Nasal hyperreactivity in allergic and non-allergic rhinitis: a potential risk factor for non-specific building-related illness.
Indoor Air
; 17(4): 328-33, 2007 Aug.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-17661929
ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED Self-reported non-allergic nasal symptom triggers in non-allergic ('vasomotor') rhinitis overlap with commonly identified environmental exposures in non-specific building-related illness. These include extremes of temperature and humidity, cleaning products, fragrances, and tobacco smoke. Some individuals with allergic rhinitis also report non-allergic triggers. We wished to explore the phenotypic overlap between allergic and non-allergic rhinitis by ascertaining self-reported non-allergic nasal symptom triggers among allergic rhinitics. Sixty subjects without work-related respiratory exposures or symptoms, aged 19-68 years, stratified by age, gender and (skin test-proven) allergic rhinitis status, were queried with regard to self-reported non-allergic nasal symptom triggers (aggregate score 0-8). In this sample, the number of self-reported non-allergic triggers was bimodal, with peaks at 1 and 5. Forty-two percent of seasonal allergic rhinitic subjects reported more than three non-allergic triggers, compared with only 3% of non-allergic non-rhinitics (P < 0.01). Subjects over 35 years were more likely to report one or more non-allergic triggers, particularly tobacco smoke (P < 0.05). Allergic rhinitics reported more non-allergic symptom triggers than did non-allergic, non-rhinitics. As indexed by self-reported reactivity to non-specific physical and chemical triggers, both non-allergic rhinitics and a subset of allergic rhinitics may constitute susceptible populations for non-specific building-related illness. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Judging by self-report, a substantial subset of individuals with allergic rhinitis--along with all individuals with nonallergic rhinitis (by definition)--are hyperreactive to non-allergic triggers. There is overlap between these triggers (elicited in the process of obtaining a clinical diagnosis) and environmental characteristics associated with ''problem buildings.'' Since individuals with self-identified rhinitis report an excess of symptoms in most epidemiologic studies of problem buildings (even in the absence of unusual aeroallergen levels), rhintics may be acting as a ''sentinel'' subgroup when indoor air quality is suboptimal. Together, non-allergic rhinitics plus allergic rhinitics with prominent non-allergic triggers, are thought to constitute approximately one-sixth of the US population.
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Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Piel
/
Rinitis
/
Hiperreactividad Bronquial
/
Contaminantes Atmosféricos
/
Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales
Tipo de estudio:
Etiology_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Indoor Air
Asunto de la revista:
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
Año:
2007
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos