Medicina Fluminensis, Vol. 49 No. 1, 2013.
Professional paper
Characteristics of allergic rhinitis patients in karlovac county
Vladimir Bauer
orcid.org/0000-0001-8642-5429
; Služba za otorinolaringologiju, Opća bolnica Karlovac, Karlovac
Zorica Alerić
; Služba za otorinolaringologiju, Opća bolnica Karlovac, Karlovac
Abstract
Aim: To analyze the common aeroallergen hypersensitivity and symptoms within
the population of adults suffering from allergic rhinitis in Karlovac County. Methods: Retrospectively
we show the results of skin prick testing and standardized questionnaire regarding
symptoms, comorbidity with asthma and family history of allergic diseases. Results: A total of
456 patients with rhinitis symptoms were tested and questioned. Two hundred and twenty
seven of them had positive skin prick test (49,7 %). The most common hypersensitivity reaction
was on the house dust, followed by weed pollen, grass pollen and the tree pollen. Thirty
five per cent of patients were monosensitisized, 28 % were hypersensitive on two allergens,
37 % on three or more tested allergens. Forty per cent of patients were under the 30 years of
age, and only 7 % were above 60. Sixty five per cent of our allergic rhinitis patients complained
on rhinorrhoea, 58 % on nasal obstruction, 41 % on sneezing, and 32 % on cough.
Thirty seven per cent had ocular symptoms and 26 % had nasal itching. Allergy in family was
confirmed by 36 % of patients, while 7,5 % of allergic rhinitis patients were also asthma patients.
Persistent form of disease was verified in 61 % of patients, and intermittent in 39 %.
Discussion and conclusion: In our study, the female predominance was significantly higher.
The other predictors: age, family history of allergy, comorbidity with asthma and conjunctivitis,
persistent or intermittent disease form were on the level described in the literature. Dust
mites and weed pollen confirmed to be the most common aeroallergens. Although generally a
well-studied pathological entity, allergic rhinitis shows regional epidemiological differences
which are worth to be examined and evaluated.
Keywords
aeroallergen hypersensitivity; allergic diseases epidemiology; allergic rhinitis; rhinitis symptoms; skin prick test
Hrčak ID:
98614
URI
Publication date:
4.3.2013.
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