|
|
 |
Bless you! Gesundheit! Excuse me! If you have nasal allergies
(allergic rhinitis) you might hear these words a lot. You're not alone—there
are approximately 41 million Americans who have allergic rhinitis. So what is
allergic rhinitis? First of all, let's break down the word "rhinitis"
into a simpler meaning. The Greek word "rhin" means nose, and the suffix
"itis" means inflammation. You get the picture.
When you sneeze and your nose is stuffy, itchy, and runny,
you may be suffering from symptoms of allergic rhinitis, commonly known as nasal
allergies. People who have nasal allergies get these symptoms when allergens
(triggers) like pollen, dust mites, mold, and animal dander enter their nose.
Here's a breakdown of what happens to your body if you have
nasal allergies.
-
Your body recognizes an allergen as foreign
to the body and produces antibodies to protect you from the allergen. You
may feel no symptoms the first time you're exposed to the allergen. But these
antibodies latch onto certain cells in your nose and elsewhere in your body.
These cells are now hypersensitive to future allergen exposure.
-
After repeated exposure to this allergen, the sensitized
cells release a flood of substances that cause inflammation in your nose.
This makes your nose feel stuffy, sneezy, itchy, and runny.
So why does this happen? Most likely, you've inherited your
tendency for allergies. Children are much more likely to develop allergies if
one or both of their parents have allergies.
|
|
|
