Ranjana Kumari R 1 , Mogit Gupta Y 2 , Julie Christine George 3
BACKGROUND Mucosal epithelial cells which line the upper respiratory passage are affected by the acute allergic reactions. The interactions that take place between the allergens and the surface are complex and involve the autonomic nervous system and the mediators produced by the underlying tissues in response to allergens. Mucous glands which have goblet cells in the epithelium are induced to secrete mucus and the mucus genes are induced in the ciliated epithelium. This caused mucous metaplasia and hyperplasia. Thus, repeated and prolonged exposure leads to structural changes and enhanced mucous production. The tissues will be washed with cytokines and other inflammatory mediators which cause classical pictures of asthma. Structural abnormalities that are commonly encountered in the practice of ENT are sinusitis and nasal polyps. The sinusitis is caused by prolonged inflammation of the mucosa and thus excess production of the mucus and this leads to the obstruction of the natural drainage. Nasal polyp is oedematous and hypertrophied mucosal and submucosal tissue presenting as a mass lesion. A sincere effort has been made to find out the common allergens that cause the respiratory complications in the practice of ENT. This study is intended to help the fellow ENT practitioners to identify the commonly associated allergens and thus take immediate actions in diagnosing and treating the patient that present in complications in OPD. METHODS This study was conducted in the Department of ENT, Kilpauk Medical College. The study was conducted from 2012 to 2014. 320 cases were studied in the Department of ENT. Mean age of the study population was 31.11 years with a standard deviation of 11.739. RESULTS In this study, the mean age of the study population was 31.11 years with a standard deviation of 11.739. The most common presentation was rhinitis along with sinusitis. Family history was found to be not significant. Dust allergy to exposure was significant. Out of the various allergens, only mutton and prawns exposure were found to be the statistically significant predictors of respiratory conditions (p<0.05). CONCLUSION The most common allergen that caused the upper respiratory tract pathology in this study has been identified successfully. This study forms a platform for many more studies in the near future so that more and more allergens which are significantly related can be found and affectively dealt with. Being in a country like ours where people carry out different customs and are exposed to a plethora of allergens, it is the need of the hour to identify the allergen and properly deal within the local environment.
