It is quite difficult to determine the cause of a prolonged runny nose that cannot be treated with nasal and antibacterial drugs. Frequent or prolonged runny nose in children attending kindergarten can sometimes be considered normal. But when a runny nose continues for months and is already chronic, then it is worth thinking about diagnosing the nature of its occurrence.
A common cause of chronic runny nose in children and adults is allergies. Therefore, in order to determine the etiology of a runny nose, it is recommended to do a rhinocytogram, take swabs from the nose for eosinophils.
What is a rhinocytogram
Rhinocytogram (nose scraping) is a procedure that can detect pathogenic microflora of the nasal mucosa. Based on the number of eosinophils detected during the examination, it can be concluded that there is a particular he alth problem.
The fact is that the treatment of a runny nose, which is allergic in nature, is fundamentally different from therapy aimed at eliminating a protracted infectiousrunny nose, therefore, in the presence of such a problem, experienced doctors, in addition to a detailed blood test, prescribe a rhinocytogram.
Smears from the nose for eosinophils help the doctor determine the cause of a prolonged runny nose.
Very often, a rhinocytogram is also called an analysis of the flora, since the examination process determines not only the number of eosinophils, but also other cells present in the nasal cavity.
What are eosinophils
Eosinophils are a subtype of white blood cells. The presence of these cells is necessary for an adequate immune response of the body in the presence of helminths or foreign agents.
When molecules of a pathogen enter the nasal cavity, or an infection begins to develop, it is eosinophils that rush to the affected organ and cause an inflammatory reaction. This process is inherent in people with increased susceptibility to a certain type of allergen.
In the event of repeated exposure to the causative agent, a response is triggered and a clinical picture is observed with one or a group of signs listed below:
- sneeze;
- cough;
- twitching in the nasopharynx;
- profuse nasal discharge;
- nasal congestion.
Sometimes it is quite difficult to establish the etiology of prolonged rhinitis, therefore, as a simplification of diagnosis, patients with chronic rhinitis are prescribed nasal swabs for eosinophils, which allow obtaining material for a rhinocytogram.
How to prepare for a rhinocytogram
There are several rules that will help you to correctly determine the flora of the nose.
It is necessary to stop taking antibiotics 5 days before submitting the material to the laboratory.
Two days before the collection of scrapings, it is forbidden to use antibacterial ointments, sprays and steroid-type drops. It is advisable to completely exclude the use of any drugs (both in the nasal cavity and externally).
Before the procedure itself, it is impossible to wash the nasal cavity even with plain water.
It is also advisable not to brush your teeth and not eat for 2-3 hours before the medical procedure, you can only drink water.
Transcript of results
Your task is to pass a swab from the nose for eosinophils, deciphering the results and making a diagnosis is up to the attending physician.
In addition to the number of eosinophils in secret, other blood components are also taken into account:
- erythrocytes - exceeding the threshold of this fraction in the nasal secretion is characteristic of diseases such as influenza, diphtheria, and some other infectious diseases;
- lymphocytes - an increase in this indicator in the nasal mucus indicates the course of a chronic infectious inflammatory process of the nasal mucosa;
- neutrophils - an increase in this indicator most often indicates an acute viral or bacterial infection.
Nasal swab for eosinophils: norm and deviations
Normal indicatorthe number of eosinophils in the nasal secretion is zero. This suggests that they should not be present in a he althy nasal flora.
Also, the indicator of eosinophils can deviate from the norm both in the direction of increasing their number, and show a negative value.
An increased rate (more than 10%) most often indicates that the body has one of the following abnormalities:
- allergic or non-allergic respiratory disease;
- periarteritis nodosa;
- bronchial asthma;
- ascariasis or infection with another type of helminth;
- leukemia (the disease is characterized by an increased content of eosinophils not only in the nasal secretion, but also in the blood);
- parasitic infestations.
Deviation of the eosinophil count in the negative direction is also called false negative. A negative eosinophil count indicates:
- vasomotor runny nose, which appears due to improper functioning of blood vessels;
- drug-induced rhinitis associated with prolonged use of vasoconstrictor and steroid drugs;
- a runny nose, which is associated with a malfunction of the nervous or endocrine systems.
Nasal swab for eosinophils: the norm in children from 1 to 14 years old
The normal level of eosinophils in the nasal secretion of a child is considered to be from 0.5 to 7%.
Rhinocytogram is considered one of the most painless medical procedures, thereforequite often, doctors prescribe it to children.
Normal eosinophil threshold in adults
You will benefit from knowing the limits of the normal value of this fraction if your doctor has recommended a series of tests, including a nasal swab for eosinophils. The norm in adult men and women, regardless of gender, varies from 0.5 to 5%.
Any deviation from the norm indicates the beginning of the development of a pathological process in the body. Nasal swabs for eosinophils or a rhinocytogram are a good way to diagnose the nature of chronic rhinitis at an early stage of development.
