The burden of allergic rhinitis as reported by UK patients compared with their doctors

This paper presents the results for the UK from a prospective, cross-sectional, international survey to identify perceptions of symptoms and the impact of disease in allergic rhinitis (AR). Data were recorded by 124 patients and matched with data from their primary care physicians or specialists. According to the physicians' assessments, a large proportion of patients presenting for routine care had moderate or severe disease (56.5%), persistent disease (52.0%) and comorbidities such as asthma (38.7%). Compared with the physicians' assessments, patients considered that their condition was more severe (p < 0.001). At the time of the survey, 58.1% of patients reported suffering from nasal and ocular symptoms, and these symptoms were moderate or severe in nature in 41.1% of patients. Most patients (75.0%) reported some impact of the symptoms of AR on daily activities, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was negatively correlated with disease severity and the number of symptom-free days in the previous 4 weeks. This survey highlights the unmet needs of many UK patients who suffer a high symptom burden and impaired health-related quality of life. Overall, there was a poor correlation between patients and physicians in the reporting of disease severity.