A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:
- General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, body weight, body height; furthermore:
- Inspection (viewing).
- Skin, mucous membranes [pruritus (itching); contact dermatitis or contact dermatitis (redness and swelling of the skin, pruritus (itching), burning, development of small vesicles, scaling); urticaria (hives); atopic eczema (neurodermatitis)]
- Nose/nasal mucosa [sneezing (sneezing fits); rhinitis (runny nose, runny nose); nasal congestion; nasal congestion; allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (symptomatic hypersensitivity reaction of the nose, inflammation of the nasal mucosa); polyposis nasi (benign growths of the nasal mucosa, nasal polyps)]
- Mouth and oral cavity [angioedema (Quincke’s edema) – massive swelling primarily of the lips, eyelids, or tongue due to an allergic reaction or as a sign of a C1 esterase inhibitor defect]
- Laryngeal [glottic edema (swelling of the larynx), which can cause respiratory distress]
- Auscultation (listening) of the heart.
- Auscultation of the lungs [dyspnea (shortness of breath); cough; bronchial asthma]
- Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (abdomen) (tenderness?, knocking pain?, coughing pain?, defensive tension?, hernial orifices?, renal bearing knocking pain?) [abdominal pain (abdominal pain); meteorism (flatulence)]
- Inspection (viewing).
- If necessary, ENT examination including epipharyngoscopy (nasopharyngoscopy) and laryngoscopy (laryngoscopy) [swelling of the larynx, which can cause shortness of breath].
- If necessary, psychiatric examination [due topossible secondary disease: anxiety].
- Health check
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.