Allergic rhinitis and upper respiratory tract infections.

The existence of a relationship between allergic rhinitis and upper respiratory tract infection (URI) has not yet been verified. In a prospective study, 64 patients with allergic rhinitis and 23 non-allergic individuals were followed for 11.4 months. All participants kept a diary in which they recorded symptoms of URI, nasal discharge, blocked nose, sneezing and sinusitis. The allergic individuals did not have more frequent or more long lasting URI or sinusitis more frequently than non-allergic subjects.