Correlation between allergic rhinitis severity and quality of life among adult patients:  A hospital-based cross-sectional study.

Dr. Garima; Preeti; Singh

doi:10.51168/mhkm9y42

Autori

Dr. Garima Assistant Professor, Department of ENT, Pt. B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak- 124001, Haryana, India.
Preeti Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Autonomous State Medical College, Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh, India
Singh Senior Professor and Head of the ENT Department, Pt. B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak-124001, Haryana, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/mhkm9y42

Cuvinte cheie:

Allergic rhinitis, Quality of life, Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma classification, Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, Sleep, Cross-sectional studies

Rezumat

Background:

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is among the most prevalent chronic non-communicable airway disorders worldwide and is frequently dismissed as a trivial complaint.

Objectives:

To assess HRQoL in adults with AR using the standardised Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ[S]), to classify disease severity and duration using the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) criteria, and to determine the correlation between AR severity and HRQoL impairment.

Methods:

A hospital-based, analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at a tertiary healthcare centre in Haryana over six months (October 2025 to March 2026). Two hundred consecutive adults aged 18–65 years with a clinical diagnosis of AR, supported by a positive skin prick test or ELISA allergy test, were enrolled. Severity and duration were classified using ARIA criteria; symptom burden was quantified using the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) and a 0–100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS); HRQoL was measured using the 28-item RQLQ(S) across seven domains.

Results:

The mean age was 32.4±10.8 years, and 108 participants (54.0%) were women. Moderate–severe AR accounted for 136 cases (68.0%), and persistent disease accounted for 104 cases (52.0%). The mean overall RQLQ(S) score was 2.94±1.14 and rose stepwise across ARIA classes (Kruskal–Wallis p<0.001). The overall RQLQ(S) score correlated strongly with TNSS (ρ=0.71), VAS (ρ=0.68), and ARIA severity category (ρ=0.66; all p<0.001). Moderate–severe severity independently predicted a 1.28-point higher RQLQ(S) score (95% CI 1.02–1.54, p<0.001; adjusted R²=0.58).

Conclusion and Recommendation:

HRQoL impairment in adults with AR is graded and closely tracks ARIA-defined severity, with the severity dimension outweighing the intermittent–persistent dimension. Routine incorporation of a brief severity or HRQoL screening instrument into rhinitis consultations is recommended, so that clinicians can identify patients whose daily functioning and sleep are meaningfully compromised and escalate treatment accordingly.

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