Allergic Rhinitis in primary care

Q Dr Matthew J Doyle MBBS MRCP(UK) FRCGP Indigo Medical, Jersey, Channel Islands:  Can you explain the pathophysiology of hayfever/allergic rhinitis? A  Allergic rhinitis (AR), commonly referred to as hayfever (90% of patients in the UK are triggered bygrass pollen) is increasingly common, with up to 20% of the European population affected.1 Potentialallergens are wide-ranging and include pollens, house dust mite (HDM) and household pets. Patients maybe sensitive to only one allergen or several, giving variable peaks of symptoms throughout the year.For a person to start reacting to an allergen, they must pass through three discrete stages; exposure,sensitisation and subsequently