Abstract

ALVAREZ CASTELLO, Mirta; GARCIA GOMEZ, Iris M.; CASTRO ALMARALES, Raúl  and  RONQUILLO DIAZ, Mercedes. Allergic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis: A necessary review. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr [online]. 2004, vol.20, n.1. ISSN 0864-2125.

The importance of the allergic diseases and, among them, of allergic rhinits, as well as its economic cost, human resources involved and prevalence, is out of doubt. This entity represents the sixth cause of chronic disease in the United States and it has a great impact on the quality of life of those patients suffering from it. Allergic rhinits is a heterogenous disorder and its high prevalence is still underdiagnosed. It is characterized by one or more of the following symptoms that include sneezes, nasal itching, nasal secretion and congestion. Many agents are involved in this entity, among them, pollens, fungi, mites and domestic animals. Taking into account that rhinitis and sinusitis have common symptoms, such as loss of smell, obstruction and nasal drainage, it is preferably called rhinosinusitis. Several studies have identified rhinitis as a risk factor for asthma with a prevalence from 80 to 90 %. This review intends to go over fundamental aspects of this entities, such as definition, etiology, staging, symptoms and treatment, and to serve as a guide for those physicians that in one way or the other treat both affections with a proved impact on the patients' quality of life.

Keywords : Rhinitis; allergic rhinits; rhinosinusitis.