Allergic rhinitis: symptoms, treatment, prevention

1. Allergic rhinitis - what is it?
2. Symptoms
3. Types of allergic rhinitis
4. Forms of allergic rhinitis
5. Causes of allergic rhinitis
6. How to Diagnose Allergic Rhinitis
7. What to treat: allergy medications
8. How to treat allergic rhinitis
9. Prevention
10. Precautionary measures
11. Conclusion

Allergic rhinitis is classified as a non-infectious rhinitis, where the leading component is the vascular component. This type of disease is also called “false runny nose.”

Allergic rhinitis - what is it?

Allergic rhinitis (popularly called “hay fever”) is an inflammation of the nasal mucosa due to various allergens. Determine that it is allergic rhinitis ( runny nose

), quite simply: if a person does not have signs of inflammation, but has symptoms of rhinitis, then most likely it is hay fever. Sometimes it is almost impossible to understand which allergen causes rhinitis, because the patient is sensitive to several groups of allergens at once (polysensitization). In this case, you need to immediately visit a doctor so that he can prescribe the correct treatment, since just removing certain allergens may not be enough.

Diagnosis of a cat with lacrimation

To correctly diagnose a possible disease, you should observe the cat. Sometimes eye problems are accompanied by behavioral changes. Decreased activity and refusal to eat may confirm the presence of the disease. During a visual inspection it is necessary to determine:

• both eyes or only one are affected;
• how often does tearing occur?
• how much tears are produced;
• what is the purity and color of the eyeball;
• whether there are traces of blood or pus in the liquid;
• whether the mucous membranes and eyelids swell;
• Is there a prolapse of the third eyelid?

To find out the reason why your animal's lacrimation occurs, you should carefully examine the organ of vision. Before doing this, first wash your hands or wipe them with a disinfectant solution. The cat's eyes are washed to remove secretions and examined by gently pulling back the lower eyelid. Based on the diagnostic results, a clinical picture is drawn up. Signs of eye problems are determined by the condition of the visual organ and the nature of the discharge.

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If a cat sneezes and tears flow

The cause of excessive tearing may be due to a bacterial, fungal or viral infection. At the same time, the cat sometimes coughs, sneezes and watery eyes. With such a problem, diseases of the respiratory system cannot be ruled out. The animal is tested for mycoplasmosis and chlamydia. With a weakened immune system, the disease can last more than a week. Another reason why a cat has watery eyes, coughing and sneezing is an allergy.

If the tears have a brown discharge

The brown color of tear fluid is due to the presence of dark-colored pigments in it. There are several reasons for this lacrimation. Some cats have brown tears because they have a short, narrow tear duct. A growing tumor can lead to a narrowing of the canal. But the anatomical structure of the organ is not always the culprit. In some cases, dark liquid accumulates due to infection of the body with worms or non-infectious inflammation of the lacrimal sac. Another reason is trauma, due to which blood enters the tear secretion.

Tears and purulent discharge

If the eyes water and pus is released, then bacterial conjunctivitis, blepharitis or keratitis is diagnosed. Sometimes the disease is aggravated by a viral infection, chlamydia. If the cat suffers from allergies, the inflammatory process is aggravated. The discharge may have a yellow, greenish, or light brown tint.

Red eyes and watery eyes

The cause of reddening of the whites with excessive tearing may be an organ injury or a foreign body getting under the eyelid. If both facts are not established during the examination, the option of allergies or increased intraocular pressure is considered. With these problems, the blood vessels often dilate and the eyes water. The cat blinks frequently, squints and avoids light.

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The cat has one eye that is watery and swollen

If the problem affects only one eye, the most likely cause is mechanical damage to the organ. This could be an injury due to a blow or a sharp object getting under the eyelid. Also, the cat's eye waters and swells with unilateral conjunctivitis or glaucoma. The last problem is accompanied by a painful effect and disorientation of the pet in space. When diagnosing unilateral lacrimation and edema, it is necessary to exclude a tumor.

Tearing and cloudy eyes

If your cat's eyes are watery and cloudy, the cornea and lens need to be examined. If the color of the clouding is whitish or light blue, and the spot itself is matte, then the pathology is most likely associated with the cornea. If in the light, along with a decrease in the size of the pupil, the cloudy spot decreases, then the problem is related to the lens. Potential causes of turbidity and lacrimation are also infections, organic inclusions, scars, and vascular proliferation.

Symptoms

The disease is manifested by several symptoms: itching of the mucous membranes, sneezing, watery nasal discharge (rhinorrhea), and nasal congestion, and sometimes even conjunctivitis. With obstruction (obstruction syndrome of the human respiratory system), headaches often occur. Allergic rhinitis can lead to complications such as sinusitis.

The causes of rhinitis can be pollen, mold spores, wool, fluff and waste products of animals (cats, dogs, rodents), dust mites, cockroaches.

Asthma is a frequent accompaniment of allergic rhinitis, but it is not yet clear whether a false runny nose is the cause of asthma or whether both of these diseases are based on the same cause - the allergic process. With asthma accompanying hay fever, the patient may experience shortness of breath and a severe cough.

When to see a doctor

If, as a result of the injury, the cat's eye is red and watery, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor. The sooner the cat receives help, the greater the chance of preserving the animal’s vision.

Important! If there is dirty or purulent discharge from the eyes, the cat should be taken to the vet immediately!

Diagnostics in the clinic

Diagnostic methods for lacrimation in cats involve a simple visual examination and further laboratory tests. The goal is to identify the cause of discharge from the eyes and prescribe treatment if infectious or other diseases are detected. To clarify the diagnosis, stool analysis, scrapings or smears, and hardware examination of the eyes may be required.

Types of allergic rhinitis

There are two types of allergic rhinitis: chronic (year-round) and seasonal. The first appears all year round, since the allergens that cause it are always present in a person’s life. And the second is associated with the seasonal flowering of plants and the appearance of spores of some fungi (Cladosporium, Penicillium, Alternaria).

A characteristic sign of seasonal rhinitis is an increase in symptoms when certain plants appear outside during flowering, using cosmetics and medications containing extracts of plants to which a person is allergic, deterioration in health when coming into contact with rotten grass, and so on.

With persistent rhinitis, sensitivity to allergens of dust mites, animals, birds, insect allergens (from insects), food allergens, mold fungi and chemical elements (platinum salts, chromium compounds, nickel compounds, epoxy resins, etc.) increases.

Why do Scottish Fold cats have watery eyes?

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Breeders and cat lovers know that Scottish kittens and adult pets often have watery eyes. In childhood, this symptom is more pronounced than in adulthood. The anatomical structure of the head and eyes of these cats has special differences. The canal coming from the lacrimal gland is shortened, so tears do not linger in the ducts and quickly come out. The predisposition is explained by the flattened shape of the skull, which determines the non-standard structure of the ocular analyzer.

Scots' eyeballs are large, so they require regular washing with tear fluid. Otherwise, the cat is at risk of drying out the cornea. At the same time, cats that show suspicious signs must be examined, since eye diseases are no less common in them than in other breeds.

Forms of allergic rhinitis

Doctors distinguish mild, moderate and severe forms of rhinitis.

In the first case, the symptoms are mild, quality sleep, daily quality of life and activity are preserved, and the general condition can be called satisfactory.

In the second case, the symptoms already affect all of the above points. A person is more susceptible to exposure to allergens and experiences discomfort.

When the disease is severe, the symptoms become so painful that the human body cannot function normally.

According to the forms of its course, allergic rhinitis can be intermittent (symptoms persist only up to 3 days a week and up to 4 weeks a year) and persistent (symptoms persist more than 4 days a week and more than 4 weeks a year).

The disease itself can be detected both during an exacerbation and during remission.

Causes

The factors leading to teary eyes are varied. There are situations when it is a physiological norm.

Tears in a cat are a normal reaction of the body if:

• no swelling;
• the pupil reacts normally to light;
• the color of the discharge is transparent, without shades or impurities of pus;
• no signs of foreign objects;
• the shell has not changed color;
• the animal does not experience discomfort.

In addition, some breeds have a predisposition due to anatomical features. For example, the tear duct in the Scottish and British breeds is too short, while in the Persian it is curved. Kittens are genetically predisposed to tearfulness.

In these cases, it is enough to wipe the eyes with a sterile napkin and periodically rinse them with chamomile decoction; no additional procedures are required without changing the transparency of the tears.

Also normal is morning whitish discharge in the corners of the eyes, which is the result of the cleansing work of the lacrimal glands. The cat independently removes accumulated crusts from the eyes, but if this does not happen, the owner can help the pet with a napkin or swab soaked in saline solution or regular clean warm water.

In kittens that are just opening their eyes, increased tear production is a reaction to a physiological change that protects their delicate eyes. If the tears are transparent and not viscous, there is no reason to worry. They last no more than one week.

How to Diagnose Allergic Rhinitis

To identify allergic rhinitis, it is necessary to collect an allergic history:

1. quality of living conditions, presence of mold in the apartment (house), presence of pets, house dust collectors;
2. does the manifestation of the disease depend on seasonality;
3. what is the situation in which the symptoms of the disease occur (in nature, in a damp room, etc.);
4. is there a clear temporal relationship between allergen exposure and exacerbation;
5. is there any improvement after stopping contact with the suspected allergen.

Currently, there are a number of methods for laboratory diagnosis of the disease that help to create a complete picture and make an accurate diagnosis. Laboratory diagnostics includes the following methods:

• clinical blood test;
• X-ray of the nasal cavity and sinuses;
• skin tests and provocative nasal texts (allergy testing);
• cytological examination of nasal secretions;
• examination of nasal discharge for the presence of microflora;
• anterior rhinoscopy;
• endoscopic examination of the nasal cavity;
• computed tomography of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses;
• anterior rhinomanometry.

Establishing diagnosis

Before starting treatment, it is imperative to conduct a diagnosis that will help identify the true cause of excessive lacrimation and carry out effective treatment therapy. Only a veterinarian can conduct a correct and thorough examination.

Important! Before going to the veterinarian, be sure to prepare a pet card, which should indicate all vaccinations, anthelmintic treatments, and past illnesses. It is advisable to write down symptoms of malaise and other suspicious signs on a piece of paper.

Sometimes the veterinarian may be interested in the following important questions at the appointment:

• how long the symptoms last;
• how did the first symptoms of tearing from the eyes appear and the peculiarities of the course of this condition, for example, did two eyes immediately begin to water at the same time, or vice versa, first one began, and then the other, and whether there are other additional symptoms;
• when the last procedures to eliminate helminths, fleas, ticks and other parasites were carried out.

To make an accurate diagnosis, the veterinarian will definitely take a urine and stool test. It is advisable to already have the research material with you before going to the doctor. Also, at the appointment, he will definitely take mucus from the eye for examination; for this reason, there is no need to first rinse the pet’s eyes with various solutions.

What to treat: allergy medications

During the period of illness, it is first recommended to carry out non-medicinal measures, such as eliminating allergens (removal):

1. Group of pollen allergens. It is necessary to keep windows and doors closed indoors and in the car, limit your time outside, use air conditioning indoors, and take a shower or bath after every walk.
2. Mold spores. Doctors recommend cleaning rooms frequently, cleaning air humidifiers and hoods, using fungicides, and maintaining indoor humidity at about 50%.
3. House ticks and cockroaches. It is important to remove all carpeting, replace them with wooden floors or laminate, choose leather sofas, wash bed linen once a week in hot water (60°C and above), and clean with a special vacuum cleaner with a built-in HEPA filter and a dust container with thick walls. At the same time, it is important to remove the root cause - insects using chemicals and insecticides for baiting insects, as well as carry out preventive treatment of residential premises. At this time, it is better for the allergy sufferer to stay in another room until the chemicals have completely evaporated.
4. Allergens from animals. Limit the presence of an animal with allergies, bathe the animal weekly, and use HEPA filters.
5. Food allergens. They appear in young children on certain types of food and should be excluded from the diet.

The following medications are used in treatment: nasal corticosteroids (hormonal sprays that help relieve swelling), decongestants, antihistamines, moisturizers, vasoconstrictor drugs. Sometimes for severe rhinitis, a procedure such as desensitization (specific immunotherapy) is performed. Each of these types of treatment has its own characteristics.

Nasal corticosteroids such as beclomethasone and fluticasone relieve swelling. They are used 1 or 2 times a day (the daily dose is determined by the doctor).

Decongestants include acrivastine, ebastine, cetirizine, promethazine, loratadine, and others. They block the release of inflammatory and allergic mediators, have antiallergic, antipruritic, decongestant and sedative effects.

Antihistamines come in 1st and 2nd generation; 2nd generation medications are used more often because they are more harmless. In addition, these drugs are divided into nasal (azelastine, levocabastine) and those used for the conjunctival sac (azelastine, olopatadine, epinastine, emedastine, ketotifen, olopatadine).

Moisturizers help cleanse the nasal mucosa.

Vasoconstrictor or vasoconstrictor drugs relieve unpleasant symptoms: they cause vasospasm, making them less swollen. As a result, nasal congestion decreases and breathing improves.

If the help of other means is insufficient, it is recommended to resort to desensitization. During this procedure, a gradually increasing dose of the allergen is introduced into the body, due to which sensitivity to it gradually decreases. For this purpose, subcutaneous injections or sublingual drops are used.

What to do if you have nasal congestion due to allergies?

Time-tested recommendations

Preventive measures

To avoid eye problems in cats, you need to pay regular attention to their examination and hygiene. Do not neglect quarterly deworming and vaccination. To prevent the development of any pathologies, you should show your pet to a specialist once every six months - as you know, the disease is easier to cure at an early stage.

If you have the slightest problems with your cat’s eyes, it is better to show the animal to a specialist - you should not experiment with the health of your pet. The favorable outcome of any disease largely depends on competent and timely therapy.

How to treat allergic rhinitis

Three main methods are used to treat the disease:

• non-medicinal (removal of allergens),
• medicinal (using various drugs),
• surgical.

The first two methods are discussed in detail in the previous paragraph, and now we will talk about the third.

Surgical intervention is performed in three cases: when non-drug and drug treatment methods do not help, when correction of structural disorders of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is needed, when pathologies appear (purulent or polypous sinusitis, etc.). This method is distinguished by its accuracy, the ability to penetrate any part of the nose and sinuses where surgery is necessary, functionality and efficiency. If the operation is performed in a timely manner, recovery and return to a full life occurs quickly and without serious complications.

Important: operations are performed with complete exclusion of contact with the allergen. The procedure is not carried out during flowering or other active exposure to allergens.).

After surgery, scars, osteomyelitis, empty nose syndrome, facial pain, bleeding, and atrophic rhinitis may occur.

In addition to surgical intervention, laser coagulation (cauterization) of the nasal turbinates is also performed (submucosal, targeted, selective ablation of hypertrophied areas).

Among the most effective drugs for the treatment of sinusitis symptoms are
Sialor Rhino based on silver ions. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and prevents the proliferation of bacteria. Thanks to the mild action of the drug, the balance of microflora is maintained and favorable conditions are created for the regeneration of the nasal mucosa.

Treatment options

Self-treatment of the symptom itself is ineffective .
With such signs, the first step is to be examined by an ophthalmologist , who, based on the reasons, can prescribe appropriate therapy.

In most cases, the cause lies in inflammatory and/or infectious diseases , which require elimination of the pathogenic microflora.

For this purpose, antibacterial drugs are used in the form of ointments or drops.

The most effective ointments are chloramphenicol and tetracycline.

Important! They can be used not only for infectious lesions, but also in case of injuries and burns to exclude associated infection.

Patients with such diseases often prescribed drops of fucytamilk , maxitrol, albucid or tobrex.

Precautionary measures

When treating cat eyes, precautions must be taken. Hands are washed with soap and water before and after the procedure. Do not eat or drink while working with medications.

If drops get on your skin, it is recommended to wash them off with running water as soon as possible. The cat is carefully restrained throughout the procedure, as it can escape and seriously injure the person holding it.

Eye drops are popular medications among cat owners. They are used both for treatment and for regular cleansing of the cat's eyes. Some medications can help cope with corneal dryness, which often affects flat-faced pets (Persians, exotics, etc.).

Why is the kitten crying?

It is natural for a kitten to shed tears when its eyes open and adapt to the bright light. But their number is small, and the mother cat often licks the kittens and the owners rarely notice it. Babies need to be examined carefully. Excessive lacrimation may also indicate helminth infection. Kittens up to 2 months old can receive anthelmintic therapy only after examination and as prescribed by a veterinarian, who will calculate the dosage of the drug.

Tears in a kitten separated from a cat early may indicate a weakened immune system. If he has difficulty opening his eyes, wipe them with a damp cotton swab and contact your veterinarian. He will give nutritional advice and prescribe a vitamin complex to strengthen the immune system.