Allergic rhinitis

Abstract

Allergic rhinitis (AR) was long considered a quite trivial disease, but the advance in epidemiological and clinical knowledge, with a major role for Allergic rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative, substantially changed the scene. Now we know that AR has significant effects on patients’ quality of life and also has a relevant economic burden. The ARIA phenotypes related to the duration of symptoms and to the severity of AR are very useful in establishing the optimal strategy in each patient with AR, also according to the kind of allergens that cause rhinitis. When traditional allergy testing, including skin prick tests and in vitro of specific IgE antibodies are not sufficient for the diagnosis, modern techniques such as molecular diagnostics may be used. Also the management of AR may be tailored to single patients according to the clinical expression of AR, that may vary from mild to moderate-severe stage, with the aim of achieving the best possible control of the disease.