Allergic rhinitis

For a lay person:

Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) is the nose reacting to things in the air such as pollen, dust mites or animal dander. It causes bouts of sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, and itchy, watery eyes. It may come with the seasons or last all year.

For a trained medical person:

An IgE-mediated inflammatory response of the nasal mucosa, classified as intermittent or persistent and by severity. It is closely associated with asthma and atopic eczema. Diagnosis is clinical, supported by skin-prick or specific IgE testing. First-line treatment is allergen avoidance, intranasal corticosteroids and second-generation antihistamines; immunotherapy suits selected patients.

In Chinese medicine:

Maciocia distinguishes the acute attack (Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat invading the Lung) from the underlying tendency, which he attributes to deficiency of the Lung's and Kidney's defensive qi. His account of allergic rhinitis is his own theory rather than a classical one.