The term rhinitis refers to an inflammatory response of the lining of the membrane of the nose. There are numerous causes of rhinitis and allergic rhinitis is just one of them.
Seasonal allergic rhinitis is also known as hay fever and is caused by allergies to various types of pollen, but suffers can also experience perennial allergic rhinitis, which is caused by allergies to things like house dust mites, chemicals, food and animal fur.
To establish whether an allergic reaction is the cause of your rhinitis Mr Frosh is likely to need to discuss with you the history of your symptoms, examine you and possibly perform skin prick or blood tests to identify the specific allergens involved. He will devise a management plan based on the diagnosis. In the case of an allergic cause or hayfever, this may include allergen avoidance, nasal sprays or medication, and desensitisation.
Mr Frosh provides a desensitisation service for grass pollen allergy. This very effective treatment is not usually available on the NHS (including Hertfordshire). Further information on this treatment is available here.
Further information on hayfever and seasonal allergic rhinitis is available from the patient information leaflets available on the links on this page.