[Evaluation of quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis]

Nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis, such as watery rhinorrhea, sneezing and nasal obstruction, are thought to result in reduction in quality of life (QOL). In this study, we evaluated the QOL scores of patients suffering from allergic rhinitis, using the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). One hundred twenty six patients with allergic rhinitis who visited the department of otolaryngology of UOEH and affiliated hospitals from April, 2003 to March, 2004 were enrolled in this study. Each symptom of allergic rhinitis was shown to degrade the RQLQ scores. In particular, nasal obstruction and severity of the disease strongly related to the RQLQ scores. All the SF-36 scores of allergic rhinitis patients were lower than those of standard Japanese. Nasal obstruction was severer, and ocular symptoms were milder in the perennial group than in the seasonal group. The QOL scores of emotional aspects were significantly different between generations. The QOL score of social functioning increased, and that of mental health decreased with age. These results clearly indicate that nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis cause degradation of QOL in daily and social lives. It would be interesting and necessary to evaluate QOL disturbance and loss of working efficiency in workers with allergic rhinitis in further studies.