Prevalence of chronic nasal symptoms in West Sweden: risk factors and relation to self-reported allergic rhinitis and lower respiratory symptoms.

BACKGROUND

There are few population-based studies on chronic nasal symptoms and little is known about their prevalence and determinants, or their association with allergic rhinitis and asthma.

METHODS

A questionnaire focused on respiratory symptoms and conditions was mailed in 2008 to 30,000 randomly selected subjects aged 16-75 years in West Sweden, 29,218 could be traced and 18,087 (62%) responded. The questionnaire included questions on self-reported allergic rhinitis, asthma, lower respiratory and nasal symptoms and possible determinants.

RESULTS

Nasal congestion was reported by 14.9% and runny nose by 13.1% of subjects. In total, 19.8% had chronic nasal symptoms. Subjects with chronic nasal symptoms had considerably more symptoms from the lower airways compared with nonrhinitic subjects and vice versa. Forty-seven percent of the subjects with chronic nasal symptoms had concurrent self-reported allergic rhinitis. Several hereditary and environmental factors were associated with chronic rhinitis, including family history of asthma [odds ratio (OR) 1.27; 95% confidence interval 1.07-1.50], family history of allergy (OR 1.74; 1.57-1.92) and current smoking (OR 1.39; 1.25-1.54). Further, chronic nasal symptoms were increasingly prevalent with an increasing degree of urbanization.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of chronic nasal symptoms in West Sweden was found to be high and strongly associated both with self-reported allergic rhinitis and symptoms from the lower airways. Moreover, several risk factors were identified for chronic nasal symptoms, including family history of allergy and asthma and smoking.