REVIEW PAPER
Work-related rhinitis – Is it always an occupational disease?
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1
Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland
(Klinika Chorób Zawodowych i Zdrowia Środowiskowego, Oddział Chorób Zawodowych / Department of Occupational Diseases
and Environmental Health, Division of Occupational Diseases)
2
Uniwersytet Medyczny w Łodzi / Medical University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland
(Klinika Intensywnej Terapii Kardiologicznej / Intensive Cardiac Therapy Clinic)
Online publication date: 2016-11-29
Corresponding author
Witold Salski
Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera,
Klinika Chorób Zawodowych i Zdrowia Środowiskowego, Oddział Chorób Zawodowych, ul. św. Teresy 8, 91-348 Łódź
Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2016;67(6):801-15
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ABSTRACT
Rhinitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the upper respiratory tract, characterized by a high prevalence and a complex pathogenesis.
Work-related rhinitis (WRR) can be divided into occupational rhinitis (OR) and work-exacerbated rhinitis (WER). It
is not only considered as a disease entity but also in the context of medical certification as the allergic disease associated with
occupational exposure. Epidemiology of work-related rhinitis has been found to vary depending on the occupation and specific
exposure, on the other hand the prevalence data may be underestimated due to the lack of uniform diagnostic criteria. This paper
reviews the issues comprising the pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of patients with work-related rhinitis. It
also discusses the significance of the disease in occupational medicine, particularly in terms of preventive worker care, general
principles of good practice in primary and secondary WRR prevention and the necessary directions of changes in medical certification
in the cases of occupational rhinitis. Med Pr 2016;67(6):801–815