Chronic rhinitis in South Africa: Update 2013

Allergic rhinitis in medical students at the University of the Free State

“…Data pertaining to the participants' allergic rhinitis included: (1) Arrangements were made with the relevant lecturers of the firstto third-year students and group leaders of the fourth-and fifthyear students to use approximately 20 to 30 min of class time to ensure sufficient time for distribution, completion and collection of questionnaires.…”

“…Intranasal corticosteroids are the drug of choice for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, 1,12 but antihistamines were the drugs most frequently used to treat allergic rhinitis. Despite first-generation antihistamines not being recommended for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, 12 they were frequently used by participants, often as combination flu medications.…”

“…Allergic rhinitis, an IgE-mediated inflammation of the nasal mucosa, is the most common form of chronic rhinitis. 1 The prevalence of allergic rhinitis in adolescents in South Africa has been estimated to be 38.5%, 2 but there is a paucity of data from African countries on allergic rhinitis.…”

Advances in the diagnosis and management of allergic disease: Applications to South African practice

“…[1] The SA Allergic Rhinitis Working Group published the requirements with regard to the management of chronic rhinitis (CR) ( Table 1). [2] The Allergy Society of SA, together with the National Pathology Group, revised algorithms for the investigation of allergic patients. The algorithm for investigating a suspected allergic patient summarises that approach (Fig.…”

Editor's Choice

“…CR is common and becoming more so, and results in significant co-morbidity. [6] The increase is attributed to several factors, among which is worsening urban pollution -one has only to look down onto our large conurbations (from a plane or a mountain pass) to witness this. The trick for the clinician is not to ascribe symptoms to infection or allergy, but successful treatment isn't easy, and is fraught with the risk of violating the anti-doping codes when treating sportspeople.…”