Multicenter Investigation of Current Asthma Coexistence in Allergic Rhinitis Cases

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma among the participants and assess the likelihood that any given participant would also have asthma.

The study included 1200 patients with AR (599 men and 601 females) who met the inclusion criteria. These patients came from various locations across Turkey. All of the study's subjects had AR symptoms, such as stuffy nose, itching, sneezing, and runny nose. Whether the AR prick test is positive or negative is recorded as 0 for unavailable, 1 for negative, and 2 for positive. Following the GINA standards, they additionally assessed for asthma using the following survey questions: clinical asthma diagnosis, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and asthma severity.

The results show that 32.3% of the patients with AR have asthma. Asthma is significantly more common in elderly people with AR. Males with AR are more likely to have asthma (55.4%) than females with AR (9.2%). The rate of positive asthma tests rises in correlation with the reduction of nasal discharge and sneezing. However, as nasal itching and obstruction increased, asthma prevalence increased. The total nasal symptom scores of patients with asthma (13.17 ± 1.76) are significantly lower than those without asthma (15.88 ± 3.47).

Asthma was seen in 32.3% of the AR patients. Patients with allergic rhinitis should be closely monitored for the onset of asthma, and prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial. Collaboration among allergy clinics, pulmonology departments, and otorhinolaryngology practices is vital.