Publication:

Profile of allergic rhinitis patients in a tertiary care centre in Central Kerala

Background Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a major public health problem which has a significant impact on the quality of life. Around 20-30% of the Indian population suffers from AR. The objective was to study the clinical profile and find out the factors associated with severity.

Methods This retrospective record-based study was conducted among 182 patients with AR who visited Department of otorhinolaryngology in a tertiary care hospital in central Kerala. Variables collected included age, gender, family history of allergy, duration of disease and details of symptoms. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used in identifying the severity of symptoms.

Results The mean age of participants was 39±19 years. Nearly 50% of them had positive family history and 77.5% were found to have severe symptoms. The mean total VAS score was 25±5.1. Sneezing and nasal block were the common symptoms reported. Among the participants who had family history, 77 (87.5%) of them reported severe symptoms (χ2=9.81, p=0.002). Almost all participants belonged to higher age group reported high severity (χ2=48.130, p<0.0001). More than 80% of the participants who reported a longer duration of disease had severe symptoms (χ2=7.28, p=0.007).

Conclusions The study identified a significant proportion of sneezers and blockers among the study population. Older age group, family history and longer duration of disease were the factors associated with severity. Generating community awareness will help in early diagnosis, effective control with improvement in quality of life of these patients.