NE Valley Times

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

• Inflammation is the main cause of allergy-related symptoms.

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

"I would say that the vast majority of patients have some component of allergies contributing to their sino-nasal issues," Dr. Brian Lee of Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center told NE Valley Times. "A lot of the times it's inflammation of the nose, and that inflammation could come from allergies, or it could come from chronic or recurrent infections. It's always part of our philosophy to make sure that we test our patients for allergies to make sure that we're not overlooking a contributing factor and make sure not only do we get them better, but we keep them feeling better."

According to Lee, there are many treatments available, including allergy shots.

"Allergy shots still are a thing and still are very effective," Lee said. "It is once a week that the patient has to come into the office, so it can be pretty cumbersome and intrusive into daily life. We offer what we call sublingual immunotherapy, which is essentially the same principle, meaning that we tested for allergies, we figure out what you're allergic to and we make a special, customized serum of that stuff. Then we start feeding your body small amounts of it. Traditionally, you had to come into the office once a week for a shot. But now we can actually do those in the form of a drop that you put under your tongue. You do those at home every day. And we're able to allow you to do that home because they're extremely safe; the risk of an anaphylactic reaction is essentially zero. So you get the same benefits but without all the hassles of having to come in for a shot every week."

Each year, more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, and they are the sixth-most-common cause of chronic illness, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

In adults, chronic sinusitis is accompanied by nasal swelling resulting from exposure to dust, mold, pollen or fungi. Common symptoms include sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes and an itchy nose, eyes or mouth.

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.

Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center offers a Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz for people who want to learn more about sinus or allergy symptoms.