Study of respiratory allergens and associated factors in patients with allergic rhinitis referring to Imam Ali clinic in Shahrekord

Abstract

Background and aims: Respiratory allergens cause several problems for people with allergic rhinitis and are considered as a global challenge. This disease is an IgE-mediated nasal inflammatory disease that is triggered by the contact of the allergen. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate respiratory allergens and associated factors in patients with allergic rhinitis who referred to a clinic in Shahrekord located in the southwest of Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 200 patients including 100 males and 100 females were enrolled using a convenience sampling technique. Diagnoses were made according to clinical symptoms and observation. In addition, the skin prick tests were used to detect the allergens. Finally, data were recorded and then analyzed by Stata. Results: Based on the results, 73.5%, 70.5%, 46%, and 43% of the patients were allergic to the following allergens including Dermatophagoid pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides parinae, tree, and grass, respectively. Further, the mean height in the group with a positive and negative test for the inhaled allergens equaled 144.92±29.72 and 131.65±30.93, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). However, the mean weight, age, and the time at the onset of the disease were not significantly different between the two groups (P>0.05). Furthermore, the negative or positive reaction to the allergens failed to significantly differ with respect to gender, marital status, occupation, the county of residence, the area of residence, family size, and a family history of the disease (P>0.05). Conclusion: Allergic rhinitis is regarded as a common disorder among teenagers and young adults in this setting. Allergy to one or more respiratory allergens was found to be highly prevalent in patients with allergic rhinitis and the highest rate of allergy was observed to the mites, followed by tree and grass.