Clinical Profile of Patients with Allergic Rhinitis

Objective: To find out the allergic symptoms of patients who presented to otorhinolaryngology clinic. Methods: Two hundred and fifteen patients of either sex and above the age of sixteen years who presented to otorhinolaryngology clinic suffering from allergic rhinitis were involved in the study. History of rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal obstruction, nasal itching, epistaxis, nasal dryness and conjunctival symptoms which are generally the chief symptoms of allergic rhinitis in addition to family history of bronchial asthma and other allergies were recorded. Physical clues to allergic rhinitis were boggy, pale, or “bluish” nasal turbinates, rhinorrhea, allergic salute and allergic shiners. Results: The commonest complaint was rhinorrhea seen in 96% of cases followed by sneezing (88%), nasal obstruction (80%), nasal itching (55%), epistaxis (17%), nasal dryness (14%) and conjunctival symptoms (12%). Pale and hypertrophied boggy turbinates were seen in 97% of cases, allergic salute in 4% and allergic shiners in 13% of cases. In 7% of cases, the patients had mild bronchial allergy manifested by dyspnea, cough and wheezes during the attack. Positive family history of allergy was found in 25% of patients. Conclusion: Allergic rhinitis is a common medical condition characterized by rhinorrhea, sneezing and nasal obstruction as chief symptoms. The diagnosis rests mainly on a classic clinical picture.