Overview

Allergic rhinitis is also known as ‘hay fever’ and refers to symptoms of the eyes and nose caused by allergens in a person’s environment. When you’re exposed to things like pollen or pet dander, your nose might get stuffy or runny, and your eyes could become red and itchy. It’s like your body’s way of saying, “Hey, these allergens are bothering me!” Think of it as a tag team match between your immune system and pesky triggers, resulting in the familiar symptoms of sneezing, itchy eyes, and a nose that seems to have a mind of its own. Luckily, with the right diagnosis and treatment plan, you can ease the tag game and keep your allergy symptoms at bay.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing allergic rhinitis is like putting on a detective hat. If you’re doing the sniffle-and-sneeze dance around certain things like pollen or pet fur, your allergist might ask about your symptoms and when they occur. Here at Premium Allergy in Clovis, we use allergy tests, like skin prick tests or blood tests, to figure out which allergens are causing the mischief. It’s a bit like creating a list of suspects in the allergy lineup. Once we crack the case, you and your allegist can come up with a plan to keep those pesky allergens at bay, making sure your nose and eyes stay calm and collected.

Treatment and Management

There are many different ways to treat allergic rhinitis. Avoidance of triggers works for some. For others, medications may be effective to control their symptoms. If these are not feasible or effective, however, immunotherapy treatment is the tried and true long term option for treating allergic rhinitis. There are three types of allergen immunotherapy offered at Premium Allergy including sublingual (under the tongue), subcutaneous (weekly shots in the arm) and intralymphatic (3 shot series directly in the lymph node) treatments. Check out our immunotherapy page for more detailed information and comparisons among these options. Each method has its own strengths, and with your Fresno allergist, you can choose the one that suits your journey best, ensuring a healthy path ahead.