Morning Sneeze- It Could Be Allergy!

Let's clarify the most common misnomer in allergy- "Doctor, I have a Sinus Problem"; when in actual fact what they suffer from is sneezing,runny nose and possibily red watery eyes.These are in actual fact is known as Allergic Rhinitis and not sinusitis (sinusitis is the inflammation of sinus- vide the different sinuses in our skull).

Sinuses are connected to the nasal cavity;hense prolonged  Allergic rhinits or nasal infection can  also  infect the sinuses. These could result in frontal headaches, constant phlegm, facial pain and foul odur among others.

To clarify, Sinuses are anatomical 'holes' or cavities in our skulls (picture 2) play important role in in sound resonance of our voice. There are 4 pairs of these sinuses in an adult. In addition, its thought that these cavities also lightens the weight of the human skull, thereby allowing swift head movements.

From the above diagram, we can see that the there are many sinuses with differing names. Sinus infection is called sinusitis while allergic rhinitis is an allergic condition of the nose. However, the sinuses my have a secondary infection from the nose; in which case it will be known as rhino-sinusitis , indicating the extensive infection of the nose and the sinuses.
I shall write only about the nose allergies and therefore rhinitis. I have to be careful in using these medical terminologies as there are many over lapping conditions that may confuse and confound. Its important to know that the term rhinitis is a generic term as it may be due to infection, allergy, drug induced and ever anatomical disease. As such I shall limit my writings to only at the atomic allergic rhinitis (AR) and not any other type of rhinitis (there are a few other non allergic rhinitis as well!)

The symptoms.
AR usually presents with sneezing,runny and blocked nose, watery eyes and sometimes throat itch and dark circles around the eyes.About 30% of AR patients have asthma while 80% of asthmatics suffer AR.
Its important not to underestimate the sufferings of these individuals as many suffer from sleep deprivation leading to poor work rate and many MC days. Studies have shown that children with AR perform rather poorly in school due to lack of concentration and motivation during school as a results of chronic sleep disturbance and snoring.

Investigation

If you suffer from one or many hese symptoms of t