Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common disorder which has a major impact on the lives of sufferers and families. Although currently there is no cure for this disease, a variety of therapeutic interventions can alleviate the symptoms. It is important that nurses are able to differentiate allergic and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) from viral upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in order to best manage their patients. It is also necessary to ask appropriate questions of those patients attending for asthma review, as
they may have unrecognised and untreated disease. Familiarity with the range of medications and their administration is advocated. Patients with troublesome, non-responding symptoms need to be referred, as do those with red flag signs.
Patricia Schooling discusses the rising incidence of allergy
throughout the UK population.
