Examining the relationship between allergic conjunctivitis and allergic rhinitis

According to a recent study, allergic conjunctivitis (AC) and allergic rhinitis (AR) have a shared pathophysiological process and allergen profile, where the conjunctiva and nasal mucosa are involved in allergic reactions. This research proposes incorporating AC prevention and treatment into strategies for preventing AR. The findings of this study were published in the Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

This study included a total of 462 patients who had been diagnosed with either allergic conjunctivitis or allergic rhinitis and had received treatment between January 2018 and December 2020. These patients were divided into two groups, the AC group and the AR group, based on the department where they had initially sought consultation. The allergic conjunctivitis group consisted of 232 patients diagnosed with allergic conjunctivitis in the ophthalmology department, while the allergic rhinitis group comprised 230 patients diagnosed with allergic rhinitis in the ENT department. Allergen analysis was carried out on patients with both AC and AR, and nasal and conjunctival mucosal scrapings were performed to examine the presence of eosinophils. This study was conducted to investigate the association between allergic conjunctivitis and allergic rhinitis.

In the AC group, 75.00% of patients were diagnosed with concurrent AR, while in the AR group, 73.48% of patients had concurrent AC. Inhalant allergen testing among patients with concurrent AR and AC revealed that the primary inhalant allergens were house dust, dust mites, and fungi, with specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) positivity of 91.23%. Testing for food allergens showed that shrimp, fish, and crab were ingestive allergens, with a specific IgE positivity of 58.58%. The presence of eosinophils was evaluated by analyzing conjunctival and nasal mucosal scrapings in individuals diagnosed with both allergic conjunctivitis and allergic rhinitis. Eosinophils were detected in 54.81% of cases through conjunctival scraping and 57.43% of cases through nasal mucosal scraping, with no significant differences observed (P > .05).

The above study demonstrated that AC and AR share a common pathophysiological process and allergen profile, with both the conjunctiva and nasal mucosa being involved in allergic reactions. This study suggests including AC prevention and treatment to prevent AR.