Allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis. Help for the weeping nose and eyes.

Both the eyes and the nose are in constant contact with the external environment and thus are common targets for immune-mediated disease. Progress in understanding the pathophysiology of allergic nasal and ocular disease has greatly enhanced the approach to therapy. Chronic rhinitis may be caused by a variety of immunologic and nonimmunologic mechanisms. Allergic and nonallergic factors often coexist, which complicates diagnosis and therapy. In external ocular disorders, both IgE- and IgG-mediated mechanisms may be involved. Elucidation of these mechanisms will be important in improving diagnosis and in facilitating development of new therapeutic modalities.