Prognosis
Natural history of disease
AR prevalence increases in young childhood and peaks in childhood and adolescence until decreasing with advancing age.
Studies suggest that AR symptoms may improve or resolve with time in approximately 10% to 50% of affected individuals.[109][110] However, it is a condition that may persist throughout life.[1]
Variability of severity
As with other chronic diseases, AR can vary in severity over time. While a long-term trend for the improvement or resolution of symptoms exists, the perceived severity of disease can increase or decrease, wax and wane, or even change unpredictably over a short time span. Possible factors explaining severity variability may be divided into being external or internal. External factors include time of the day, location, and season, because they all affect pollen counts. Internal factors may include circadian rhythms, mood, and affect, as well as immunologic changes that occur over time.
Immunotherapy outcomes
In patients receiving grass allergen immunotherapy for a period of 3 to 4 years, approximately 50% of patients continued to derive clinical benefits 3 years after immunotherapy had been discontinued.[101][102]
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