Assessing outcomes from the sleep disturbance associated with rhinitis

The purpose of this review is to identify which aspects of allergic rhinitis limit the quality of life in patients, to present information on how rhinitis affects sleep, and to review instruments available to assess the impact that rhinitis has on sleep.

Subjective and objective instruments reveal patients with allergic rhinitis frequently suffer from sleep-disordered breathing, poor sleep quality, daytime somnolence, and fatigue. Sleep disturbances associated with allergic rhinitis can lead to decreased cognitive and psychomotor abilities, impaired work performance, decreased productivity, impaired learning, difficulty concentrating, and memory deficits.

Objective and subjective instruments are available to measure the extent of compromise in quality of life in affected patients. Subjective measurements available to evaluate allergic rhinitis include general and disease specific quality of life questionnaires, including rhinitis specific and sleep specific questionnaires. Objective measurements available include evaluation of nasal patency and physiology in rhinitis, nasal inspiratory peak flow, acoustic rhinometry, rhinomanometry, polysomnography, the Multiple Sleep Latency Test, the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test, and learning and performance testing. The continued utilization of these and other available instruments is vital for further assessment on the effect of allergic rhinitis on sleep.