Level of Stress in Students with the Disturbance of Nasal Breathing and Comorbid Disorders

Abstract

Background. The progressive increase of the number of schoolchildren with adaptation disorders and low level of health in recent years determines the need to assess the characteristics of the psychosomatic status in children and adolescents with various types of somatic pathology, including diseases of ENT organs, accompanied by nasal breathing disorders and hypoxia. It is also necessary to determine the severity of stress in children, for timely prevention and correction of these disorders.Aim: to assess the level of stress in schoolchildren with nasal breathing disorders against the background of nasal diseases and concomitant psychosomatic disorders.Materials and methods. 481 schoolchildren aged 12–17 (boys and girls) were examined. Nasal breathing disorders were assessed by a comprehensive ENT examination, including rhinoscopy, radiography of the sinuses, and olfactometry. The presence and severity of stress were determined by the questionnaire “Social factors and stress”.Results. We found that the high level of stress in children with nasal breathing disorders on the background of ENT pathology is more often associated with the high frequency and severity of psychosomatic symptoms: the presence of dorsalgia, asthenic syndrome, chronic headache and frequent episodes of abdominal pain. Moderately and significantly increased levels of stress associated with the presence of children with hypertension, asthenic syndrome, frequent abdominal pain, frequent pain in the cervical spine, panic disorders.Conclusions. Thus, the presence of certain psychosomatic complaints in children with nasal breathing disorders is directly related to the level of stress, which is important to take into account when planning preventive and corrective measures aimed at increasing the adaptive capacity and stress resistance of children. The studies illustrate the need to assess the psychosomatic status and the level of stress in schoolchildren with nasal breathing disorders taking into account their existing comorbid disorders of the psychosomatic spectrum.