The attitude and practices of patients regarding selfmanagement of Allergic Rhinitis

Introduction: Allergic rhinitis that is loosely termed as hay fever is an allergic reaction involving inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and involve symptoms of sneezing, runny nose with blockage and itching.The present study was conducted to observe the general population's attitude towards management of Allergic rhinitis and their practices related to its prevention and treatment.Methods: The present cross-sectional study recruited physician diagnosed Allergic rhinitis patients visiting community pharmacies of Lahore, on a structured questionnaire that was further divided into two sections: Attitude and Practices related questions.The questionnaire was completed by a population of 240 Allergic rhinitis patients.The present study spanned over the time duration of eight months.Results: Out of 240 respondents, only 29.6% of the study subjects presented a positive attitude regarding the management of Allergic rhinitis.While 70.4% of the study subjects presented negative attitude.As for the practices regarding the management of Allergic rhinitis, 27.1% of the respondents were observed to have good practices, while 72.9% presented poor practices.Among demographic variables, gender and educational status of the respondents were positively associated with the attitude and practices related to the management of Allergic rhinitis.The p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.Conclusion: This study reveals a significant deficiency in the attitude and practices among respondents, highlighting the need for targeted education and intervention.Positive attitude and practices are essential to promote good practices that would lead to better disease management and clinical outcomes.