Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCommon TriggersHome RemediesMedication Options
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Common Triggers
Home Remedies
Medication Options
Chronic allergic rhinitis occurs whenallergic rhinitis (hay fever)persists for three months or more.It can happen duringallergy seasonwhen pollen counts are high (seasonal allergic rhinitis) or throughout the year (perennial allergic rhinitis).
This can lead to persistent or recurrent symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes.Antihistaminescan help manage allergy symptoms along with the avoidance of known allergens and home remedies like neti pots and humidifiers.
This article lists the triggers of chronic allergic rhinitis and describes the different ways to treat or prevent symptoms with home, over-the-counter (OTC), and prescription remedies.
Chronic Allergic Rhinitis Triggers
Seasonal allergies are due to allergens in the environment that are only present during certain parts of the year. Perennial allergies are due to environmental allergens that are present all year around.
Seasonal Allergy Triggers
While people often associate seasonal allergies with tree pollens in early spring, there are pollens from other plants that can trigger allergy symptoms in the summer, fall, and even early winter.
People can be sensitive to different types of pollens, so you may be fine in the spring but reactive in the fall, while a friend may experience the opposite.
Here are some of the key allergens associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis:
Perennial Allergy Triggers
People with perennial allergies tend to be sensitive to a broad range of allergens, from outdoor allergens that only occur during certain seasons to indoor allergens that may be present year-round.
By definition, perennial allergic rhinitis is when nasal congestion, sneezing, itching, or runny nose occur for an hour or more on most days throughout the year.
The symptoms may occur at more or less the same time every day (such as at night when dust settles and you are lying down) or in certain environments (such as at your workplace or in your car).
In addition to outdoor allergens, perennial allergic rhinitis is associated with the following indoor allergens:
Is Chronic Rhinitis Contagious?
List of Environmental Allergens
Are There Home Remedies for Chronic Allergic Rhinitis?
The typical first-line defense for hay fever is antihistamines, but they are not the only options. In some cases, allergen avoidance and home remedies may be all that is needed.
Allergen Avoidance
If you have seasonal or perennial allergies, there are several things you can do to reduce your risk of allergic rhinitis:
Verywell / JR Bee
If you suffer chronic allergy symptoms, there are things you can do at home to help manage or treat them:
Medical Treatment Options for Chronic Allergic Rhinitis
Chronic allergic rhinitis is commonly treated with oral and nasal medications, both OTC and prescription. For people with severe symptoms,allergy shotsmay be recommended to gradually reduce your sensitivity to known allergens.
Antihistamines
Antihistaminesblock an immune chemical calledhistaminethat causes allergy symptoms. These can be taken to relieve immediate hay fever symptoms. Low-dose oral antihistamines can also be taken daily during allergy season to reduce your susceptibility to airborne allergens.
Options include:
Decongestants
Decongestantsloosen mucus in the nasal passages to help ease nasal stuffiness. These are often combined with antihistamines for the sustained relief of symptoms.
Nasal Corticosteroids
These nasal sprays containcorticosteroids (steroids)that reduce nasal inflammation and, in turn, symptoms like congestion, itching, and sneezing.
Nasal steroid sprays commonly used for hay fever include:
Other Options
Severe cases of chronic allergic rhinitis may require other medications that provide better control of symptoms or faster relief of symptoms likerhinorrhea(runny nose).
These include:
Types of Nasal Sprays Used for Allergies
Summary
Chronic allergic rhinitis is hay fever that persists for three months or more. This includes seasonal allergies that occur in response to seasonal pollens and perennial allergies that occur in response to outdoor and indoor allergens, including dust mites and pet dander.
Arguably the best treatment for chronic allergic rhinitis is the avoidance of allergens. Home remedies like neti pots, humidifiers, and air purifiers can help. Medication options include oral and nasal antihistamines, oral or nasal decongestants, and nasal steroid sprays.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Helman SN, Barrow E, Edwards T, DelGaudio JM, Levy JM, Wise SK.The role of allergic rhinitis in chronic rhinosinusitis.Immunol Allergy Clin North Am.2020 May;40(2):201–14. doi:10.1016/j.iac.2019.12.010American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Common seasonal allergy triggers.Beard S.Rhinitis.Prim Care.2014 Mar;41(1):33-46.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Pollen allergies.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.How can I control indoor allergens and improve indoor air quality?American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Saline sinus rinse recipe.Zajac AE, Adams AS, Turner JH.A systematic review and meta-analysis of probiotics for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.Int Forum Allergy Rhinol.2015 Jun;5(6):524-32. doi:10.1002/alr.21492Nourollahian M, Rasoulian B, Gafari A, Anoushiravani M, Jabari F, Bakhshaee M.Clinical comparison of the efficacy of spirulina platensis and cetirizine for treatment of allergic rhinitis.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2020 Jun;40(3):224–9. doi:10.14639/0392-100X-N0139Liao C, Han Y, Chen Z, Baigude H.The extract of black cumin, licorice, anise, and black tea alleviates OVA-induced allergic rhinitis in mouse via balancing activity of helper T cells in lung.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol.2021 Sep 7;17(1):87. doi:10.1186/s13223-021-00587-6Sur DK, Plesa ML.Treatment of allergic rhinitis.Am Fam Physician.2015;92(11):985-92.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Helman SN, Barrow E, Edwards T, DelGaudio JM, Levy JM, Wise SK.The role of allergic rhinitis in chronic rhinosinusitis.Immunol Allergy Clin North Am.2020 May;40(2):201–14. doi:10.1016/j.iac.2019.12.010American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Common seasonal allergy triggers.Beard S.Rhinitis.Prim Care.2014 Mar;41(1):33-46.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Pollen allergies.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.How can I control indoor allergens and improve indoor air quality?American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Saline sinus rinse recipe.Zajac AE, Adams AS, Turner JH.A systematic review and meta-analysis of probiotics for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.Int Forum Allergy Rhinol.2015 Jun;5(6):524-32. doi:10.1002/alr.21492Nourollahian M, Rasoulian B, Gafari A, Anoushiravani M, Jabari F, Bakhshaee M.Clinical comparison of the efficacy of spirulina platensis and cetirizine for treatment of allergic rhinitis.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2020 Jun;40(3):224–9. doi:10.14639/0392-100X-N0139Liao C, Han Y, Chen Z, Baigude H.The extract of black cumin, licorice, anise, and black tea alleviates OVA-induced allergic rhinitis in mouse via balancing activity of helper T cells in lung.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol.2021 Sep 7;17(1):87. doi:10.1186/s13223-021-00587-6Sur DK, Plesa ML.Treatment of allergic rhinitis.Am Fam Physician.2015;92(11):985-92.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Helman SN, Barrow E, Edwards T, DelGaudio JM, Levy JM, Wise SK.The role of allergic rhinitis in chronic rhinosinusitis.Immunol Allergy Clin North Am.2020 May;40(2):201–14. doi:10.1016/j.iac.2019.12.010American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Common seasonal allergy triggers.Beard S.Rhinitis.Prim Care.2014 Mar;41(1):33-46.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Pollen allergies.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.How can I control indoor allergens and improve indoor air quality?American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Saline sinus rinse recipe.Zajac AE, Adams AS, Turner JH.A systematic review and meta-analysis of probiotics for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.Int Forum Allergy Rhinol.2015 Jun;5(6):524-32. doi:10.1002/alr.21492Nourollahian M, Rasoulian B, Gafari A, Anoushiravani M, Jabari F, Bakhshaee M.Clinical comparison of the efficacy of spirulina platensis and cetirizine for treatment of allergic rhinitis.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2020 Jun;40(3):224–9. doi:10.14639/0392-100X-N0139Liao C, Han Y, Chen Z, Baigude H.The extract of black cumin, licorice, anise, and black tea alleviates OVA-induced allergic rhinitis in mouse via balancing activity of helper T cells in lung.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol.2021 Sep 7;17(1):87. doi:10.1186/s13223-021-00587-6Sur DK, Plesa ML.Treatment of allergic rhinitis.Am Fam Physician.2015;92(11):985-92.
Helman SN, Barrow E, Edwards T, DelGaudio JM, Levy JM, Wise SK.The role of allergic rhinitis in chronic rhinosinusitis.Immunol Allergy Clin North Am.2020 May;40(2):201–14. doi:10.1016/j.iac.2019.12.010
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Common seasonal allergy triggers.
Beard S.Rhinitis.Prim Care.2014 Mar;41(1):33-46.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Pollen allergies.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.How can I control indoor allergens and improve indoor air quality?
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Saline sinus rinse recipe.
Zajac AE, Adams AS, Turner JH.A systematic review and meta-analysis of probiotics for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.Int Forum Allergy Rhinol.2015 Jun;5(6):524-32. doi:10.1002/alr.21492
Nourollahian M, Rasoulian B, Gafari A, Anoushiravani M, Jabari F, Bakhshaee M.Clinical comparison of the efficacy of spirulina platensis and cetirizine for treatment of allergic rhinitis.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2020 Jun;40(3):224–9. doi:10.14639/0392-100X-N0139
Liao C, Han Y, Chen Z, Baigude H.The extract of black cumin, licorice, anise, and black tea alleviates OVA-induced allergic rhinitis in mouse via balancing activity of helper T cells in lung.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol.2021 Sep 7;17(1):87. doi:10.1186/s13223-021-00587-6
Sur DK, Plesa ML.Treatment of allergic rhinitis.Am Fam Physician.2015;92(11):985-92.
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