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Diseases » Dust mite allergies » Diagnosis

Diagnosis of Dust mite allergies

Dust mite allergies Diagnosis: Book Excerpts

Diagnostic Tests for Dust mite allergies: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about diagnostis of Dust mite allergies.

Allergic rhinitis: Diagnosis
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Microscopic examination of sputum and nasal secretions reveals large numbers of eosinophils. Blood chemistry shows normal or elevated IgE. A definitive diagnosis is based on the patient’s personal and family history of allergies as well as physical findings during a symptomatic phase. Skin testing paired with tested responses to environmental stimuli can pinpoint the responsible allergens given the patient’s history. In patients who can’t tolerate skin testing, the radioallergosorbent test may be helpful in determining specific allergen sensitivity.

To distinguish between allergic rhinitis and other nasal mucosa disorders, remember these differences:

❑ In chronic vasomotor rhinitis, eye symptoms are absent, rhinorrhea is mucoid, and seasonal variation is absent.

❑ In infectious rhinitis (the common cold), the nasal mucosa is beet red; nasal secretions contain polymorphonuclear, not eosinophilic, exudate; and signs and symptoms include fever and sore throat. This condition isn’t a recurrent seasonal phenomenon.

❑ In rhinitis medicamentosa, which results from excessive use of nasal sprays or drops, nasal drainage and mucosal redness and swelling disappear when such medication is withheld.

❑ In children, differential diagnosis should rule out a nasal foreign body, such as a bean or a button.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Allergic rhinitis: Diagnosis
(Handbook of Diseases)

Microscopic examination of sputum and nasal secretions reveals large numbers of eosinophils. Blood chemistry studies show normal or elevated IgE levels, possibly linked to seasonal overproduction of interleukin-4 and -5 (involved in the allergic inflammatory process). A firm diagnosis rests on the patient’s personal and family history of allergies and on physical findings during a symptomatic phase. Skin testing, paired with tested responses to environmental stimuli, can help pinpoint the responsible allergens when interpreted in light of the patient’s history.

To distinguish between allergic rhinitis and other disorders of the nasal mucosa, remember these differences:

With chronic vasomotor rhinitis, eye symptoms are absent, rhinorrhea is mucoid, and seasonal variation is absent.

CLINICAL TIP: With infectious rhinitis (the common cold), the nasal mucosa is red; nasal secretions contain polymorphonuclear, not eosinophilic, exudate; and signs and symptoms include fever and sore throat. This condition isn’t a recurrent seasonal phenomenon.

With rhinitis medicamentosa, which results from excessive use of nasal sprays or drops, nasal drainage and mucosal redness and swelling disappear when such medication is withheld.

In children, a differential diagnosis should rule out the presence of a foreign body in the nasal passage, such as a bean or a button.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003

anaphylaxis: Diagnosis
(Handbook of Diseases)

Anaphylaxis can be diagnosed by the rapid onset of severe respiratory or cardiovascular symptoms after ingestion or injection of a drug, vaccine, diagnostic agent, food, or food additive or after an insect sting. If these symptoms occur without a known allergic stimulus, rule out other possible causes of shock (such as acute myocardial infarction, status asthmaticus, and heart failure).

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003