Introduction
rhinitis, Allergic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis
RHINITIS, ALLERGIC RHINITIS, ALLERGIC RHINITIS
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic condition with a 30% prevalence in SwedenFor symptoms progressing from mild/intermittent to severe/persistent, rhinitis patients should first be treated with oral antihistamines and/or intranasal steroids. Immunotherapy should be considered from moderate/intermittent and mild/persistent symptoms through to severe/persistent symptoms. When this fails, like in the middle of a severe pollen season, short-term systemic corticosteroids are often prescribed, especially in primary care. The use of oral corticosteroids is recommended, but not scientifically supported, in modern guidelines. Intramuscular corticosteroid injections are not recommended due to the risk of side effectsThe occurrence and severity of corticosteroid side effects are seen to depend upon the duration of use, dosage, dosing regime and specific drug used, along with individual patient variabilityWe found only two studies that assessed the efficacy of systemic steroids for allergic rhinitis performed during the last 30 years. The first is a comparison of various doses of oral methylprednisolone, three times a day, during the first 4 days of the rag weed season, published 1993 