Allergic Rhinitis: Update on Your Therapeutic Choices

Many pharmacological options exist for allergic rhinitis. Intranasal corticosteroids are the most effective medication class for patients with moderate to severe symptoms; those with milder intermittent symptoms can be treated with a second-generation oral or intranasal antihistamine. Allergen avoidance measures may also be helpful. In patients whose symptoms are refractory to standard pharmacological therapy, allergen immunotherapy can be effective. A 3to 5-year treatment course of subcutaneous injection immunotherapy can produce lasting benefit years after completion of therapy. In the future, sublingual immunotherapy may emerge as an alternative approach in the United States as it has in Europe in recent years.