Association Between Respiratory Allergies and Vocal Symptoms: A Cross-sectional Population-Based Study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Allergology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Vocal symptoms are common, but their association with respiratory conditions is not fully understood.
• Diagnosed respiratory allergies (DRAs) affect a significant portion of the population.
• Gender differences in health conditions warrant investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of DRAs and their association with vocal symptoms in a population-based sample.
• To investigate potential gender differences in the relationship between DRAs and vocal symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a questionnaire on language, speech, and voice from 1728 Finnish twins (18-46 years).
• Analyzed 1220 responses after refining data to account for twin bias.
• Collected data on vocal symptoms, DRAs, health, lifestyle, and medication use.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of DRAs was 25.6%; 19.8% reported frequent vocal symptoms.
• Vocal symptoms were more prevalent in women and significantly more frequent in individuals with DRAs.
• Allergic women reported more vocal symptoms than men.

Conclusions:

• DRAs are a contributing factor to frequent vocal symptoms.
• DRAs represent an additional risk factor for voice and throat problems.
• Consideration of DRAs is crucial in assessing and treating voice disorders and allergies.