Treatment Strategies for the Prevention and Relief of Symptoms in Psychiatric Patients with Allergic Rhinitis

Up to 40% of Americans have symptoms of allergic rhinitis, costing the health care system almost 2 billion per year. Allergic rhinitis is an inflammatory disease that results in sneezing, rhinorrhea, and congestion. Allergen avoidance can minimize such symptoms, but pharmacological therapy with antihistamines, decongestants, mast cell stabilizers, and corticosteroids may be necessary to effectively treat symptoms. In the psychiatric patient, tobacco use and drug interactions make treatment more complicated. Newly available agents described in this article may prevent treatment complications in the psychiatric patient with allergic rhinitis.