- Johar Town, Lahore
- Mon - Sun 24/7
Dr. Sajid Iqbal
ENT Specialist · Lahore
Frequent sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, and itching that keep coming back may be allergic rhinitis, an inflammation of the nasal lining triggered by airborne allergens such as dust mites and pollen. Pharmacy antihistamines help many people for a while, but symptoms that persist, return each season or disturb sleep deserve a proper assessment. Nasal allergy treatment in Lahore with ENT specialist Dr. Sajid Iqbal starts by confirming the cause, checking for other reasons for blockage, and planning treatment around your symptoms and examination findings.
Allergic rhinitis is inflammation of the nasal lining (mucosa) caused by an allergic reaction to something you breathe in. The immune system makes immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies against a harmless particle such as pollen. On later exposure, these trigger the release of histamine, causing sneezing, itching, a runny nose and swelling that blocks the airway.
Seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever) flares when pollen levels rise. Perennial allergic rhinitis continues all year, usually from indoor triggers such as house dust mites, mould or animal dander. Non-allergic rhinitis causes similar symptoms without an allergic reaction and is set off by irritants such as smoke, strong smells or temperature changes.
Allergic rhinitis usually causes several of these together:
The usual airborne allergens are:
Irritants are different. Dust, smoke, vehicle exhaust, strong perfumes and cold air can inflame anyone’s nose. They do not cause allergy, but they can worsen symptoms in someone who has one.
The distinction matters in Lahore’s smog season. Studies link higher fine-particle (PM2.5) levels with worse nasal symptoms in people with allergic rhinitis, but smog alone does not prove your symptoms are allergic.
These conditions overlap. The usual differences are:
Feature | Allergic rhinitis | Sinusitis | Common cold |
|---|---|---|---|
Cause | Allergic reaction | Inflammation or infection of the sinuses | Viral infection |
Duration | Weeks to months, returns with exposure | Days to weeks; chronic if 12 weeks or more | Usually under 10 days |
Discharge | Clear and watery | Thick or coloured | Clear, may thicken |
Itching and sneezing | Common | Uncommon | Sneezing common, itching less so |
Facial pressure and smell | Pressure uncommon; smell may dip | Pressure and reduced smell common | Mild, settles as the cold clears |
Fever | No | Possible in acute infection | Possible, with sore throat |
Allergic rhinitis can lead to sinusitis because swelling blocks sinus drainage, and the two often coexist. Facial pressure, thick coloured discharge, reduced smell or symptoms beyond 10 days may need separate sinusitis assessment and treatment.
Diagnosis starts with your medical history, including when symptoms occur, possible triggers, and any history of asthma or eczema. The ENT specialist examines your nose for swelling, discharge, polyps or a deviated septum. Nasal endoscopy may be used when needed.
Allergy testing, such as a skin prick test or specific IgE blood test, is recommended only when necessary. Results are assessed alongside your symptoms, as a positive test does not always mean that an allergen is causing them. Imaging may be considered if sinus disease or another nasal condition is suspected.
Treatment depends on your symptoms, medical history and examination findings. The main options are:
If symptoms persist despite regular, correct treatment, the diagnosis is reviewed. That means checking for sinusitis, polyps, enlarged turbinates or a deviated septum, and considering testing or allergen immunotherapy, a specialist option for selected patients with a confirmed allergen.
Not sure whether your symptoms are caused by nasal allergy or another nasal condition? Arrange an ENT assessment to discuss the appropriate next steps.
Yes, but allergy is not always the whole explanation. Allergic inflammation swells the nasal lining and narrows the airway; when blockage lasts for months, other causes are worth ruling out.
These ridges of tissue on the side walls of the nose warm and moisten the air you breathe. Long-standing allergic inflammation can keep them swollen, and persistently enlarged turbinates may need ENT treatment beyond sprays.
These soft, painless swellings of the lining are linked to long-term inflammation from allergy, asthma or chronic sinusitis. They can block the nose, reduce smell and cause post-nasal drip and snoring. Medicines can shrink some; others need surgery.
The septum is the wall of bone and cartilage dividing the nose. A crooked septum is a structural condition, not an allergic one, so allergy treatment will not straighten it, although it can reduce the swelling that worsens blockage. A deviated septum assessment checks whether the septum is really contributing before surgery is discussed.
Allergic blockage changes with exposure and season; structural blockage stays much the same. Many patients have both, so treating the allergy first and then reassessing is sensible.
Arrange an assessment if you notice any of these:
If a blocked nose comes with loud snoring, pauses in breathing or daytime sleepiness, the cause may lie beyond the nose, and a snoring and sleep apnea assessment looks at the whole airway. Seek urgent medical care for swelling around the eye, vision changes, severe headache with a stiff neck, or a nosebleed that will not stop.
Dr. Sajid Iqbal is a consultant ENT specialist (MBBS, MS-ENT) with more than 20 years of experience, treating adults and children in Johar Town, Lahore. He starts with the least invasive treatment that works and recommends surgery only when it is likely to help.
Allergic rhinitis treatment in Lahore begins with a detailed history, a nasal examination and, where needed, nasal endoscopy. The aim is to establish whether your symptoms are allergic, whether sinusitis, polyps, enlarged turbinates, or a deviated septum are also involved, and which treatment fits. Bring previous prescriptions, reports, and scans, and a note of the medicines you have used.
The clinic is at Horizon Hospital, 403 402 Bahria University Road, Block D2, Phase 1, Johar Town, Lahore. The consultation fee is PKR 4,000.
Get your persistent nasal symptoms assessed. Contact Dr. Sajid Iqbal’s clinic in Lahore to enquire about an appointment, or call or WhatsApp 0321 4496160.
Symptom mapping, endoscopy, and a review of everything you have tried and how you used it.
Skin-prick testing takes 20 minutes with results the same day; blood tests take a few days.
Written plan: which spray, how, when; which antihistamine; avoidance steps that actually matter for your allergens.
Most patients are substantially better. If not, the diagnosis is revisited and immunotherapy or turbinate reduction discussed.
3–5 years of treatment; benefits typically begin within months and persist after the course ends.
Ready to get it sorted? Book a consultation with Dr. Sajid Iqbal at Horizon Hospital, Johar Town, Lahore — call 0321 4496160 or WhatsApp.
Hay fever is seasonal allergic rhinitis, triggered by pollen. Nasal allergy is the wider term and also covers year-round symptoms from dust mites, mould and animal dander.
Smog is an irritant, not an allergen. It can inflame the nose and worsen symptoms in people who already have allergic rhinitis, but symptoms in smog season are not automatically allergic.
No treatment can promise a permanent cure. Most people reach good control with suitable medicines and trigger management, and symptoms can ease over the years. Allergen immunotherapy may give longer-lasting benefit to selected patients but is a specialist treatment.
Corticosteroid sprays are often the first choice for ongoing symptoms, particularly blockage; antihistamine and combination sprays are other options. The right choice depends on your symptoms and history, and sprays work best used regularly with correct technique.
Post-nasal drip is a common allergic symptom. Congestion can also cause pressure around the nose and forehead, but many headaches blamed on allergy or sinuses are migraine or tension-type headache, so persistent or severe headaches should be assessed.
When symptoms last more than a few weeks, keep returning, disturb sleep or do not improve with regular treatment, or when you have one-sided blockage, repeated nosebleeds or a reduced sense of smell.
Same-week appointments at Horizon Hospital, Johar Town, Lahore.
Timings: Mon – Sun 24/7
Consultation Fee: PKR 4000
Dr. Sajid Iqbal, MBBS, MS-ENT, is a consultant ENT surgeon with 20+ years of experience treating patients in Lahore. Read his profile →
Clinic in Johar Town, Lahore, Mon – Sun 24/7
