Allergic Rhinitis in Professional Singers: A Monoinstitutional Series

In professional singers, allergic rhinitis can lead to dysphonia and alterations in resonance. Each episode of laryngeal inflammation increases the risk of vocal strain or forces singers to cancel performances. This study aimed to analyze differences between allergic and nonallergic professional singers in self-evaluation of voice quality, objective examination of voice, and limitations of professional activities due to voice troubles.

Two groups, one with 30 subjects diagnosed with allergic rhinitis (the study group) and the other with 30 subjects without allergic rhinitis (the control group), were recruited from a pool of 167 professional pop singers. All subjects underwent comprehensive rhinological and phoniatric evaluations. The rhinological evaluation included nasal endoscopy, rhinomanometry, and 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) questionnaire. The phoniatric evaluation included laryngostroboscopy, the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI) questionnaires, and the Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI). Statistical analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences 25.0 (SPSS).

Dust mite allergy was the main cause of symptoms in our series of allergic singers, particularly when associated with seasonal allergens. Comparing singers with allergic rhinitis to those without, the study group had significantly higher scores on the SNOT-22, VHI, and SVHI assessments. Although the median DSI value indicated a good quality of voice in all subjects, it was significantly lower in the allergic group compared with the control group. The odds ratio (OR) indicated an increased risk for allergic singers of needing to postpone performances (OR 3.7), singing with laryngeal inflammation (OR 4.4), or changing the song pitch (OR 22.2).

Allergic singers experienced severe limitations in their professional activities. Our results suggest that careful management of allergic rhinitis is essential for singers to avoid conditions that could lead to vocal strain.