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Sicca Symptoms and their Association with Chronic Rhinosinusitis in a Community Sample
S Lester1, M Rischmueller, Lw Tan
1Centre for Inflammatory Disease Research (CIDR), The Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Woodville South, SA, Australia.
The Open Rheumatology Journal
|July 18, 2012
Summary
Dry eye symptoms are common and strongly associated with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), suggesting a link between airway inflammation and ocular dryness. This finding may be relevant for understanding Sjögren's syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Immunology
Background:
- Sicca symptoms, including dry eyes and dry mouth, are prevalent in the general population.
- Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and asthma are common respiratory conditions often studied together under the 'one airway hypothesis'.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between sicca symptoms (dry eyes, dry mouth), chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and asthma in a community-based survey.
- To explore potential links between ocular surface dryness and sinonasal inflammation.
Main Methods:
- A community survey of 3007 South Australian adults (aged 15+) was conducted using interviewer-administered questionnaires.
- Data collected included self-reported dry eyes, dry mouth, CRS, nasal polyps, and asthma.
- Maximum likelihood dependency tree analysis was employed to examine symptom relationships.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of dry mouth was 5.9%, dry eyes 8.6%, CRS 13.2%, and asthma 12.0%.
- A significant association was found between dry eyes and CRS (OR 2.5), which was stronger than the association between CRS and asthma (OR 1.9).
- Sicca symptoms were associated with female gender and increasing age.
Conclusions:
- Sicca symptoms are common in the community, with dry eyes showing a notable association with CRS.
- This suggests a potential link between airway inflammation and ocular surface disease, warranting further investigation.
- Findings may have implications for understanding primary and secondary Sjögren's syndrome.
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