“They’re really just catching a lot of colds from kids,” he says.

But there’s another possibility, one that many people have never heard of. It’s called nonallergic rhinitis. People with nonallergic rhinitis have many of the same symptoms as people with nasal allergies — the runny noses, congestion and annoying post-nasal drip. Some sneeze, too. But “when we do allergy testing on them, we don’t find anything,” Shulan says.

These patients often have no personal or family history of allergy, are older than the usual new allergy patient, averaging about age 35, and are more often women than men, says Dr. Jonathan Bernstein, an allergy researcher at the University of Cincinnati.

Patients often say they have symptoms year-round or are bothered by irritants that are not known to cause the immune system responses associated with a true allergy, says Dr. Michael Blaiss, an allergist at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. The possible triggers include:

? Perfumes and other substances with strong odors.

? Cigarette smoke and car exhaust.

? cold air, wind and humidity.

? Foods — and not just the spicy ones. This variation is called gustatory rhinitis.

? just lying down triggers symptoms in some people, Blaiss says. Though these people don’t have allergies, “this is a real condition,” he says.

Says Bernstein: “It can have an impact on sleep and concentration, cause headaches and lead to sinus infections.”

The underlying causes aren’t well understood. with some, the problem seems related to changes in the nose that occur with aging, says Dr. Stanley Fineman, vice president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Older noses tend to be drier, Fineman says, so sometimes simple saline nose sprays can help.

Doctors also often recommend certain antihistamines, decongestants, steroid nasal sprays and drying agents. But the popular non-sedating antihistamines that are sold in drugstores often don’t work, Blaiss says. Patients also won’t benefit from allergy shots — unless they also have allergies, which is still also possible, he adds.

It should be noted that adults can, at any age, develop allergies, says Dr. Jacqueline Eghrari-Sabet, an allergist in Gaithersburg, Md.

Gannett News Service