Nasal Provocation Test in the Diagnosis of Occupational Rhinitis

Overview

Allergic diseases of the upper airways were included in the List of occupational diseases in CR only by Government decree no.290/1995 coll. Thus in occupational medicine the practical need arose to introduce objective examination methods for thediagnosis of occupational allergic rhinitis. The nasal provocation test should detect the causal association between the develop-ment of symptoms of the disease and exposure to inhaled allergens at the workplace. The diagnosis of occupational rhinitis cannotbe based only on anamnestic data of the patient and common laboratory tests but must be expressed objectively not only because ofthe health aspect but also the impact on rating, social-economic and social impact. The method of nasal provocation tests involvescontact of the nasal mucosa with the allergizing noxious substance and subsequent evaluation of the patient’s subjective complaintsand objective findings, in particular those obtained by active anterior rhinomanometry and rhinoscopy.

Key words:
allergy, occupational rhinitis, nasal provocation tests, anterior active rhinomanometry