Rhinitis

-

 Rhinitis


It is characterised by attacks of sneezing, running nose and nasal blockade on most of the days. Attacks may occur during limited period of the year ( seasonal rhinitis) or throughout the year ( perennial rhinitis) . 

Seasonal rhinitis ( Hay fever) 


It is common cause of allergic disorder and worldwide in distribution. Prevalence is common in young age. Watery nasal discharg, sneezing and nasal irritation are troublesome symptoms. Attacks are common during pollination of plants the give rise to high pollen counts which act as precipitant allergens. Since pollination differs from country to country, hence, attacks occur during different periods in different countries. 

Perennial rhinitis


Rhinitis occurs throughout the year, most of the time. It is characterised by sneezing, running nose and nasal blockade. These patients may have anosmia ( loss of smell) and loss of taste. Sinusitic and nasal polyps are common. 
It is prevalent in २nd and 3rd decades  of life and attacks increase with increase in age. 

1- Perennial allergic rhinitis. 
2- Perennial non-allrtgic rhinitis. 
3- Vasomotor rhinitis. 
4- Nasal polyps. 

Pathogenesis


Allergic rhinitis develops as a result of interactions between the inhaled allergen and IgE antibody present on the surface of the mast cells and eosinophils found in large numbers in nasal secretion and within nasal epithelium. 
Release of mediators, such as histamine causes mucus production and vasodilatation, results in sneezing followed by nasal discharge and eventually nasal obstruction. The other mrdiators such as leukotrienes, vasodilators, prostaglandins, other chemotactic factors take part in producing allergic reaction and nasal blockade. 

Diagnosis and investigations


1-skin prick test for wheal and flare response with allergen

A positive skin test with allergen in patients of rhinitis indication allergic rhinitis, but it does not mean that this allergen is the cause of respiratory illness, if associated. 

2- RAST test

It is specific serum IgE antibody against the particular allergen, gives the same information as described above. 

3- Blood test

For eosinophilia. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acute Viral Hepatitis

-
Image
  Acute Viral Hepatitis  (Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E) Acute Viral Hepatitis is a systemic infection afecting the liver. Almost all cases of acute viral Hepatitis are caused by one of five viral agents: Hepatitis A (HAV), Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), the HBV-associated delta agent or Hepatitis D Virus (HDV) and Hepatitis E (HEV). All these human hepatitis viruses are RNA viruses, except for hepatitis B, which is a DNA virus but replicates like a retrovirus. While hepatitis A and E are often the cause for sporadic or outbreaks of hepatitis, hepatitis B and C can either clear spontaneously or can lead to chronic infection Mode of Transmission  Hepatitis A: HAV is a non-enveloped RNA virus belonging to the picornavirus family, with four genotypes belonging to one serotype. This agent is transmitted almost exclusively by the fecal-oral route. It is an outbreak prone disease with an incubation period of around four weeks. Person-to-person transmission of ...
Read more

Anthrax

-
              Anthrax Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by  gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax spores are found naturally in soil and infect both wild and domestic animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, antelope, and deer. Mode of Transmission •Spread of disease in animals: Animals can get infected when they breathe in or ingest spores in contaminated soil, plants or water. • Spread of disease in humans: Person to person transmission is very rare. People normally get infected by anthrax bacillus by: * Inhaling spores * Eating food or drinking water that is contaminated with spores * Getting spores in the body through a cut or scrape in the skin Types of Anthrax • Cutaneous: Entry of anthrax spores into the skin through a cut or scrape, can lead to cutaneous anthrax. The incubation period for cutaneous anthrax is oneseven days. Skin infection begins as a painless, pruritic papule that resembles an...
Read more

Cholera

-
             Cholera Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. There are many serogroups of V. cholerae, but only two – O1 and O139 – cause outbreaks. Mode of Transmission • Through faecally contaminated water, food or drinks  • Direct person to-person contact, especially in overcrowded, low sanitation settings, also add to transmission of infection. Signs and Symptoms • Incubation period is from few hours to five days; commonly one-two days  • Typical cases are characterized by sudden onset of profuse, efortless, watery diarrhea followed by vomiting, increased thirst, rapid dehydration, muscular cramps and suppression of urine  • In non-outbreak situations, Cholera may present as simple gastroenteritis or as watery diarrhea  • In an endemic situation, there could be many mild or asymptomatic cases or carriers Complications • Dehydration...
Read more