Analysis of clinical characteristics of patients with rhinitis in Guangzhou, China

Abstract

Abstract Background: High prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma (AS) produces a considerable burden on patients and society, and it has negative impact on patients’ life, daily activities and work productivity. Methods: A total of 270 patients withallergic rhinitis were recruited, of whom 177 (65.6%) combined with asthma (AR&AS). All patients filled out a standardized questionnaire againstrespiratory allergic diseases. Skin prick test (SPT) and or serological specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) test for 9 common inhalation allergens. Results: House dust mites (HDMs)were the main aeroallergen in patients with respiratory allergic diseases, and the positive rates were all more than 60%. The age of AR&AS patients was higher than that of AR patients (P < 0.05), and the patients with AR only are more likely to have a family history of allergy. Almost all (94%) of patients with AR only develop nasal and eye symptoms when exposed to cold air. The reporting rate of rhinitis symptoms caused by pollen exposure is 33.33%~44.07%, while the reporting rate of rhinitis symptoms caused by furry animal exposure were about 25%. The incidence of rhinitis symptoms in moderate to severe patients was higher than that in mild patients (all P<0.05). 41.94% of patients reported symptoms of cough in AR patients, and among the patients with AR&AS, 97.18% reported the symptoms of wheezing, 70.06% reported chest tightness and 75.14% reported cough. The reporting rate of AR&AS patients was higher than that of AR patients. And the percentage of pulmonary symptoms reported by children was significantly lower than that of adults. Conclusions: HDMs are the main allergen causing respiratory allergic diseases. The introduction of different types of AR will help to better understand the risk factors and progress of patients with AR, and may help to put forward more targeted prevention strategies and treatment.