Allergic rhinitis facts

• Allergic rhinitis is becoming more common.

• Approximately 16% of Australians have allergic rhinitis.

• It is most common among young to middle-aged adults: about a quarter or Australians aged 25 to 44 years have allergic rhinitis.

• Around 8% of Australian children and adolescents have allergic rhinitis.

• Most people with asthma (up to 80%) have allergic rhinitis.

 Rhinitis: a condition in which the lining of the nose, back of the mouth and throat is inflamed. It becomes abnormally sensitive and can be irritated by cold air, fumes, strong odours, spicy foods or tobacco smoke. A person with rhinitis may experience itching or soreness, and may have a blocked or runny nose.

 Allergic rhinitis: rhinitis that is caused by allergy. This means that the person’s immune system reacts to specific substances (allergens) that do not bother most people. The most common allergens to cause allergic rhinitis when breathed into the nose are from house dust mites, pets, pollen and moulds.

How allergic rhinitis can affect your asthma

It is important to know if you or your child has allergic rhinitis, because allergic rhinitis can make asthma harder to control. Effective treatment for allergic rhinitis can reduce the chance of severe asthma attacks, and make the lungs work better. Allergic rhinitis can also cause problems with sleep and concentration at work or school. 

Runny nose, blocked nose and sneezing are caused by inflammation (swelling and irritation) of the lining of the nose and throat. The most effective treatments are corticosteroid nasal sprays: medications sprayed into the nose to prevent inflammation. The medications in these sprays are similar to inhaled preventers for asthma. People who have both asthma and allergic rhinitis should use both a preventer nasal spray and a preventer asthma puffer regularly. 

People with asthma may not recognise that they also have allergic rhinitis, because the symptoms can be mistaken for asthma. Australian and international guidelines for doctors recommend that people with asthma should be checked for allergic rhinitis.