Yuan Zhang, Feng Lan, Luo Zhang
Allergy . 2021 Aug 11. doi: 10.1111/all.15044. Online ahead of print.
Allergic rhinitis incidence has been growing in the past years, representing a medical and economic burden worldwide. This review describes the main findings with regards to allergic rhinitis for the past two years, including risk factors for the growing prevalence of allergic rhinitis, its strategy for the diagnosis, immunological mechanisms underlying the condition, and therapies used during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aims at describing future perspectives.
Some of the most critical risk factors for allergic rhinitis are environmental exposures, climate changes, and lifestyle. There is an essential need to understand the connection between environmental exposures and health to design risk profiles instead of using single predictors and help eliminate adverse health outcomes in these conditions.
A newly defined allergic rhinitis phenotype, dual allergic rhinitis, includes perennial and seasonal related nasal symptoms but is more connected to seasonal allergic allergens. This indicates that it is crucial to assess inflammation at the local sites.
The authors suggest a combination of precise diagnosis in local sites and territories and traditional diagnostic methods to improve the precision medicine-based approach to managing allergic rhinitis.
In conclusion, further understanding of changes in cell profiles after treatment is needed. Apart from the usual treatments for allergic rhinitis during the current pandemic, social distancing, washing hands, and disinfection are also great aids in managing patients with allergic rhinitis.
