Who suffers from seasonal allergic rhinitis?
setTopicVideo(); –> We know that genes and environment both play a role. If a child has one affected parent, he has a 25 to 50 percent chance of developing allergic rhinitis and up to a 75 percent chance if both parents are affected. Increasing this risk are exposure to pollutants, certain respiratory infections, and cigarette smoke. Since the immune system requires “priming” (previous exposures) before a full-fledged reaction occurs, seasonal allergies aren’t common under the age of three. (This is in contrast to perennial allergies—reactions to indoor irritants such as dust, mites, dander, or roaches—which can begin earlier and last year round.) Most seasonal allergy sufferers first show symptoms before the age of 20, and children as young as five can be affected.
