%0 Journal Article
%T Clinical profile, outcomes and improvement in symptoms and productivity in rhinitic patients in Karachi, Pakistan
%A Taimur Saleem
%A Umair Khalid
%A Ubaid Sherwani
%A Shehzad Ghaffar
%J BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-6815-9-12
%X We carried out a retrospective file review of all allergic rhinitis patients who presented to the Ear, Nose, Throat Consulting Clinic from January, 2006 to June, 2008 using a structured proforma especially designed for this purpose. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS v. 16.0.The charts of 169 patients were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 35.2 ¡À 9.1 years. Sixty percent patients were male. Ninety eight patients (58%) reported allergy symptoms to be present at both home and work. One hundred and two patients (60.4%) had symptoms severe enough to cause absence from work or academic activities. Up to seventy one percent patients were spending between 1000 - 3000 Pakistani Rupees (1 US$= 83.3 Pakistani rupees) on the treatment of allergic rhinitis per year. One hundred and fifty one patients (89.3%) reported an improvement in rhinitic symptoms and productivity while 18 patients (10.7%) didn't. This improvement was significantly associated with satisfaction with treatment (p < 0.001).Allergic rhinitis, a ubiquitous disease, was seen to cause a strain on patients in the form of recurrent treatment-related expenses as well as absenteeism from work or other daily activities. Symptoms and productivity improved significantly after treatment.Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterized by the inflammation of the nasal mucosa. It is induced by exposure to allergens that trigger an immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated inflammatory response that can result in chronic or recurrent symptoms of rhinorrhea, congestion, and sneezing. The condition can be seasonal or chronic and originates from airborne agents such as pollens, mold spores, and dust-borne mites [1-5].AR represents a global health issue affecting 10% to 25% of the world population. The increasing prevalence of this condition has resulted in a significant impact on the Quality of Life (QOL) in addition to imposing a considerable socio-economic burden on patients [6,7]. AR is a major chronic respiratory disease by vi
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6815/9/12