It is very difficult to diagnose allergic rhinitis in the first two to three years of life. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis peaks in the second to fourth decades of life and then gradually diminishes.
Initially, your doctor will ask questions to find out when and where you get the symptoms (e.g. during a particular season, after exposure to a dog or cat etc.). Are the symptoms associated with other infections or skin rash? Also he will check if you had been taking specific medication which may cause these symptoms. Does anyone in your family have allergy?
Next, the doctor will exam your nose as well as ears, throat, eyes, lungs and skin.
After that, he might ask for a blood or skin test specific for allergy detection to confirm the diagnosis. And he may request radiographic imaging if rhino-sinusitis is suspected.
Allergy tests should only be done by an allergy/immunology specialist.
The Allergy/Immunology Service at HMC is provided by two teams. The first one specializes in children and the second is for adults. A great cooperation and integration exists between the two teams as well as the ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctors who specialize in allergies. When the patient is referred to the Allergy and Immunology Clinic at HMC we will take their medical history and perform a physical examination to evaluate them. We may then follow up with some more tests and then provide the appropriate treatment.
