Why the nose is stuffy and I sneeze. Runny nose and sneezing against a person: who will win? Causes of sneezing and runny nose

Allergic rhinitis (rhinitis) - inflammatory process nasal mucosa, which is the body's response to an irritant. This response is inadequate in strength due to its sensitization to the substance. During this, there is a release of biologically active substances and excess production of nasal mucus with the development of catarrhal symptoms.

Allergic rhinitis is the most common type of allergic manifestation. It is considered an immediate type of reaction and develops in a few seconds up to 15-20 minutes. In such cases, nasal sprays and drops can help allergy sufferers. Allergic rhinitis affects 9% of the world's population.

Etiology of the phenomenon

There is always only one etiology - contact with an allergen, but there can be many allergens themselves:

• pollen of flowers;
• any kind of dust, in which spores of fungi and mites often hover - home, book, road;
• mold fungi;
• feathers, wool and the smell of pets;
• dry food for fish and animals;
• animal excrement;
• aerosol medicines;
• foods can also cause allergies, but their manifestations are different.

In addition, for the manifestation of a reaction, a predisposition of the body to allergies is needed, which is inherited.

Pathogenesis of the reaction

The main reason is the inadequate response of the immune system to some substances to which there is sensitization. In other words, there are cells that store information about the allergen that has already caused an increased reaction to its appearance at least once. The plasma already contains antibodies to this allergen; and when the antigen reappears, they react violently. The antigen-antibody compound creates an immune complex that activates the appearance of active histamine.

Upon contact with an allergen, there is a powerful release of histamine from mast cells into the blood, where it was previously inactive. Histamine, in turn, alters the functioning of other systems. It causes a spasm of large vessels and dilatation of capillaries: the permeability of their walls increases sharply. The result is swelling of the nasal mucosa, it turns red, secretes a large amount of secretion (rhinorrhea), coughing, sneezing - manifestations of an allergic reaction.

Classification of allergic rhinitis

It is divided into acute episodic, seasonal and year-round. Acute form occurs as a separate attack or episode upon contact with an allergen, most often transmitted by inhalation. Seasonal manifests itself during the flowering period, at other times of the year a person is completely healthy. Fungi and pollen act as irritants at this time. Year-round runny nose - its symptoms are not so pronounced, but they persist constantly. They can subside and worsen.

The diagnosis of year-round rhinitis is made if the manifestations of rhinitis occur at least 2 times a day or within 9 months out of 12. Allergens are permanent and it is almost impossible to get rid of them: household dust, the contents of feather pillows.

According to the severity of the process, 3 degrees are distinguished:

• mild - sleep is not disturbed, the nose is slightly blocked, the snot is insignificant, the ability to work is not disturbed;
• moderate severity - sleep is disturbed, a person's activity in the profession and at home is reduced;
• severe - the symptoms are pronounced, they give the patient torment.

Currently, the above systematization of rhinitis has been slightly changed: hay fever is called intermittent-periodic rhinitis: its symptoms do not last more than 4 days a week, and no more than 1 month a year. Persistent rhinitis is interpreted as persistent-persistent - the patient has manifestations of the disease more than 4 days a week and more than a month a year.

Symptomatic manifestations

Allergy symptoms appear immediately upon contact with an allergen:

• rhinorrhea (profuse discharge of clear mucus from the nose);
• constant sneezing to a headache - it is quiet, in fits, 10-20 sneezes each (can be removed only with a hormonal spray);
• constant itching in the nose, itching and reddening;
• itching is also felt in the throat, in the eyes, on the skin of the face.
• it is impossible to breathe through the nose due to the edematous mucous membrane;
• runny nose and sneezing cause taste and smell;
• watery eyes and swelling of the eyes;
• pasty face;
• pain, sore throat, tearing dry cough;
• headaches.

If rhinitis is year-round, nasal congestion due to allergies leads to the fact that a person can breathe only through the mouth, and this contributes to the "clinging" of bacteria. Differences from the common cold:

• with a cold, the increase in symptoms occurs gradually;
• sneezing sharp, strong, but occasionally;
• the temperature rises;
• there is muscle aches, deterioration in general health;
• the sense of smell is slightly impaired;
• lymph nodes are enlarged;
• duration up to a week;
• nasal congestion is relieved by vasoconstrictor agents that improve the general condition of the patient;
• rhinorrhea is not so profuse;
• for allergies - only antihistamines (AHP) help.

If the allergy is of a chronic persistent nature, then the compensatory mechanisms of the body are depleted, a secondary infection can join and then other symptoms join:

• nasal congestion with allergies in these cases becomes constant;
• the sense of smell does not work;
• due to disturbed nasal breathing at night, apnea (respiratory arrest) periodically occurs and nightmares dream;
• there is fatigue, absent-mindedness, decreased activity.
• skin manifestations and symptoms in the form of rashes can join.
• sinusitis often develops.

Untreated chronic allergic rhinitis can cause bronchial asthma, from which one step to respiratory and heart failure. In asthmatics, in 90% of cases, asthma manifestations began after allergorinitis. If a cold with rhinitis disappears without treatment within a week, then in the case of allergic rhinitis, it will not work to dismiss it. It leads to complications and the quality of life with it deteriorates significantly.

Diagnostic measures

Even if allergy symptoms are severe, they are not enough to diagnose an allergy. First you need to visit an ENT, which, by rhinoscopy, will determine the condition of the nasal mucosa.

Laboratory tests will be required:

• KLA - increased eosinophils by more than 5 in a third of patients; leukocytes are normal.
• Eosinophils are also elevated in a nasal smear (in 70% of cases).

It is also necessary to detect the allergen, which requires skin tests. The procedure is carried out by an allergist: a whole set of different allergens is applied to the forearm and then punctures are made in the skin in these places. After a while, within 20 minutes, they look at the size of the blisters. But detection does not always occur, because the set of allergens is always limited: there are up to 2-3 hundreds of them, and there are tens of thousands of provocateurs. Allergy may not be for one allergen.

Treatment principles

How are allergies treated? In addition to the well-known AGP, a specific treatment is used - SIT. The essence of the method of specific immunotherapy is that, incrementally, an allergen is introduced into the patient's body, starting with micro doses. The body in these cases, as it were, gets used to its presence and does not react to it. Thus, tolerance or tolerance to the allergen is developed. The allergic response is blocked.

The method is not applicable to everyone. It can be applied if the allergen is accurately identified; if the subject has no more than 3 allergens; if during the period of treatment the patient is in remission; the patient is not older than 50 years; drug therapy was not particularly effective. SIT is a highly effective method, but dangerous; it is prescribed and performed only by a treating and qualified allergist, since during its implementation, Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock may develop.

Drug therapy

If you develop an allergy and a stuffy nose, what to do and how to treat in such cases at home?

1 Histamine blockers or antihistamines. Now more often AGP 2 or even 3 generations are used at once - their big plus is that they do not cause drowsiness and the effect when taken is longer. In addition, they do not have such side effects as 1st generation drugs: they do not cause arrhythmias, urinary retention, and do not reduce vision. These include: Zodak, Erius (is the strongest), Claritin (Loratadin), Tsetrin, Zyrtec (Cetirizin), Tavegil (Clemastin), Allergodil drops (it is not prescribed for children under 6 years of age and pregnant women). They begin to act already 15 minutes after admission. Also tested by time Suprastin and Diazolin. They do not act on the allergen itself, they only relieve unpleasant symptoms. The value of AGPs is that they can immediately stop the course of the allergy reaction, so allergy sufferers should always have with them, as cores have nitroglycerin. The course of taking AGP for at least 2 weeks.

2 Nasal drops - there are many of them, but phenylephrine-based drops have proven themselves best of all, as the safest; they are even assigned to children. These are Nazol, Vibracil, Sanorin, Tizin, etc., they relieve mucosal edema and thereby reduce secretions. Any of them are not used for more than 5 days, otherwise addiction develops to them. Intranasal sprays better than drops, since they are evenly distributed over the nasal mucosa and do not depend on the position of the body.

3 Cromones - nasal sprays; they are more popular abroad. They have very good characteristics, since they perfectly cope with the common cold and when prescribing them, it is often possible to do without prescribing stronger drugs. They are membrane stabilizing drugs that do not allow mast cells to release histamine into the blood. Among them, the most commonly prescribed are cromoglycic acid, Kromosol, Kromohexal, Kromoglin. They are even used as monotherapy for easy course rhinitis. The effect develops in a few days, but their reception is long-lasting - several months.

4 Local glucocorticosteroids (GCS) - used in the form of nasal sprays and drops. These drugs give excellent results because act on the entire chain of allergic reactions; they not only relieve symptoms, but also prevent the occurrence of the reaction itself. Among them: Nazarel, Benoprin, Aldecin, Budesonid, Nasobek, Nazonex, Avamis, Bekonaze. These corticosteroids are designed specifically for the nose and do not have the side effects of corticosteroids. They are not prescribed for children and the elderly. Long-term use of them still reduces the function of the adrenal glands and may thus contribute to the onset of diabetes. Treatment with them should be carried out only as directed by a doctor.

5 Systemic steroids are the same corticosteroids, but for parenteral and internal use. They are tried to be prescribed for a particularly severe course of allergies and only for a few days. Side effects they are manifested. Only a doctor should prescribe them, the treatment is carried out according to the scheme, with a gradual dose reduction. GCS are considered representatives of "heavy" artillery in the treatment of allergic manifestations. When prescribing treatment for a patient, the doctor will not prescribe all the indicated 5 groups at once; the treatment and its regimens are determined by the severity and applied gradually. If the patient has only 1 degree (mild) allergic rhinitis, drugs of the first 3 groups are prescribed; if there is no expected effect, group 3 is replaced by hormonal nasal sprays. With moderate severity, treatment begins immediately with them, and antihistamines and vasoconstrictor drops 2 groups. Severe degrees require the use of systemic GCS.

If at allergic rhinitis developed anatomical problems and the nasal passages are narrowed due to choanal hypertrophy, it is possible to use surgical techniques, but this is extremely rare.

Some of the latest generation nasal sprays contain very fine (micro-fine) cellulose powder and garlic; upon contact with the nasal mucosa, they form a kind of gel-like film on it, which is highly durable and does not allow the allergen to penetrate and affect the mucous membrane directly. Thus, the allergy stops as the allergens are no longer absorbed through the nasopharynx. It is very convenient for babies, even newborns, and pregnant women. These representatives include Nazaval. Prevalin has the same principle of action - it also forms a film, but this time from oils and emulsifiers.

With allergic rhinitis, it becomes mandatory to take enterosorbents due to their adsorbing ability: they remove toxins, toxins from the body, and allergens. The most effective are Polysorb, Polyphepan, Filtrum, Enterosgel.

The arsenal of anti-allergic drugs has recently been replenished with a new group of drugs - leukotriene antagonists. They interrupt the allergic reaction and inflammation at the level of arachidonic acid derivatives, thereby preventing the occurrence of the allergy itself. These drugs include Akolat and Singular. Classic treatment does not start with them; these are reserve drugs for severe cases. They should only be prescribed by a doctor.

It is still important for rhinitis to cleanse and rinse the nose to remove mucus from it. It prevents the patient from breathing through the nose and promotes the penetration of a bacterial secondary infection. For washing, use a solution sea \u200b\u200bsalt in official preparations - Dolphin, Aquamaris, etc. Or, at home, prepare a 10% solution of sodium chloride; you can also prepare a solution from the sea salt sold. The solutions reduce mucosal edema and cleanse the nasal passages.

Very often, for many diseases, it is recommended to strengthen the immune system, because it is with its decrease that many pathogens become activated. But with allergic reactions, it becomes a double-edged sword. A high and strong level of immunity in this case will simply accelerate and intensify the allergic reaction, up to pulmonary edema and anaphylactic shock.

Forecast and prevention

The most important thing in prevention is to create a barrier in the emergence of contact with the allergen. If the allergy is seasonal and depends on the flowering of herbs, you should try to move to another zone during this time. At home, you should always have and use air filters. Trips out of town and to the country in the spring during the flowering period should be excluded. It is necessary to delete from the list of acceptable herbal cosmetics and drugs based on plant raw materials, try to keep your allergic diary in order to navigate through it in your manifestations and choice of funds.

Choose vegetables, herbs and fruits with care. If you are allergic to cereals, you need to give up kvass and beer, cereals from cereals, pasta, pastries and muffins, coffee, cocoa and smoked sausages. If weed pollen is to blame, you should not use sunflower oil and its derivatives, you need to give up vermouth and absinthe, because they are prepared on the basis of wormwood.

Factors provoking the onset of symptoms

One of the functions of organs respiratory system - protective. With the help of mucus and sharp exhalations, the body protects itself from foreign particles and infection.

Frequent sneezing, nasal congestion, or a runny nose can be caused by:

• colds;
• infectious diseases;
• inflammatory processes of the respiratory system;
• allergic reactions;
• environment;
• the presence of a foreign object in the respiratory tract;
• the formation of the nasal mucosa;
• severe curvature of the nasal septum.

Many people mistakenly follow this principle: "If I often sneeze, the reasons are not important, you need to get rid of the symptom as soon as possible with the help of any nasal sprays or drops."

But such a judgment is extremely wrong, because, wanting to get rid of the symptom as quickly as possible, without finding out the cause of its occurrence, a person runs the risk of aggravating the situation with incompetent treatment. Therefore, it is very important to establish the true factors provoking the appearance of frequent.

Diagnosing diseases

At the first symptoms of frequent sneezing, you need to see a doctor. Based on the clinical situation, during the examination, the therapist can make a conclusion about the presence of acute respiratory diseases and viral infections, flu. These diseases have the following symptoms:

• sneezing and coughing;
• high body temperature;
• general weakness;
• runny nose;
• a sore throat;
• dizziness;
• body aches, etc.

If a person has additional symptoms that may indicate other diseases of the respiratory system, the therapist may prescribe an additional examination. When a patient has wheezing in the lungs, there is reason to suspect pneumonia.

Pain in the maxillary sinus area may indicate sinusitis. In such cases, the patient is additionally prescribed an x-ray of the respiratory system, after which an accurate diagnosis can be made.

In case of breathing problems caused by mechanical obstacles (the presence of a foreign object in the airways, curvature of the nasal septum), you should seek the help of an otolaryngologist. Sometimes it is enough to conduct an endoscopic examination of organs in order to confirm such a diagnosis.

Much less often, additional radiography or computed tomography is required.

When worried about frequent sneezing during pregnancy, firstly, you need to be examined by a gynecologist. The cause may be vasomotor rhinitis against a background of hormonal imbalance.

It is characteristic of it: when a person is in a horizontal position on his side, he puts in exactly the nostril on the side of which the person lies. This form of rhinitis is also common in adolescents and women during menopause.

When a woman is worried: “I sneeze a lot during pregnancy”, possible reason there may be colds and infections. Especially on early dates sneezing during pregnancy can be harmful to the fetus. during a sharp exhalation, a strong muscle contraction occurs, which can provoke a miscarriage.

"What to do when I often sneeze, the reasons are not similar to colds and viral diseases?" - You need to consult an allergist. An immune response is the second most common cause of runny nose, nasal congestion and sneezing.

Hay fever or hay fever (a seasonal allergic reaction to pollen) is especially common. In order to confirm the presence of hypersensitivity to any substance, it is enough to conduct provocative allergic tests in laboratory conditions or take a blood test.

Formations of the nasopharyngeal mucosa (polyps, cysts) can be detected only after a doctor's examination. They are diagnosed using endoscopy (rhinoscopy, pharyngoscopy, etc.), nasal mucus culture, and blood tests.

The answer to the question: “I often sneeze, and a runny nose worries from time to time, while I do not have any respiratory diseases” is the following: sneezing and a runny nose can be a protective reaction of the body to polluted air.

Gas contamination of the environment with exhaust gases, emissions into the air from factories, plants and industries negatively affects human health. Thus, by producing mucus, the body tries to purify the incoming air. Even house dust can cause this symptom.

Among children's breathing problems, a very common cause is a foreign object stuck in the nose. As soon as the doctor removes it, breathing is normalized.

Treatment and prevention

After an accurate diagnosis has been established, treatment of the disease can begin. Only after the disease has been eliminated will the symptom itself finally disappear.

Treatment is selected individually, depending on the cause provoking sneezing and runny nose. Colds, inflammatory, infectious diseases are treated with anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial drugs, symptomatic remedies.

Allergic reactions are stopped by antihistamines. Vasoconstrictor drops and ointments help to relieve the symptom. They must be used carefully, because of excessive use, addiction to the drug may develop.

When air currents are blocked by formations in the nose (cysts, polyps), or mechanical obstacles (for example, curvature of the nasal septum) obstruct them, it is rarely possible to find an effective drug treatment... Surgical solution of the problem is most often used.

Respiratory disorders associated with the environment can be eliminated by adhering to a series of preventive measures, for people with problems of the respiratory system, it is especially important to observe them:

• improve immunity;
• avoid hypothermia and overheating of the body;
• avoid contact with sources of infections;
• avoid contact with possible allergens;
• do sport;
• to carry out breathing exercises;
• carry out wet cleaning at home;
• regularly be in the fresh air;
• give up bad habits: smoking and alcohol.

Such simple measures warn a person against possible diseases, help strengthen the immune system, and improve the functioning of the respiratory system.

It is important to remember a simple rule for yourself and follow it: "If I often sneeze, I have the first symptoms of the disease, I should immediately seek help from a doctor."