Allergic Rhinitis (Allergies)
Evaluation
Description—inflammatory condition of the nasal mucosa
Clinical—pruritus (severe itching), sneezing, rhinorrhea, and nasal congestion
Mechanism—immunoglobulin E (IgE)-associated response to allergens
Epidemiology—15% to 20% prevalence
Classification
Traditional—seasonal (cyclic pollens) or perennial (year-round allergens)
New—intermittent (≤4 days/week or ≤4 weeks) or persistent (” class=LK href=”javascript:void(0)” target=right xpath=”/CT{06b9ee1beed59419a81e5e1e1a4f60b0cc8cd1057525de73425b2b43f4df7f1b2aa51ce2a0508c86b7bce36b967c441d}/ID(AB1-M10)”>>4 days/week and ” class=LK href=”javascript:void(0)” target=right xpath=”/CT{06b9ee1beed59419a81e5e1e1a4f60b0cc8cd1057525de73425b2b43f4df7f1b2aa51ce2a0508c86b7bce36b967c441d}/ID(AB1-M10)”>>4 weeks).
Differential diagnosis for allergic rhinitis
Nonallergic rhinitis
Mechanical/structural (e.g., nasal tumors, foreign body, etc.)
Infectious
Vasomotor or idiopathic (e.g., cold air-induced, pressure-induced, odors, etc.)
Reflex-induced (e.g., postural, gustatory—after ingestion of food, chemical, etc.)
Drug-induced rhinitis
Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs)
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and Aspirin
Hydralazine
β-Blockers
Hormonally-induced rhinitis
Pregnancy or menstrual cycle
Hypothyroidism
Exercise
Granulomatous rhinitis
Sarcoidosis
Wegener’s granulomatosis
Cerebrospinal rhinorrhea (clear cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] rhinorrhea)Related posts:
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