SW Dallas News

• Allergy symptoms include sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes and an itchy nose, eyes or mouth.

• Inflammation is a very common cause for allergy symptoms.

• Potential allergy treatments include over-the-counter medications, nasal sprays and immunotherapy.

Inflammation could be the cause of your allergy symptoms, according to Dr. Monty Trimble of Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers. The good news is that there are  a variety of treatments that can be used to address allergies, the doctor said.

"We offer allergy treatment, allergy testing," Trimble told SW Dallas News. "For people who do have  significant allergic rhinitis, you can permanently alter someone's immune system over time with immunotherapy, so allergy shots or drops, and that can provide permanent improvements for patients."

A procedure called balloon sinuplasty is another option.

"When you intervene in their nose with balloon sinuplasty, you can also offer permanent changes to the way those sinuses drain and the way the patient breathes," Trimble said. "I think that's  exciting to be able to offer this level of  treatment with decreased recovery times in an office setting. That just makes it more convenient for the patient."

More than 50 million Americans are suffering from allergies every year, and allergies are the sixth-most-common cause of chronic illness in the U.S., according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, can be either seasonal or perennial and can cause sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes and an itchy nose, eyes or mouth.

In adults, chronic sinusitis is often linked to nasal swelling caused by allergies, especially allergies to inhaled dust, mold, pollen or the spores of fungi, according to Harvard Medical School.

Allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes can be caused by inflammation, which is a result of the body attempting to protect itself from allergens, according to MBG Health. When someone is exposed to an allergen, the body's natural stress response is to secrete hormones such as cortisol and chemicals like histamine, but studies have shown that those secretions can lead to inflammation, which in turn makes allergy symptoms, as well as asthma, even worse.

Depending on the type and severity of your allergies, your doctor could recommend various treatment options, according to Mayo Clinic. Some treatments options are over-the-counter medications, nasal sprays, immunotherapy or -- for very severe allergies, carrying an   emergency epinephrine shot, such as an EpiPen.                

To find out more about allergies, sinusitis or treatment options, please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.