Abstract
BackgroundThis study was conducted to assess the effect of comorbidity, ethnicity, occupation, smoking and place of residence on allergic rhinitis (AR), acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).MethodsA GA2LEN (The Global Allergy and Asthma European Network) screening questionnaire was sent to a random sample of the Dutch population (n = 16700) in three different areas of the Netherlands.ResultsFifty percent (8347) of the questionnaires sent were returned. A total of 29% respondents (27–31% in different areas) met the criteria for AR, 18% (17–21%) for ARS and 16% (13–18%) for CRS. Risk factors for AR were itchy rash, eczema, adverse response after taking a painkiller, asthma, CRS and ARS. Moreover, the risk of AR was twice as low for full-time housewives/househusbands than for people with jobs. The risk of ARS or CRS was significantly higher in respondents with a doctor’s diagnosis of CRS, AR, itchy rash or smoking. The risk of CRS was also significantly higher in respondents with an adverse response after taking painkillers, active smoking or asthma. Caucasians are generally less likely to have AR or CRS than Latin-Americans, Hindustani and African-Creoles, and more likely to have ARS than Asian, Hindustani, Mediterranean and African-Creoles.ConclusionsThis study found shared and distinct risk factors for AR, ARS and CRS and therefore provides support for the belief that they have shared symptoms but are different diseases with different aetiologies.
Highlights
Allergic rhinitis (AR), acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) are common upper airway diseases. [1,2,3,4] According to the European position paper on rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps (EPOS), rhinosinusitis is clinically defined as inflammation of the nose and the paranasal sinuses characterised by two or more symptoms, one of which should be either nasal blockage/obstruction/congestion or nasal discharge and/ or facial pain/pressure and reduction or loss of smell, combined with objective signs of disease identified by endoscope or computed tomography (CT) scan
This study found shared and distinct risk factors for allergic rhinitis (AR), ARS and CRS and provides support for the belief that they have shared symptoms but are different diseases with different aetiologies
Allergic rhinitis (AR), acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) are common upper airway diseases. [1,2,3,4] According to the European position paper on rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps (EPOS), rhinosinusitis is clinically defined as inflammation of the nose and the paranasal sinuses characterised by two or more symptoms, one of which should be either nasal blockage/obstruction/congestion or nasal discharge and/ or facial pain/pressure and reduction or loss of smell, combined with objective signs of disease identified by endoscope or CT scan
Summary
A total of 29% respondents (27–31% in different areas) met the criteria for AR, 18% (17–21%) for ARS and 16% (13– 18%) for CRS. Risk factors for AR were itchy rash, eczema, adverse response after taking a painkiller, asthma, CRS and ARS. The risk of AR was twice as low for full-time housewives/househusbands than for people with jobs. The risk of ARS or CRS was significantly higher in respondents with a doctor’s diagnosis of CRS, AR, itchy rash or smoking. The risk of CRS was significantly higher in respondents with an adverse response after taking painkillers, active smoking or asthma. Caucasians are generally less likely to have AR or CRS than Latin-Americans, Hindustani and African-Creoles, and more likely to have ARS than Asian, Hindustani, Mediterranean and African-Creoles
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