D'Alonzo Gilbert E
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2002 Jun;102(6 Suppl 2):S2-6.
Allergic rhinitis is estimated to affect as many as 40 million people in the United States on a regular basis, and even more individuals who have occasional symptoms. The disease is associated with a considerable burden on the healthcare system, accounting for a total of $7.9 billion in direct and indirect costs in 1997, and with significant adverse effects on patients' quality of life, including disturbed sleep and impaired function at work and school. The pathophysiology of allergic rhinitis is complex, involving inflammatory mediators and immune cells that produce allergy symptoms via multiple mechanisms. The first principle of clinical management of patients with allergic rhinitis is avoidance of exposure to allergens, but this measure can be very difficult, and most patients require pharmacotherapy. Allergy vaccine therapy may be an appropriate and necessary option in selected patients with allergies refractory to other treatment modalities.
据估计，在美国，常年性变应性鼻炎患者多达4000万，偶尔出现症状的人数更多。该疾病给医疗系统带来了相当大的负担，1997年直接和间接成本总计达79亿美元，还对患者的生活质量产生了重大不利影响，包括睡眠障碍以及工作和学习功能受损。变应性鼻炎的病理生理学很复杂，涉及炎症介质和免疫细胞，它们通过多种机制产生过敏症状。变应性鼻炎患者临床管理的首要原则是避免接触过敏原，但这一措施可能非常困难，大多数患者需要药物治疗。对于其他治疗方式难治的特定过敏患者，变应原疫苗治疗可能是一种合适且必要的选择。
