Current and Future Directions in Pediatric Allergic Rhinitis

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common pediatric problem that significantly affects sleep, learning, performance, and quality of life. In addition, it is associated with significant comorbidities and complications. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to provide an update on the epidemiology, comorbidities, pathophysiology, current treatment, and future direction of pediatric AR. METHODS: Literature reviews in each of these areas were conducted, and the results were incorporated. RESULTS: The prevalence of AR is increasing in the pediatric population and is associated with significant morbidity, comorbidities, and complications. The mainstay of current treatment strategies includes allergen avoidance, pharmacotherapy, and allergen specific immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: In the future, diagnosis will be improved by microarrayed recombinant allergen testing and therapy will be expanded to include emerging treatments such as sublingual immunotherapy and combination products. (C) 2013 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology