually worse on such days. If other allergies are indicated, try to discover your particular allergens and avoid contact with them whenever you can. For instance, a possible allergy to the dung from house dust mites can be assessed by thoroughly beating and vacuuming your mattress to remove most of the mites and their dung. If this is indeed a problem for you, regular vacuuming and turning of your mattress and frequently using freshly laundered bed linen can greatly reduce its adverse effect, as can removing carpets in favour of a different type of floor-covering such as wood, wood-laminate, linoleum and tiles.
Of course, many people with perennial allergic rhinitis are allergic to pollen as well as to other allergens. In addition to pollen, the condition is most commonly caused by repeated contact with any of the following allergens:
• dung from the house dust mite
• animal dander
• indoor mould spores
• certain chemical detergents often used in the home
• an allergy to a particular food.
Perennial allergic rhinitis causes symptoms that are similar to hay fever – that is, the irritation of the delicate mucous membranes that line the upper respiratory tract. If it is possible for you to avoid the culprit allergen, this is your best means of tackling the problem. However, your particular allergens may not be obvious, in which case you would be well advised to speak to your doctor about the possibility of allergy testing.