Summary: Allergic rhinitis (AR) represents a major health problem affecting up to 20% of the population in Poland. The burden of the disease is often underestimated. AR is mainly diagnosed in children, adolescents and young adults and is associated with intermittent or perennial symptoms significantly decreasing patients’ quality of life, school and work performance. Moreover AR is the key risk factor for the development of asthma. The prevalence of AR is increasing as a sign of an epidemic of allergic diseases. Appropriate management of AR includes measures of environmental control, immunotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Montelukast has been proven to be highly effective and safe both in monotherapy as well as in combination with oral antihistamines in the management of allergic rhinitis, especially in seasonal allergic rhinitis. This treatment may be of special effectiveness in the management of AR coexisting with allergic asthma, which represents a common clinical manifestation of atopy. Several years of experience with the use of montelukast in the treatment of asthma have proved its excellent safety profile. The latest update of the ARIA guidelines recommend the use of anti-leukotriene drugs in AR.