Allergic Rhinitis and Its Consequences

Allergic Rhinitis and Its Consequences

Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common allergic diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 40% of the world's population suffers from allergic rhinitis. Symptoms most often appear during the plant flowering season, but in some patients they can persist all year round.

What Is Allergic Rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is an allergic inflammation of the nasal mucosa that occurs on contact with an allergen. The disease manifests as nasal congestion, profuse watery discharge, sneezing and itching.

A distinction is made between seasonal (pollinosis) and perennial allergic rhinitis.

Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis

The main symptoms include:

• nasal congestion;
• profuse watery nasal discharge;
• bouts of sneezing;
• itching in the nose, palate and eyes;
• reduced sense of smell;
• headache, sleep disturbances and increased fatigue;
• redness, tearing and swelling of the eyes.

Diagnosis

To diagnose allergic rhinitis accurately, the physician evaluates the patient's complaints, medical history and examination results. Diagnostic methods include:

• skin prick tests;
• measurement of specific IgE in the blood;
• nasal provocation tests (when indicated).

Why It Is Important to Treat Allergic Rhinitis

Molecular allergy diagnostics makes it possible to identify the specific allergen molecules that trigger the reaction. Without timely treatment, allergic rhinitis can cause sleep disturbances, reduced work capacity and a poorer quality of life.

In addition, the disease increases the risk of developing bronchial asthma, rhinosinusitis and inflammatory diseases of the middle ear. Timely diagnosis and treatment help prevent the disease from progressing.

KombiMED supplies a full range of equipment for allergy diagnostics, from skin prick testing systems to analyzers for specific IgE testing and molecular allergy diagnostics.