How did the doctor know that I had allergic rhinitis? Immersive experience of rhinitis diagnosis and treatment

In early spring in March, the rain continues, the grass and trees revive and sprout, and all things are full of vitality.

However, for Xiaoyun, spring is like a curse, which makes her nose fall into endless trouble. Every year at this time, there is always an invisible force pulling her nose, making her nose itchy and unbearable, sneezing and clear nasal discharge pouring like a waterfall. She often wonders what is wrong with her? Is it rhinitis? Or something else? But there are always various reasons that have prevented her from seeing a doctor over the years.

This year, she decided to go to the hospital to find out what was wrong with her nose.

When I first entered the hospital, I was confused and sought answers.

Xiaoyun sat in the otolaryngology clinic with a little nervousness and anticipation.

Facing the smiling doctor in a white coat, she described her symptoms in detail: "Every spring, my nose starts to act up and becomes unbearably itchy. I sneeze one after another and can't stop the clear nasal discharge. When an attack occurs, I dare not talk to others, for fear that my nose will flow down without me noticing. It's so embarrassing!" The doctor listened carefully, nodding from time to time and typing on the keyboard to record.

After asking some questions about nose symptoms, the doctor put on a forehead mirror, took out a front nose mirror, and did a simple examination of Xiaoyun's nose. This front nose mirror, which looked like a "small clip", made Xiaoyun a little confused and a little nervous. With the doctor's comfort, this "small clip" stretched Xiaoyun's nostrils, and the doctor carefully observed the situation in the nasal cavity through the light of the forehead mirror.

While observing, the doctor said to Xiaoyun: "Your nasal mucosa is in a pale and swollen state, which is a typical manifestation of allergic rhinitis."

"Then do I have allergic rhinitis?" Xiaoyun asked anxiously.

"It's very likely. To confirm the diagnosis, I will give you an allergen test next." The doctor put away the frontal mirror, took off the forehead mirror, and explained to Xiaoyun in detail: "Allergic rhinitis is also called allergic rhinitis. Simply put, some allergens such as pollen and mites enter the nasal cavity and combine with the immune cells on the nasal mucosa, triggering a series of inflammatory reactions. These reactions cause blood vessels to dilate and increase permeability, resulting in swelling of the nasal mucosa and increased secretions."

"Yes, that's right. No wonder I often sneeze in dusty places." The doctor's words made Xiaoyun remember a lot of things at once.

"An allergic reaction actually means that your nose overreacts to invaders compared to other people's. It's like, in order to catch a thief in hiding, your 'nose commander' mobilized a large army to bombard the area. Although the thief was caught, a lot of innocent harm was caused. This thief is the allergen that makes you allergic. Our current allergen testing is actually to find out which thief is at odds with your 'nose commander' and makes your nose do such irrational things. In the future, as long as you pay attention to avoiding the corresponding allergens, you can prevent the occurrence of allergies." The doctor explained slowly, and Xiaoyun gradually began to understand.

Scientific evidence reveals the secrets of allergens

The doctor told Xiaoyun that there are many ways to detect allergens, the most common ones are skin prick tests and serum-specific IgE tests. As the name implies, skin prick is to drop different allergen liquids on the skin, and then gently prick it with a fine needle. If there is a reaction to the corresponding allergen, a erythema or wheal will appear on the surface of the skin, just like the mosquito bite after being bitten by a mosquito. Another serum-specific IgE test is actually a blood test for allergens. After the patient has blood drawn, all tests are completed in the laboratory. These two tests have their own characteristics. The results of the skin prick test are rapid, relatively intuitive, and clear at a glance, but the determination of the degree of allergy depends on the size of the "mosquito bite", which is not very objective. Although the results of the serum test have to wait for a day, the current technology is able to achieve accurate quantification, and the results are more instructive.

Finally, Xiaoyun chose the serum test method to find allergens, not because she required a higher accuracy of the results, but mainly because she was afraid of having to prick more than 20 points on her arm in a row. A day later, Xiaoyun came to the otolaryngology clinic again. When the doctor read the test report, he said happily: "It is indeed allergic rhinitis!"

The doctor held the report and explained, "Look, there are two positive indicators in your report, one is pollen and the other is dust mites. The data for dust mites is relatively high. Pollen is one of the most common allergens in this season, and dust mites are widely present in our living environment. When the human body comes into contact with these allergens, the immune system will produce an abnormal reaction, leading to allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis." Hearing this, Xiaoyun finally understood the reason why her nose had been uncomfortable for many years. The culprit that caused her so much torture turned out to be the inconspicuous pollen and dust mites in life.

Regain confidence and embrace a healthy new life

Based on Xiaoyun's symptoms, signs and the results of allergen testing, the doctor gave a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis. At the same time, he also developed a personalized treatment plan for Xiaoyun based on her specific situation. First of all, the most important thing is to avoid contact with allergens as much as possible. For the pollen and dust mites to which she is allergic, try to avoid going to places with many flowers and plants. Wear a mask when going out when necessary. At the same time, keep the room clean and expose the bedding to the sun more. Secondly, the doctor also introduced some commonly used medicines to her, but considering that her condition is not serious, it is recommended to use nasal spray treatment as the first choice. Finally, the doctor repeatedly reminded that the treatment of allergic rhinitis must be continuous, don't fish for three days and dry the net for two days, and don't give up halfway, and agree with Xiaoyun on the time for a follow-up visit.

When leaving the hospital, Xiaoyun felt much more relaxed. The spring breeze brushed her face, and it seemed that spring was not so scary after all.