Diagnosis of Allergic Rhinitis

How is Allergic Rhinitis Diagnosed?

In order to diagnose Allergic Rhinitis a doctor will first of all ask you questions about your personal and family medical history. In many cases people who have a family history of allergic rhinitis will themselves develop the condition, but it depends on a range of different factors.

Triggers – are there any particular times or places at which your symptoms become aggravated?

Nasal Polyps – your doctor will examine you to see if there are any fleshy swellings that grow from the lining of your nose or sinuses. These can be caused by the inflammation that commonly occurs as a result of allergic rhinitis.

Antihistamines – when the body senses that it is under attack from an allergen, it will produce a chemical called histamine which helps defend it. An anti-histamine drug will reduce the production of histamine and should relieve symptoms; if you respond well to antihistamine drugs it is likely that your symptoms were brought on by an allergen of some sort.

Allergy Testing – if the doctor is unsure as to the exact cause of the allergy, they will perform a series of tests to identify what might be eliciting the reaction. The two most common tests include the Skin Prick Test where a range of potential allergens are placed on your arm and the surface of the skin is pricked with a needle. If you are allergic it is most likely that the skin will react by creating a small, itchy spot, known as a welt. Alternatively, the doctor may take blood samples and test them to check for the immunoglobulin antibody in your blood; this is a chemical that your body produces in response to a suspected allergen.

Further tests may include a Nasal Endoscopy where a camera and light source are inserted into the nose so that the insides can be inspected, a Nasal Inspiratory Flow Test which measures the airflow during inhalation, or a CT (computerised tomography) Scan that uses X-rays to create detailed images of the inside of the nose and sinuses.

In order to ascertain whether your allergic rhinitis has developed as a result of your occupation, tests will need to be carried out to find out if the allergens are prevalent, or present even in small doses, in your workplace. In addition to this, an investigation will be needed to establish how you are exposed to these allergens, the levels of exposure you are, or have been, subjected to, and whether the exposure is reasonable or avoidable. If appropriate steps to avoid exposure have not been taken by an employer, this could be interpreted as negligent behaviour and could thus lead to an employee successfully claiming compensation.

Contact us today for free, no obligation advice regarding your allergic rhinitis claim – either by calling us free on 0800 122 3130, or by requesting a free call back, whereby one of our team will contact you at a time of your choice, to discuss your situation. When you contact us you are under no obligation to continue with the case unless you wish to do so.

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